While Natalie Portman has not won an Oscar (yet), she is clearly one of the biggest beneficiaries from this awards season.
On Friday, Portman will be the biggest star on the most screens this weekend with the opening of No Strings Attached in 2,800 theatres, and The Black Swan in at least 2,300 theatres. Portman will also be seen in early February in the long on the shelf The Other Woman.
The NY Times reports that this year there are fewer films opening and it turns out there is only one film starring a woman opening and that film stars Portman.
Post Black Swan Portman is going to be seen in a romantic comedy and a drama. She is clearly at the top of the A list of young leading ladies, although will be taking some time off to enjoy her pregnancy and have her baby. Portman talked to EW about her reluctance to take a film in the romantic comedy genre because, well, they usually treat women like crap.
But the girls are always in fashion, and it’s always about their clothes. They always want to get married at the end. There’s some kind of makeover scene. That stuff offends me.
It offends all of us yet those are the films available to women.
Hopefully, her film opening tomorrow (where she plays a doctor) won’t be the typical crappy romantic comedy. I am excited to see the first film from Fempire member Elizabeth Meriwether.
But even better news is that Portman is getting in the producing business and she clearly looking to create roles beyond the bullshit women are offered. Her producing partner Annette Savitch said this about the films they are looking to make:
We want to do movies that are female driven, from a fresher perspective. So if it’s a comedy, it’s not just about women out to find husbands. I think that’s really lacking today.
If Natalie Portman can figure out how to make movies that are successful at the box office and treat women with respect she will be true force to be reckoned with.