Natalie Portman & Lena Dunham's ‘Good Sex’ Sparks $45M Studio Bidding War

UPDATE: The hottest package at EFM Berlin has got to be “Good Sex.” The project has sparked a bidding war with Warner Bros, Amazon, Apple and Netflix among the studios in the mix to acquire the project. Bidding is said to currently be at $45M and rising.

Natalie Portman is set to star in “Good Sex,” written and to be directed by Lena Dunham (“Girls”). The project will be shopped around at next week’s EFM market in Berlin.

After the success of “Babygirl,” Dunham/Portman’s film will also tackle an age gap romance. This time around, Nicole Kidman will be taking a backseat, and it’ll be Portman’s turn to have an intense affair with a younger man.

“Good Sex” is said to involve Ally (Portman), a 40-ish couple’s therapist who “falls into a steamy fling” with a 20-something Brooklyn hipster just as she begins a promising, more conventional relationship with Alan, a successful 50-something in Manhattan.

Portman previously praised Dunham as a filmmaker, including her iconic HBO series “Girls,” but especially Dunham’s 2009 debut “Tiny Furniture”:

I remember seeing Tiny Furniture, Lena Dunham’s film, and when the credits rolled I started crying because it was written by Lena Dunham, starring Lena Dunham, produced by Lena Dunham, and directed by Lena Dunham. This young woman has no fear of [saying] “I did it, I did all of this.” And it was so good.

Dunham recently dropped out of directing a “Polly Pocket” movie. She then released a statement which included her saying, “I feel like the next movie I make needs to feel like a movie that I absolutely have to make. No one but me could make it. And I did think other people could make ‘Polly Pocket.'”

Dunham is coming off having directed two films, both released in 2022, “Sharp Stick” and “Catherine Called Birdy” — the former was panned by critics and the latter earned decent reviews.

Michael Douglas Says Jack Nicholson, 89, Is “Not Working Any More" and Has “Disappeared"

While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.

Karyn Kusama to Direct ‘Mouthwashing’ Movie for Sony, ‘The Invitation’ Writers to Pen Script

Sony has acquired the feature film rights to "Mouthwashing," the acclaimed psychological horror game. The studio has hired Kusama to direct, and she will bring her most reliable writers, Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, with her.

Sir Patrick Stewart, 86, Has Died

A real shocker. There are some people you think will live forever, and Sir Patrick Stewart was one of them. The legendary actor has passed away at the age of 86. We’ve lost one of the greats.

Ken Russell's ‘The Devils' Extends Theatrical Run Indefinitely (!) After $3.3M Box Office Surprise

Nobody expected a 55-year-old NC-17 movie to be one of the surprise box office stories of the fall. Yet here we are, and this absolutely puts a smile on my face.

‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ First Reactions Are Very Positive

Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

CONFIRMED: Sadie Soverall Exits Brady Corbet's ‘The Origin of the World' Mid-Shoot, Lily McInerny Steps In Lead Role

Sadie Soverall was just let go after briefly filming on Corbet's new film — no official reason given. She had the lead role. Corbet has replaced her, last minute, with Lily McInerny.

Ron Howard’s ‘Alone at Dawn’ Starring Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway Sets Christmas 2027 Release

This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.

Jeremy Saulnier’s Next Film Retitled to ‘Slayground,’ Current Runtime is 2.5 Hours, Plot Details

Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.

Jemima Kirke and Alexi Wasser to Star in Woody Allen's Next Film

A few months ago, Deadline reported that Woody Allen's next film, set in Madrid and carrying a $14M budget, will be "largely English-language" and feature a "high-profile cast."

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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