Are we headed into a Jennifer Jason Leigh-aissance? Granted, the actress has never really went away, but she seems to be having a real moment. Arguably the best part of Quentin Tarantino‘s "The Hateful Eight," while serving as the beautiful heart of Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson‘s "Anomalisa," Leigh has been blessed of late with some terrific, complex roles to play. And it looks like she’s lining up another one.
The actress is in early talks to join Alex Garland‘s "Annihilation," which already has Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson slated to star. Based on the first book in a trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer, the futuristic sci-fi story follows four women who investigate the mysterious Area X. Here’s the book synopsis:
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No word yet on when production will begin, but likely soon given that the cast now has its quartet of leading actresses. Have you read the book? If so, let us know what you think about the casting below. [The Wrap]
Recently finished the Southern Reach trilogy and cannot overstate my excitement for this movie. Leigh is a great choice for the psychologist, Portman as the biologist is just friggin perfect. With the project in Garland\’s hands, I couldn\’t be more optimistic.
Excellent casting, so far. This is a strange, cerebral sci-fi series with strong female characters and odd, ambiguous plotting. If they do the full series, Portman will have an awesome arc to explore and I suspect Leigh has bagged the complex, tragic, antagonist role.