We haven’t seen much of Natalie Portman lately. The talented young actress has been busy with the married life and taking care of her little one. But regardless of how much she works, she’s always going to be in high demand. She has the two Terrence Malick movies coming up and is currently filming the ill-fated JANE GOT A GUN, along with her duties to the Marvel universe. But if the filmmakers of DARE ME have their way, Natalie Portman will be leading the film adaptation of Megan Abbott’s novel. It’s being described as HEATHERS meets FIGHT CLUB and really, that’s all we needed to know. It’s unclear what role Portman would have, but since she’s a few years past the point of being able to play a high school cheerleader, I’m guessing she’d be one of the coaches. THE VOW director Michael Sucsy is attached to direct, but no start date has been set. However, if Natalie Portman signs on, I’m guessing this will be fast tracked. (Deadline)
The official synopsis of Megan Abbott’s novel ‘Dare Me’: Addy Hanlon has always been Beth Cassidy’s best friend and trusted lieutenant. Beth calls the shots and Addy carries them out, a long-established order of things that has brought them to the pinnacle of their high-school careers. Now they’re seniors who rule the intensely competitive cheer squad, feared and followed by the other girls — until the young new coach arrives. Cool and commanding, an emissary from the adult world just beyond their reach, Coach Colette French draws Addy and the other cheerleaders into her life. Only Beth, unsettled by the new regime, remains outside Coach’s golden circle, waging a subtle but vicious campaign to regain her position as “top girl” — both with the team and with Addy herself. Then a suicide focuses a police investigation on Coach and her squad. After the first wave of shock and grief, Addy tries to uncover the truth behind the death — and learns that the boundary between loyalty and love can be dangerous terrain.