Marion Cotillard Replaces Natalie Portman As Lady Macbeth
Marion Cotillard will be replacing Natalie Portman in the upcoming film adaptation of Macbeth.
Portman was cast to star opposite Michael Fassbender, who plays the titular king-to-be, in May. It would have been their second collaboration — the two will also star together in a currently untitled Terrence Malick project due out later this year.
It is unclear why Portman left the film, especially after she previously stated that she had wanted to play Lady Macbeth for years. However, the Oscar winner does have a lot on her plate. She just finished reprising her role as Jane Foster in Thor: The Dark World, which hits theaters October 30. Portman also recently wrapped another Terrence Malick project, King of Cups, which also stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and Isabel Lucas.
The 32-year-old is also currently filming Jane Got A Gun, which started shooting earlier this year in New Mexico. She will also be making her directorial debut with Tale of Love & Darkness, a film adaptation of Israeli novelist Amos Oz’s memoir. Portman is expected to fly to Israel next month for pre-production, and the film is expected to start shooting in January 2014 — the same time as Macbeth. In addition to directing, she will also play a supporting role as Oz’s mother.
Oz told Reuters last month that he had been helping with the film’s screenplay, and that Portman had approached him about an adaptation years ago.
“She read A Tale of Love and Darkness and asked me for the rights to make a film adaptation around five or six years ago,” he said. “I agreed because of my high esteem for her work. She’s an excellent actor.”
Portman was born in Jerusalem, and holds dual citizenship in the United States and Israel. She has said, while she loves the US, “My heart’s in Jerusalem. That’s where I feel at home.”
In replacing Natalie Portman, Academy Award winner Marion Cottilard joins Vivien Leigh, Judi Dench, and Helen Mirren, who have portrayed Lady Macbeth on the screen and on stage.
Do you think Marion Cotillard is a good replacement for Natalie Portman as Lady Macbeth?
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