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Jolie dropped out of the sci-fi drama last week.
By Adam Rosenberg

Natalie Portman


Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” premiered at the Venice Film Festival last week, and critics are still buzzing over the ballet-centric thriller and star Natalie Portman’s standout performance. Also in the news last week was Angelina Jolie’s departure from Alfonso Cuaron’s sci-fi drama “Gravity,” in which she was set to star alongside Robert Downey Jr. With the role vacated, a long list of potential replacements surfaced, including “Swan” star Portman.

Now it seems that Portman may be the top choice to step in for Jolie. The young star received a formal offer from Warner Bros., according to The Hollywood Reporter. The next step is for her to read the script and make a decision.

“Gravity” is an “$80 million [budgeted] 3D survival story,” which Cuaron will direct. The male and female leads play astronauts who are stranded after a disaster leaves their space station inoperable. Downey’s role is a small one in comparison to the one Portman is now up for — the story primarily revolves around her character’s desire to get back to Earth, where her daughter is waiting.

Portman already has a 2011 jam-packed with work. She’ll be promoting three features — medieval stoner comedy “Your Highness,” romantic comedy “No Strings” and Marvel superhero summer blockbuster “Thor” — and continuing development on the adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” which David O. Russell is writing/directing and Portman will produce/star in. THR also reports that Terence Malick is after the young actress for a role in a “Jerry Lee Lewis-related project” that he is developing with Brad Pitt, and that Tom Stoppard is seeking her out for yet another project.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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“Lucid” #1 hits shelves this week, featuring “True Blood” actor Michael McMillian’s comic book debut and the first project to come out of the partnership between Archaia Comics and “Star Trek” actor Zachary Quinto’s media production company, Before The Door.

When I spoke with McMillian and Quinto during this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego, the pair offered a sneak peek at the the first “Lucid” story arc and teased future tales featuring United States Combat Mage Matthew Dee.

“This is a very beginning of what will hopefully be an epic story,” McMillian told MTV News. “But even though I say ‘beginning,’ it really drops you down in the middle of the action.”

“The first issue picks up when Matthew Dee, who is a United States Combat Mage, has taken over as protector of the realm,” he continued. “He’s a figure that’s sort of in the tradition of James Bond or Indiana Jones, and we meet him right in the middle of a mission.”

And if the first, four-issue arc goes well, McMillian said he already has plans for the next installment of the series.

“I have an origin story planned for later on that will take us before this first series, and I have the next few adventures after this,” he said.

“In this first issue, there is a lot of those interestingly placed breadcrumbs,” said Quinto of the foundation for the “Lucid” universe established in the first issue. “It opens up 15 years before the story actually kicks off, so you get the sense that there’s a backstory and a history that we might gain some insight to later down the line.”

“Like Zach said, there are some seeds planted there, where at first they might seem a little odd or confusing, but if you stay with the narrative, we’ll fill in some of the blanks for you,” promised McMillian.

“Lucid” #1 hits shelves this week.

Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

With a number of superpowered characters already set to return to “Smallville” for the tenth and final season, Arthur “AC” Curry will be coming back upstream as well.

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Alan Ritchson will reprise his role as “AC” (aka the future Aquaman) on the ninth episode of the new season of “Smallville.” While “AC” may be Ritchson’s best known role, he also appears alongside former “Smallville” star Sam Jones III in the Spike TV series “Blue Mountain State.”

The last time “AC” appeared back in the eighth season of “Smallville,” his secret identity was compromised by LuthorCorp and the nascent Justice League went their separate ways. In addition to Ritchson, other previously confirmed returning characters include James Marsters as Brainiac 5, Michael Shanks as Hawkman and Laura Vandervoort as Kara/Supergirl.

During a recent interview with Voices From Krypton, Vandervoort elaborated upon her return to “Smallville” and her new Supergirl inspired costume.

“It was a little strange, I hadn’t played her for almost two years,” said Vandervoort. “I had returned in season eight for an episode, but it was so brief, so it felt a little strange getting back into Kara. But once you get there, it’s not too difficult. I was excited and she’s almost a different character in season 10 than she was in seven or eight – she’s more mature, and she sort of figures out who she is.”

