Cal posted the confirmation in the 'Goya thread..'
reposted below..
Portman to buy Helm's 'Emporium'
By Liza Foreman
Natalie Portman is in negotiations to star in "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" for Mandate Pictures. The film will mark the directorial debut of Zach Helm, who will direct from his own script. Helm recently wrote "Stranger Than Fiction" for Mandate, which goes into production Monday.
Richard Gladstein is the producer through his Film Colony shingle, along with James Garavente. Mandate's head of production Nathan Kahane and Mandate's creative executive Jim Miller are overseeing development of the film. Mandate is fully financing "Emporium" and handling worldwide sales for the film.
Set in a strange and magical toy store, "Emporium" is a story about growing up and believing in the unbelievable.
"We are thrilled to be back in business with Zach Helm on another truly original and life-affirming story and grateful that he has entrusted us again to help bring his magic to the screen," Kahane said. "It is a testament to Zach's voice that we are in negotiations with Natalie."
"Zach is a unique and talented writer, and I'm thrilled to be working with him on what I imagine will be the first of many films he'll be directing," Gladstein said. "Natalie's response to the script has been brilliant, and she is the ideal actor around whom to build a wonderful ensemble."
Portman most recently was seen in Mike Nichols' "Closer," for which she received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress after winning a Golden Globe in the same category. Portman has starred as the female lead, Queen Amidala, in George Lucas' blockbuster "Star Wars" prequels and next can be seen reprising her role in "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." Portman's credits include Zach Braff's "Garden State." She is currently shooting "V for Vendetta" and will shoot "Emporium" after completing "Goya's Ghosts."
Sony Pictures recently acquired Helm's "Stranger Than Fiction" from Mandate and will release it next year. Helm also is writing "The Disassociate," which is being developed for producer Lindsay Doran. Helm is the author of the plays "Last Chance for a Slow Dance" and "Good Canary." Helm and Portman are repped by CAA, and Portman is managed by the Firm.
www.hollywoodreporter.com...1000893194
Cal found this..
www.timeout.com/film/news/473.html
JC
www.natalieportman.org
Edit: Just added the "now filming" status.
Edit: Now in post-production.
reposted below..
Portman to buy Helm's 'Emporium'
By Liza Foreman
Natalie Portman is in negotiations to star in "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" for Mandate Pictures. The film will mark the directorial debut of Zach Helm, who will direct from his own script. Helm recently wrote "Stranger Than Fiction" for Mandate, which goes into production Monday.
Richard Gladstein is the producer through his Film Colony shingle, along with James Garavente. Mandate's head of production Nathan Kahane and Mandate's creative executive Jim Miller are overseeing development of the film. Mandate is fully financing "Emporium" and handling worldwide sales for the film.
Set in a strange and magical toy store, "Emporium" is a story about growing up and believing in the unbelievable.
"We are thrilled to be back in business with Zach Helm on another truly original and life-affirming story and grateful that he has entrusted us again to help bring his magic to the screen," Kahane said. "It is a testament to Zach's voice that we are in negotiations with Natalie."
"Zach is a unique and talented writer, and I'm thrilled to be working with him on what I imagine will be the first of many films he'll be directing," Gladstein said. "Natalie's response to the script has been brilliant, and she is the ideal actor around whom to build a wonderful ensemble."
Portman most recently was seen in Mike Nichols' "Closer," for which she received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress after winning a Golden Globe in the same category. Portman has starred as the female lead, Queen Amidala, in George Lucas' blockbuster "Star Wars" prequels and next can be seen reprising her role in "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." Portman's credits include Zach Braff's "Garden State." She is currently shooting "V for Vendetta" and will shoot "Emporium" after completing "Goya's Ghosts."
Sony Pictures recently acquired Helm's "Stranger Than Fiction" from Mandate and will release it next year. Helm also is writing "The Disassociate," which is being developed for producer Lindsay Doran. Helm is the author of the plays "Last Chance for a Slow Dance" and "Good Canary." Helm and Portman are repped by CAA, and Portman is managed by the Firm.
www.hollywoodreporter.com...1000893194
Cal found this..
Quote:
Natalie talks about her upcoming projects: "Goya's Ghost" and "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium." She's gonna learn how to play the piano. :hap
Natalie Portman reveals her upcoming slate
The 'Closer' star is to make a film about the Spanish Inquisition.
Visiting the 'V for Vendetta' set last week, Time Out caught up with Natalie Portman to find out what the currently very bald actress has planned next.
'I'm doing a film called Goya's Ghost with Milos Forman,' she exclusively revealed to TO. 'It's a period tale set during the Spanish Inquisition, and Goya, his inquisitor and one of his muses are the three main characters.'
Portman says she can't wait to sink her teeth into the role and immerse herself in the culture and history of the time.
'There's tonnes of stuff I'll have to learn for the film' she explains excitedly, 'About Catholicism, about Spain, about painting, about art history and the history of the church in Spain. I'll also have to learn how to play the piano and conduct.
'I'll get to do stuff which is really challenging which is great, but it has to be like that because if I'm not obsessed with my work I'll get obsessed with something else.'
The young actress will then change genres altogether, making her first children's film:
'After that I'm doing 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium', she revealed, 'It's written by Zack Helm, who wrote 'Stranger than Fiction' which they're shooting right now. He's a great writer.'
'Magorium' follows the adventures of Portman's character when she becomes the manager of a magical toy shop following the death of its previous owner.
Helm will make his directorial debut with the project, which is due to start filming early next year.
With that, Portman heads off to film more 'V' action in Aldwych tube station, but we couldn't let her go without talking about the hair, or lack of it.
Having a shaved head has apparently been a very liberating experience for the 'Closer' star. 'It's been really nice to step away from vanity a little bit,' she explained, 'The time you spend on your appearance as a woman - if you put all that together you'd have an extra ten years of your life. It's been great to get away from that.'
But before her departure, Portman revealed that it won't be long before her tresses are back: 'I really like it, but I'm simultaneously aware that it takes a really long time to grow back, so the sooner, the better!'
by Chris Tilly
www.timeout.com/film/news/473.html
JC
www.natalieportman.org
Edit: Just added the "now filming" status.
Edit: Now in post-production.
