Natalie Kicks Heathcliff to the Curb
For those of you who grow weary of the Speed Racer conversation, here’s a little nugget of news from this morning about Natalie Portman bailing on the new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s oft filmed Wuthering Heights “due to a scheduling conflict with another as-yet unannounced project” according to Variety.
The Hollywood Reporter adds that the announcement comes just days before the Cannes Film Festival where financiers hope to sell the movie. The scramble to find a replacement begins.
I’m happy with the William Wyler version with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, but it would be kind of pointless to be against another version. While I like Natalie Portman, I’m still kind of iffy on American women playing period English roles, though the opposite happens all the time.
I wonder what the “as-yet unannounced project” is.
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Thank God. I like Natalie Portman but her British accent leaves much to be desired and this just seemed like a bad match to me.
I don’t mind American women playing period English roles if they can do it, since it does happen the other way around. But I don’t think Portman can.
I admit I have difficulty getting over the fact that she’s purdy and I tend to overlook all other sins.
Yeah, her British accent isn’t great, not abyssmal, but this doesn’t seem like a good fit for her. And since the last thing we need is more competition for PBS’ Masterpiece Theater, I’m fine with it.
Don’t the Brits film new adaptions of these novels every five years anyway?
Aw, this sucks. I was excited to see her in the part. Her accent needs some serious work, but she’s a very talented actress and she’s not had a good character to work with in a while. I was hoping this could be it for her, but I guess not.
Now, who wants to bet Keira Knightley ends up as Cathy? I heard some scary rumors that Lindsay Lohan was originally in contention, but I hope that those were just rumors and we don’t see her toplining a literary classic.
I’m kind of torn on Lohan. She showed some talent as a kid and I’m not sure if I can blame her for becoming tabloid fodder.
On the other hand, I don’t think I need to see her as Cathy. I wouldn’t be shocked if it was Keira, if she’s available.
Lohan needs to stay away from period pieces. She’s far too modern an actress and personality to pull it off.
I kind of feel the same way about Scarlett, though everyone says she was great in Pearl Earing which I still haven’t seen.
Yeah, I have similar feelings on Scarlett as well.
There are actresses like Keira Knightley and Helena Bonham Carter who seem right at home in any time period, and then there are actresses like Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, and — I’ll go there — Ellen Page who are too modern to fit. Lohan and Page haven’t attempted the period drama yet, but the image of them in corsets and/or skipping along the English countryside is just so utterly bizarre to me.
Natalie Portman is one actress I could see pulling off the period piece so long as it’s in the right part. I don’t know how successful she would be, but she’s got a quality about her that makes me feel she could do it. I’m hoping she gets the right shot soon (I’m overlooking Boleyn).
I thought Natalie Portman was the best thing about The Other Boleyn Girl, which isn’t a ringing endorsement by any means… Her accent was pretty questionable but she at least maintained it, so there’s that. Johansson was a cypher. A lot of it had to do with how their respective parts were written, though.
Yeah, Craig, Johansson is rather shocking in how good she is in Girl with a Pearl Earring. I know some disagree, but I thought she held her own with some fine actors in that film. I fear that a great deal of it has to do with her rarely speaking in that film. It makes me wonder if she might have been better suited to silent movies. (That doubtless sounds like a vicious slam but it’s not how I intend it.)
Ah but Ellen Page will be taking the plunge for Jane Eyre. We’ll see if she succeeds. I wish her the best of luck - I’m excited to see her break out.
Agreed Alison - and while I think Ms. Portman may not have the best British accent out there, I am curious to see how Page can handle it.