Natalie Portman in ’Goya’s Ghosts’

April 20, 2005 by Liam
Filed under: Movie News

Natalie Portman in ’Goya’s Ghosts’ It’s pretty obvious that Natalie Portman will be glad to have the “Star Wars” experience behind her. She’s a great actress (she was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year) but her performances in the prequels so far have been – well – wooden. Couldn’t she have at least pretended to be enjoying herself?

So, with Revenge of the Sith all but a done deal, Portman is moving on to greener pastures, signing to star opposite Javier Bardem in Goya’s Ghosts, a long-in-the-works drama about Spanish painter Francisco Goya. Milos Forman will direct.

The drama is set in Spain in 1792, when Goya was the country’s most famous painter. A scandal arises when his teenage muse (Portman) is framed for heresy by a manipulative monk (Bardem) who is one of the driving forces behind the Spanish Inquisition. In addition to playing the muse, Portman will also portray her own teenage daughter, who may (or may not) be the result of an illicit affair with the monk.

In addition to directing, Milos Forman also co-wrote the script with Jean-Claude Carriere. Filming is scheduled to begin in early fall in Europe.

Portman is currently filming V for Vendetta for Warner Bros. Pictures.