“She’s in the red and blue, semi-Supergirl uniform, without the S,” continued Vandervoort. “But she does do the brunette wig and glasses, which teaches him that he can have an alternate identity. He can have a face to the red/blue blur, and still be able to walk among the people with another identity. She kind of gives him that idea. I saw the photo — so I guess it is public knowledge that she wears that — but the second part of the reason, the producers told me, about wearing that, was to give him the idea to do it, to have the courage to show his face as the red/blue blur.”

Vandervoort added “[Kara] definitely plays a huge role in his becoming Superman.”

The final season of “Smallville” kicks off on Friday, September 24.

What are your thoughts on Ritchson’s return as Aquaman? Should Kara/Supergirl be the one to inspire Clark to be Superman? Bring down your meteor rocks and let us know what you’re thinking in the comment section or on Twitter!

Way back in December, “Red” co-creator Warren Ellis offered a great response to one of the coolest additions to the cast of director Robert Schwentke’s movie based on the 2003 Wildstorm comic. “Who wouldn’t want to see Helen Mirren with a sniper rifle?” he asked.

And while we don’t get to see the Oscar-winning actress with a sniper rifle in the new “Red” clip released by Summit Entertainment on Yahoo Movies, we do get to see her taking out a fleet of armored cars with something a little less… subtle.

“Red” hits theaters October 15, and features an all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Richard Dreyfuss, Brian Cox, and Mary Louise-Parker, among others. The film is directed by Robert Schwentke.

Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

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We’ve presented a fair share of “What If?” casting stories over the years here on Splash Page, with many of them involving actors who, at one point or another, came close to playing Superman on the big screen. There was Christian Bale, Brendan Fraser, David Hasselhoff, and… Clint Eastwood?

Yes, according to an interview with Hero Complex, the “Dirty Harry” star was considered for the title role in 1978′s “Superman” — a role that eventually went to Christopher Reeve.

“I can remember – and this was many years ago – when [Warner Bros. President] Frank Wells came to me about doing Superman,” said Eastwood. “So it could have happened. This was when they first started to think about making it. I was like, ‘Superman? Nah, nah, that’s not for me.’ Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s for somebody, but not me.”

Richard Donner’s big-screen take on the Man of Steel eventually took flight with another actor, but Eastwood said he wasn’t interested in the role then or later, drawn instead toward roles he felt were more “grounded.”

“I always liked characters that were more grounded in reality,” he said. “Maybe they do super things or more-than-human things — like Dirty Harry, he has a knack for doing crazy things, or the western guys — but, still, they’re not caped crusaders.”

Superhero typecasting was also a concern, according to the veteran actor and filmmaker.

“That was part of the consideration, a big part,” he said. “Look at Reeve, he was excellent. That was a big factor. You get a role like that, and it locks you in a bit. True, I had the western genre and the ‘Dirty Harry’ role, but everybody made westerns and did cop movies; they didn’t seem as bad [for typecasting the actors].”

And in a bit of a surprise turn, Eastwood name-dropped the one superhero he was a big fan of: Marvel’s sea-dwelling Sub Mariner, Namor.

“The Sub-Mariner, that’s the one I always liked,” he said. “I had all of those comics when I was a kid.”

Would Clint Eastwood have made a good Superman? What about Namor? Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

With all the trouble the “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” mega-musical has had getting off the ground, it’s worth noting that the project’s latest premiere date is fast approaching. And while we still don’t know much about the musical’s storyline or what sort of look and feel to expect from the production, we did receive a peek at some early concept art for one of the sets today.

Posted over at The L Magazine, the photo below is reported to be an early rendering of the Oscorp Labs set created by designer George Tsypin.

According to the site, the photo appeared on website for the show’s press manager, O & M Co (though I can’t seem to find it there now).

“Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” is currently scheduled to premiere December 21, with preview performances beginning November 14.

The musical stars Reeve Carney as Peter Parker, with Jennifer Damiano and Patrick Page as Mary Jane Watson and Norman Osborn, respectively. The musical is directed by Julie Taymor, and features a score by rock veterans (and U2 band mates) Bono and The Edge.

Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

Earlier this year, Hugo Weaving signed on to portray the villainous Red Skull opposite Chris Evans in “The First Avenger: Captain America.”

And while the casting of Weaving has generally been met with fan approval — thanks in part to his memorable turn as Agent Smith in “The Matrix” trilogy — there haven’t been any full sightings yet of Weaving in costume aside from a tease at the San Diego Comic-Con. However, according to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, the reveal will be worth the wait.

“Hugo Weaving has been in the Red Skull effect, in costume for a couple of weeks now and it’s a hell of a lot of fun,” Feige told Total Film. “We gave people a little taste in San Diego about what his character will look like but now that we’ve started to work with the actual skull it’s going to be a lot of fun and a rather frightening villain.”

Regarding Marvel’s previously announced decision to film “Captain America” at Pinewood Studios in England, Feige defended the choice and spoke about the history of that location.

“Two thirds of the film actually takes place in Europe and there are many scenes in and around London,” explained Feige. “So it just made sense that we film it where the majority of the film takes place. Having been here now for almost two and a half months prepping and twenty-some days into shooting. The history here is pretty impressive. I was at Pinewood yesterday and you walk past pictures of the set of Tim Burton’s original ‘Batman’ and all the amazing work that Donner did on ‘Superman.’

“Everytime we’re on a new stage in Shepperton somebody tells me this is where the war room was for ‘Dr. Strangelove,’” continued Feige. “Or this is where they shot some of ’2001.’ There’s such an amazing genre film history here and the technicians and the crews and the sets are just some of the best we’ve ever had. It’s been a pleasure.”

Feige also offered a brief update on “The Avengers.”

“There’s not much I can tell you but Joss [Whedon] is hard at work with the script and we’ve hired most of our crew,” related Feige. “They’re looking to design and build and prepare for when we start filming next year.”

“The First Avenger: Captain America” storms into theaters on July 22, 2011 with “The Avengers” to follow on May 04, 2012.

What are your impressions of Feige’s take on the Red Skull? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comment section or on Twitter!

The new “Judge Dredd” movie could be getting renamed “Dredd,” according to a website for one of the studios producing the film.

According to film and television studio IM Global (one of the producing partners for the project), the official title of the movie will be “Dredd” (not “Judge Dredd”) — a change that could indicate studios’ desire to distance the upcoming movie even further from the 1995 Sylvester Stallone film based on the character. The website also offered a few more details about the movie’s plot that should give fans hope that the next incarnation will adhere a bit more closely to the character’s “2000 AD” comic book roots.

“Dredd” star Karl Urban previously insisted that the new film is “in no way related” to the critically panned 1995 “Judge Dredd” movie, and promised it will get back to the character’s violent, gritty roots.

Here’s what the studio had to say about the film’s plot:

DREDD takes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot – if necessary. The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and the frenetic vision of director Peter Travis bring DREDD to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film that returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra’s revered comic strip.

“Judge Dredd” is expected to begin filming soon and hit theaters in 2012.

Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

If you’re currently working a job outside of comics and want to break into doing creative work, take heart while looking over the #jobsivehad entries that showed up on Twitter over the weekend. Jim Lee used to work in a hospital warehouse, Steve Niles sold donuts, and Fred Van Lente taught summer campers how to play RPG’s, according to their accounts.

Elsewhere, college football kicked into gear again, and both Rob Liefeld and B. Clay Moore kept tabs on the Boise State/Virginia Tech game last night. Not everyone has been watching sports, though.

Ben Templesmith dissected “The Human Centipede” and Gail Simone took a shot at director M. Night Shyamalan. Find out if you agree after the jump.

I’m @brianwarmoth, and this is the Twitter Report for September 7, 2010.

