MOVIE NEWS – Eight years after Annihilation reached cinemas, Natalie Portman may finally return to science fiction through another story written by Jeff VanderMeer. Her production company, MountainA, is developing a film adaptation of Constellations, and the author hopes Portman will take the leading role as well.

Natalie Portman has not led another major science-fiction film since the release of Annihilation in 2018, but she may now have found the ideal opportunity to return through a story by the same author. During the intervening years, the Oscar-winning actress has appeared in several prestige dramas, re-entered the MCU as a superhero and, most recently, returned to the Academy Awards as a producer of the nominated animated feature Arco. A genuine return to science fiction has nevertheless remained absent from her career since 2018, and that extended break could finally be approaching its end.

Writing on Bluesky, as reported by ScreenRant, Jeff VanderMeer confirmed that Portman and her MountainA production company are developing a feature-film adaptation of his short story Constellations, with the possibility that she will also star. The narrative follows the crew of a spacecraft struggling to stay alive after crashing on a hostile planet, while the artificial intelligence operating aboard the vessel becomes a crucial part of their ordeal. Its alien environment, uncertain battle for survival and potentially unpredictable non-human intelligence make the project a natural successor to Portman’s acclaimed 2018 thriller, and work is already underway to transform VanderMeer’s 2026 story into a film.

“Also thrilled to announce that Natalie Portman is developing my short story ‘Constellations’ for film, thru her MountainA production company. I’m psyched at the prospect of her starring in it. ‘Constellations’ appeared in the MIT Technology Review earlier this year (see today’s pinned post for link).”

It is not currently known how far the feature-length version of Constellations has progressed through development. Portman’s involvement has only just been formally revealed, and no director, screenwriter, additional cast members or release date have been announced, meaning several years could pass before the adaptation becomes a finished production. Even at this early point, however, the Oscar winner’s possible return to the genre is likely to attract considerable attention, particularly because Annihilation is widely regarded as a modern science-fiction masterpiece and one of the defining genre films of its period.

Written and directed by Alex Garland, the cosmic horror thriller cast Portman as a biologist and former soldier who enters the mysterious and highly dangerous quarantine region known as the Shimmer to discover what happened to her husband, Kane, played by Oscar Isaac. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny and Benedict Wong completed the prominent ensemble, while the experiences endured by Portman’s character and her companions inside the Shimmer have remained lodged in the memories of science-fiction fans for nearly a decade. The film’s continuing visibility across streaming platforms has also allowed Annihilation to keep finding new viewers long after its original release.

Should Constellations advance into production, Garland would be an obvious candidate to oversee the adaptation because of his existing connections to both Portman and VanderMeer’s work. He is currently occupied with filming A24’s large-scale adaptation of Elden Ring, but his schedule may become open enough for another project once that production has been completed.

Portman has also established an impressive recent record as a producer, with MountainA supporting acclaimed and Oscar-nominated films such as May December and Arco. She is additionally producing and starring in The Gallerist, a new darkly comic thriller directed by Birds of Prey filmmaker Cathy Yan, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Whether Constellations will become Portman’s next film remains uncertain. Even so, it has already emerged as one of the most intriguing projects currently attached to her name.

Source: MovieWeb