Marion Cotillard In, Natalie Portman Out for 'Macbeth' Opposite Michael Fassbender

A lot has changed in the couple of months since Natalie Portman was attached to play Lady Macbeth in an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. It was set to be another shot at working alongside Michael Fassbender, after the first attempt in Jane Got a Gun fell into disaster when he dropped out. But as it turns out, Portman's now planning her directorial debut A Tale of Love and Darkness, and this time it's her who is moving on, but it may just be for the better.


Deadline reports that Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard will now play the manipulative Lady Macbeth in the film, to be directed by Justin Kurzel (Snowtown) and written by Todd Louiso (Hello I Must Be Going) and Jacob Koskoff. It would have been interesting to see how Portman tackled such an iconic character, but Cotillard is a more natural fit, and the scenes she'll share with Fassbender should absolutely smolder.

Expect a faithful adaptation with plenty of big, bloody battle scenes. Filming begins early next year and will probably hit just in time for next year's Oscar race.