Natalie Portman And Jenna Ortega to Star in ‘The Gallerist’

The ‘Birds of Prey’ filmmaker is on board to direct the story of a desperate art gallery owner who comes up with an audacious plan.

(Left) Natalie Portman. (Right) Jenna Ortega attends the world premiere of Netflix's 'Wednesday' on November 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Netflix.

Preview:

Jenna Ortega and Natalie Portman are in talks to star in ‘The Gallerist.’
Cathy Yan co-wrote and would direct the movie.
It’ll follow an art gallery owner with a desperate plan.

While not every movie that Jenna Ortega has appeared in since ‘Wednesday’ helped her profile skyrocket has been a winner, you just know that any filmmaker would be happy to have her even consider appearing in their work.

‘Birds of Prey’s Cathy Yan must be feeling confident, then, since she has both Ortega and Natalie Portman in talks for her latest movie, ‘The Gallerist.’

And before you ask, no “gallerist” does not mean someone who is prejudiced against art galleries; it means the owner/manager of one.

What’s the story of ‘The Gallerist’?

Natalie Portman attends Netflix's 'May December' Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.

Per Deadline, ‘The Gallerist’ will follow a desperate art gallery owner who attends the Art Basel show (an annual shindig featuring over 250 of international galleries showing the works of more than 4,000 artists) in Miami with an audacious plan to sell a dead man at the show.

At least, that’s the basic logline for the movie, which Yan co-wrote alongside James Pedersen (‘High Heat’). It could, in other hands, be a ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’–style romp, though we have a feeling Yan will be opting for a sharper, more satirical edge to her movie.

There’s no word on exactly what either actor would play in the movie –– our guess at this point is Portman as the gallerist –– and it remains to be seen if they hop aboard at all, as their deals have yet to close.

What else are Jenna Ortega and Natalie Portman working on?

(L to R) Jenna Ortega and Director Tim Burton on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ comedy, 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Ortega is coming off the success of ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ directed by Tim Burton.

And the actor has also been working with Burton on Season 2 of ‘Wednesday,’ which should be hitting Netflix next year.

On the movie front, she has found time for a role in Taika Waititi’s next film, ‘Klara and the Sun,’ will be seen in musical mystery thriller ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ and worked on ‘Death of a Unicorn.’

There have also been rumors that she’ll be part of the cast for J.J. Abrams’ mysterious new movie.

As for Portman, her most recent movie was Oscar nominee ‘May December,’ and she also led Apple TV+ series ‘Lady in the Lake.’

She has a voice role in new Roald Dahl animated adaptation ‘The Twits’ and recently finished work on Guy Ritchie’s new fantasy adventure movie ‘Fountain of Youth.’

When will ‘The Gallerist’ be on screens?

While ‘The Gallerist’ appears to be gaining momentum, it has yet to lock in a distribution home, so we’ll have to wait and see when it might arrive in theaters or on streaming.