Both Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore have long since proven themselves as incredibly talented and versatile actresses in a variety of films over the years, both having won Oscars for their most outstanding performances. Now they're set to come together in a brand new drama feature called May December, courtesy of Todd Haynes. Per a report from Variety, the film premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, giving a firsthand look at what to expect in what could potentially be another award-worthy role for both Portman and Moore.
May December is a captivating romantic drama film helmed by Todd Haynes, who previously worked on other features like 2021 docu-film The Velvet Underground and legal thriller film Dark Waters, which starred Mark Ruffalo and dramatized Robert Bilott's massive case against chemical manufacturing corporation DuPont after they contaminated a town's water supply. May December is written by Samy Burch who also came up with the story with Alex Mechanik. Producers on the project include Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Christine Vachon, Pam Koffler, Natalie Portman, and Sophie Mas. Starring alongside both Portman and Moore is Charles Melton, a breakout star from the CW series Riverdale. Director Haynes and Moore also previously worked together on mystery drama film Wonderstruck (2017), and before that in Far From Heaven (2002).
The premise of the film revolves around married couple Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Moore) and Joe Yoo (Melton), who were once a national tabloid obsession. Settling down in Maine after 20 years of marriage and with three children, they indulge a quieter life while preparing to send their children off to college. While they contend with being empty nesters, a young woman and aspiring actress named Elizabeth Berry (Portman) decides to meet them in order to conduct research for not only an essay, but for her upcoming acting role as Gracie herself. She essentially embeds herself into their daily lives, seeking out as many details as possible to contribute towards a genuine performance. The Athertons begin to buckle under the pressure, the more she probes into their personal lives.
While the film has just premiered at Cannes, it currently has no release date planned for theaters.
What Else Portman and Moore Have in the Works
Natalie Portman has kept herself plenty busy the past few years, with her latest appearances as Jane Foster in Marvel films Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). She also played NASA astronaut Lucy Cola in psychological drama film Lucy in the Sky (2019). Along with Haynes' film May December she is also starring in and producing a mini-series for Apple TV+ called Lady in the Lake.
Meanwhile, Julianne Moore also has no shortage of features on her docket, including the newly release crime thriller drama Sharper, which sees her star alongside John Lithgow and Sebastian Stan. Right before that she also appeared in Jesse Eisenberg's directorial debut When You Finish Saving the World (2022), which also starred Stranger Things' star Finn Wolfhard.