The author of Annihilation just revealed that Natalie Portman has signed on to develop another one of his sci-fi stories. In 2018, Portman starred in an adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation with Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tuva Novotny, and Benedict Wong. The film grossed $43 million at the box office and is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a critic score of 88%.

Natalie Portman as Lena with glowing eyes in Annihilation.

Since then, the actor has created a production company called MountainA, which is developing VanderMeer’s new short story, “Constellations,” as a movie, according to the author, who shared the news on BlueSky. He added that he’s “psyched at the prospect of her starring in it.”
“Also thrilled to announce that Natalie Portman is developing my short story ‘Constellations’ for film, thru her MountainA production company. I’m psyched at the prospect of her starring in it. ‘Constellations’ appeared in the MIT Technology Review earlier this year (see today’s pinned post for link).”
“Constellations” was published in the MIT Technology Review this year and will be featured in an upcoming short story collection from publishing company Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG). The story centers on a group of people whose spaceship crashes on a remote planet. This isn’t the only project that VanderMeer has in the works. It was also just announced that FSG will be publishing a new book series from the author called The Strange Architect. The first novel, How to Be Free, will be released in 2029, with three sequels expected in subsequent years. The protagonist is a man named Arthur Bream, who believes his missing daughter is stuck in a spirit realm as a ghost, and he goes to extreme lengths to try to get her back. AMC is also developing his 2017 novel Borne as a TV show.

VanderMeer is best known for writing the bestselling Southern Reach book series, which includes Annihilation (the basis for the 2018 film), Authority, Acceptance and Absolution. Annihilation tells the story of scientists who explore a quarantined spot called Area X (known as the Shimmer in the movie), which formed after a meteor crash. The author has also published books like Finch, Dead Astronauts and Hummingbird Salamander. Before the Alex Garland-directed Annihilation, Portman was best known for starring in films like the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Garden State, V for Vendetta, Black Swan, Thor and Jackie. Her performance in Black Swan earned her an Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG Award, Critics’ Choice Award and BAFTA.

In 2020, the actress created MountainA with producer Sophie Mas. The company has produced the movies May December, Arco and The Gallerist, the short film Carol & Joy, and the TV shows Angel City and Lady in the Lake. The latter miniseries was created under Portman’s first-look TV deal with Apple. Aside from adapting “Constellations,” MountainA is also developing the upcoming films Good Sex and Pumping Black.

Birthdate

June 9, 1981

Birthplace

Jerusalem, Jerusalem District, Israel

Height

5 feet 3 inches

Professions

Actress, Producer, Director

Discover the latest news and filmography for Natalie Portman, known for Black Swan and V for Vendetta.