@GailSimone If M. Night Shyamalan did Piranha 3D, all the killer fish would be albinos and he’d say it was the ‘most diverse killer fish movie ever.’
-Gail Simone, Writer (“Wonder Woman,” “Birds of Prey”)

Jobs pt. 1: @jimlee00 Construction day laborer, lab researcher, 6Flags BBQ cook, hospital warehouse grunt, pizza deliv boy, psychology lab guinea pig #jobsivehad
-Jim Lee, Artist (“Batman,” “X-Men”)

Jobs pt. 2: @SteveNiles Retail clerk, cook, Game tester, videogame producer, caterer, paperboy, donut sales, bass player (not really a job) writer. #jobsivehad
-Steve Niles, Writer (“30 Days of Night,” “Criminal Macabre”)

Jobs pt. 3: @reneefrench bean picker, movie cashier, photo retoucher, color printer, medical photographer’s assistant, suit, cartoonist #jobsivehad
-Renée French, Writer/Artist (“The Ticking,” “Micrographica”)

Jobs pt. 4: @fredvanlente D&D Counsellor: At a theater camp called French Woods on the PA/NY border. My job, literally, was to run RPGs with the campers.
-Fred Van Lente, Writer (“Action Philosophers,” “Marvel Zombies”)

Jobs pt. 5: @CBCebulski If it hasn’t already been said, “Jobs I’ve Had” sounds like an idea for an anthology or web series for creator’s pre “breaking in” stories.
-C.B. Cebulski, Sr. VP, Creator and Content Development (Marvel)

@robertliefeld Wow. Boise State. Whatta game. Welcome back football.
-Rob Liefeld, Writer/Artist (“X-Force,” “Youngblood”)

@bclaymoore Boise State just believes they can go toe-to-toe with any team in the nation, and they prove it every year. Great program.
-B. Clay Moore, Writer (“Hawaiian Dick,” “Billy Smoke”)

Parting Wisdom for the Day:

@Templesmith So far, the Human Centipede is showing me that clearly, Doctors are paid far too much money.
-Ben Templesmith, Writer/Artist (“30 Days of Night,” “Welcome to Hoxford”)

Be sure to follow @MTVSplashPage on Twitter for up-to-the-minute breaking news in the world of comics and movies.

Back in July, Andrew Garfield emerged victorious over a number of up-and-coming actors to win the coveted title role in director Marc Webb’s “Spider-Man” reboot.

And while David Fincher — who directed Garfield in “The Social Network” — told MTV News back at Comic-Con that he couldn’t imagine Garfield being comfortable as Peter Parker, Garfield himself strongly disagrees.

When asked by The Hollywood Reporter if he has been preparing for the role, Garfield replied “I have been waiting for this phone call for 24 years, for someone to call me up and say, ‘Hey, we want you to pretend to be a character that you’ve always wanted to be all your life, and we’re going to do it with cool cameras and cool effects and you’re going to feel like you’re swinging through New York City. Do you want to do that?’”

“‘Let me just consult with my seven-year old self and see what he thinks,’” laughed Garfield. “So my seven-year-old self started screaming in my soul and saying, ‘This is what we’ve been waiting for.’ Like every young boy who feels stronger on the inside than they look on the outside, any skinny boy basically who wishes their muscles matched their sense of injustice.”

“God, it’s just the stuff that dreams are made of, for sure,” added Garfield. “It’s a true f—ing honor to be part of this symbol that I actually think is a very important symbol and it’s meant a great deal to me, and it continues to mean something to people. So yeah, I feel like I’ve been preparing for it for a while. Ever since Halloween when I was four years old and I wore my first Spider-Man costume.”

Garfield also stated that he deals with the role’s increased visibility.

“Not to give it credence, not to give it any of my energy,” said Garfield. “Just approach it like any other job that I care about deeply. That may be naive of me to think that I can just get away with that. But if you give focus to something, it will grow. I just want to be an actor, really. And of course all those things came into consideration when I was making the decision. But at the end of the day, I had faith that I would be able to not be defined by it. And I still have faith that I will be able to get lost in roles and just keep doing what I love to do.”

The story also mentions that “Spider-Man” will begin filming in December, despite the fact that Spider-Man’s leading lady has still not yet been found.

“Spider-Man” will swing into theaters in 3-D on July 03, 2012.

What are your impressions of Garfield’s enthusiasm for the role? Will he be able to surpass Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker? Who should be cast as his love interest? Sling a web and share your thoughts in the comment section or on Twitter!