Natalie Portman Eyed to Play Jackie Kennedy in JACKIE

The long-in-the-works drama about Jackie Kennedy is heating back up again.  The project, titled Jackie, was previously set to be directed by Darren Aronofsky with his then-wife Rachel Weisz poised to star as the First Lady, but both dropped out following their divorce.  Now Deadline reports that Fox Searchlight is courting Natalie Portman to take on the role.  The story, written by Noah Oppenheim,  takes place in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, so the role is quite a tall order for any actress to tackle.

Portman is said to be keen on the script, but her participation depends on the director.  Aronofsky directed Portman to a Best Actress Oscar with Black Swan so it’s feasible that he could possibly come back to the project.  A few years ago it attracted the interest of Steven Spielberg, so it’s safe to assume that a talented filmmaker will sign on sooner or later.  Portman is next set to star opposite Michael Fassbender in the incredibly promising western Jane Got a Gun, from We Need to Talk About Kevin director Lynne Ramsay.