Shubhabrata Dutta
Natalie Portman is headed to the United Kingdom for her next feature. That’s where the filming of the biographical drama ‘Photograph 51’ will take place, starting in March 2026. Tom Hooper will direct, based on a story by Anna Ziegler.
The plot is based on the life of Rosalind Franklin (played by Portman), the groundbreaking British scientist who first unveiled the hidden structure of DNA, but whose legacy has been overshadowed. ‘Photograph 51’ will uncover the story behind the brilliant scientist whose pioneering work in x-ray crystallography captured the image that revealed DNA’s double-helix structure, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for all known life.
The movie will also serve as a commentary on how James Watson and Francis Crick, scientists working on the same conundrum in a competing lab, were awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery without even the mention of Rosalind Franklin’s name. Known variously as the “wronged heroine”, the “dark lady of DNA”, the “forgotten heroine”, a “feminist icon”, and the “Sylvia Plath of molecular biology,” Franklin’s pivotal role has remained largely in the shadows, something that ‘Photograph 51’ aims to reveal. We will also see her quest to uncover the secret codes of all human life as she navigates both her colleagues and rivals before her untimely death at the age of 37.
Natalie Portman recently lent her voice to the animated movie ‘The Twist,’ which follows two orphans who join forces with a family of magical animals to save their city from the mean Mr. and Mrs. Twit. She also played museum curator Charlotte Purdue, sister of disgraced archaeologist Luke Purdue, played by John Krasinski, in Guy Ritchie’s action-adventure movie ‘Fountain of Youth.’ Her other upcoming projects include Cathy Yan’s ‘The Gallerist,’ also starring Jenna Ortega, and Lena Dunham’s romantic comedy movie ‘Good Sex.’
Tom Hooper’s directorial credits include the musical fantasy movie ‘Cats,’ the Lili Elbe biopic ‘The Danish Girl,’ ‘Les Misérables,’ and ‘The King’s Speech.’ He also directed several episodes of HBO Max’s ‘His Dark Materials’ and ‘John Adams.’
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