natalie_portman_71460.jpg

Natalie Portman is a name we’ve become used to naturally hearing when associated with big films. From The Other Boleyn Girl to Star Wars to Garden State to Thor, she’s dipped her feet into all genres, and continues to snag more major roles. Ever since her Oscar in 2011 for her performance as a troubled ballerina in Black Swan (and also giving birth to her child) things have slowed down a bit for Portman. That was until now, as news starts piling in on Portman’s latest projects including a starring role as Jackie Kennedy in Jackie.

Variety reports out of the Cannes Film Festival that Portman will be starring in the titular role of Jackie a film about the four days following John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the terrible aftermath that his wife, Jackie was left in. The film explores Jackie Kennedy’s loss of the love of her life, but the adoration of a nation that follows. It is quite the iconic role, and quite the shoes for the 33-year-old actress to fill. Years ago we reported Fox Searchlight’s search for Jackie O, and looks like the top choice was snagged.

The film has Pablo Larrain attached to direct. Larrain is a Chilean director behind the Academy Award nominated film No based on the advertising world in 1980s Chile. Larrain’s most recent The Club went on to win Grand Jury Prize at The Berlin International Film Festival, and when Portman caught the flick while in Paris she loved it, and hoped on board for the new film.

This comes along with some other big announcements on the Natalie Portman casting front. Earlier this week the V For Vendetta star nabbed the starring role in the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, On the Basis of Sex. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Jackie Kennedy all in one week. That’s a lot of girl power for one woman to take on. Let’s hope that the pressure of portraying two important women of American history doesn’t lead to any unflattering reenactments.

A couple days ago it was also announced that Portman would be co-starring alongside Lily-Rose Depp in Planetarium. Lily-Rose Depp, the 15-year-old daughter to Johnny Depp, and Portman will play a sister duo who possess a spirit-centric second sight, which leads them into interacting with ghosts at some capacity. No official plot details out yet, but sounds like a creepy, good time.

From the looks of it, Portman is trying to get back into working mode, after most likely taking it slow with the birth of her son in 2011 and settling in Paris with her new family. Now, the actress is back to work, just completing her own directorial debut at Cannes Film Festival for the drama, A Tale of Love and Darkness. Portman also has Jane Got a Gun coming out later this year, as well as finishing up her work on Terrence Malick’s Weightless. As for, Jackie, the film will go into production at the end of 2015.