Angelina Jolie Drops Out of Gravity (Again)
Posted 09.02.10 by Ryan
Children of Men director Alfonso Cuarón's
upcoming 3-D space thriller, Gravity, just cannot find a leading lady. The movie, which takes place almost entirely in space, cast Robert Downey Jr. in March as a team leader on a remote space station just as Angelina Jolie dropped out of the lead role. A search commenced, with Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively both reportedly testing for the role earlier this month. The actresses were but a few that were trying to land the role.
According to Deadline, Warner Bros. tested or approached several more actresses for the role, including Sandra Bullock and Natalie Portman, Naomi Watts, Marion Cotillard, Carey Mulligan, Sienna Miller, Abbie Cornish, Rebecca Hall, and Olivia Wilde. Reportedly, Portman and Bullock are strong favorites, especially now that Warner Bros. offered the role to Jolie again, with the response again being "no."
The role, that of a female astronaut who desperately tries to get home to her daughter after space debris destroys her space station, will be the main focus for much of the movie, with Downey Jr. in a supporting part. The depth of the role has made it a highly coveted one, except for Jolie, obviously. Apparently, this leaves the project on shaky territory, as Warner Bros. clearly wanted Jolie for the part, and can't decide on a replacement.
Cuarón wrote the script with his son Jonas, and plans are in place for the movie to start shooting next year after Downey Jr. finishes work on Sherlock Holmes 2, but Warners will have to find its leading lady first.