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CANDIDS > Filming with Ashton Kutcher – October 26, 2010

Natalie Portman may have glided with ease across the stage for her role as a prima ballerina in the upcoming ballet thriller Black Swan, but it turns out that it was the team behind her tutus that were put to the real challenge! While becoming the first fashion designers to covet a National Art Award from Americans for the Arts recently, Rodarte’s Laura and Kate Mulleavy explained to nymag.com the challenges of creating the intricate costumes for the film.

“A tutu is 13 layers of tulle sticking straight out and then it’s over the body, so you can imagine. It’s crazy!” said Laura, who had only seen a ballet costume up close once before the film. The sister-act was introduced to the film’s director, Darren Aronofsky, by Portman–a longtime Rodarte lover–and after that, were brought on board to create looks for the film’s Swan Lake performance. “Building a tutu is one of the lost couture arts. Everyone will know it’s like getting your hand on the prize, like a coveted piece of couture that no one ever gets to see,” Laura explained. “You can’t go rent a tutu. You have to own it…They’re never actually perfect, but from afar, when you’re in the audience, it looks like one of the most beautiful things in the world.” And while the film has already received Oscar buzz, maybe the tutus will too!

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I added more pictures of Nat at the Environmental Media Awards and Marie Claire photo shoot outtakes (shame about the tags!):

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PHOTO SHOOTS > Marie Claire [2]
APPEARANCES / EVENTS > 2010 > 20th Annual Environmental Media Awards

There hasn’t been a whole lot of good news lately for the adaptation of the popular literary-horror crossover “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” Director David O. Russell (“Three Kings”) was set to helm, but recently bailed to take the reins of “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.” And Natalie Portman, who’d been attached to star, stepped down, though she remains involved in a producer role (is there anything this Harvard-educated beauty can’t do?).

But suddenly things are looking up. Deadline reports that Scarlett Johansson is potentially on tap to play leading lady Elizabeth Bennett to Bradley Cooper’s Mr. Darcy. And, according to Slash Film, directors Neil Marshall (“Doomsday”), David Slade (“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”), and Mike Newell (“Prince of Persia”) are circling the project.

The film, which augments Jane Austen’s tale of class and manners with the addition of some killer zombies, has some true potential … which is why I have some reservations about ScarJo taking the lead. The actress that plays Elizabeth Bennet needs to be fierce, strong-headed and powerful (and, apparently, good at lethally dispatching the undead). Johannson’s performances have never made that sort of impression on me. Yes, she did do a good action hero job in “Iron Man 2″ as Black Widow, but I think most of us were distracted by her awesome body in that outfit to notice her acting chops.

Johansson is great in nuanced character roles (“Lost In Translation” and “Match Point” anyone?), but she has yet to showcase the fiery spirit required to fill Elizabeth Bennet’s shoes (especially after Keira Knightley filled them so well in “Pride & Prejudice”).

Then again, Johannson does have some experience acting in period pieces (“Girl With the Pearl Earring”) and, if the Bradley Cooper rumors do prove true, she could benefit from appearing alongside her former “He’s Just Not That Into You” co-star, with whom she had definite chemistry. Perhaps this is the role that will see ScarJo unleash that fiery spirit upon the world… and open up a can of butt-whipping on some Victorian-era zombies, of course.

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I added pretty pictures of Nat last night at the 20th Annual Environmental Media Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on October 16, 2010 in Burbank, California.

GALLERY LINKS:
APPEARANCES / EVENTS > 2010 > 20th Annual Environmental Media Awards

GALLERY LINKS:
PHOTO SHOOTS > Marie Claire [2]

I added a new event, tons of scans thanks to Elmira, photo shoot outtakes, and stills from Your Highness:

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Last additions – MAGAZINE SCANS
MOVIES > Your Highness > Stills
APPEARANCES / EVENTS > 2010 > 2011 NYC Ballet Gala
PHOTO SHOOTS > TIFF Shoot 2010

Moviefone had an exclusive set visit on Natalie’s movie ‘Your Highness’ and put together this really great story about the “9 Coolest Things We Learned on the Set of ‘Your Highness’”. Particularly about Natalie, they said, “Natalie Portman is going to kick ass”…for details why, check out the list here. Thank you to Andie!

Natalie Portman provided some of the information used in the newly-released The Social Network, according to reports on Thursday.

Portman attended Harvard between 1999 and 2003 and provided some details to the film’s creators on what was happening in the student body, the Entertainment Weekly reported.

“Natalie Portman got in touch with me when she heard that I was doing this to say, ‘Listen … come over for dinner and I’ll tell you some stories,” the film’s screenwriter Aaron Sorkin told Harvard students during a screening of the film. “I would’ve come over for dinner under any circumstances. But that was really helpful.”

Mark Zuckerberg, in the film, creates Facebook using models of some of Harvard’s elite clubs.

The clubs are secretive and so Portman, who dated a Harvard student in the Porcellian club, disclosed some insider secrets about the happenings at the Ivy League school.

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