News > Portman to Play Lead in "Wuthering Heights"

Natalie Portman has been cast in a new adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic novel "Wuthering Heights." Variety only mentions that she will be playing the lead, which presumably means Catherine Earnshaw, though I don't know that she's technically the "lead" of that book. Olivia Hetreed has written the screenplay. Her past works include "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and the British series "The Roman Mysteries."

No word yet on who will be directing the film. Variety also points out that this is the first time the Bronte novel has been adapted since 1992, when Peter Kosminsky tried, casting Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. The film was a major flop, grossing only $624,643. William Wyler's 1939 version is still widely considered the best, due to its great cast (Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon, David Niven) and the ever-brilliant cinematography of Gregg Toland (who also shot a few little movies called "Citizen Kane" and John Ford's "The Grapes of Wrath").

-David Morgan