"Black Swan" wins big at the Independent Spirit Awards

Tonight Black Swan won Best Cinematgoraphy, Best Director, Best Female Lead, and best Picture at the Independent Spirit Awards. Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky were in attendance for the event.

Pictures of Portman's and Aronofsky's red carpet attire under the cut.

"Hesher" trailer starring Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has hung up her tutu for big glasses in the movie Hesher, co-starring Inception star Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film is about a family that loses their matriarch, and their way. Rainn Wilson stars as a father broken and distraught over the loss of his wife, while Gordon-Levitt plays an aimless, angry man who befriends Wilson's son. Then, enter Portman, whom the boy may or may not have a crush on.

Mila Kunis cast as the Wicked Witch of the West

Black Swan actress Mila Kunis has been cast as Theodora, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West, alongside James Franco in Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful, a prequel to the classic story, The Wizard of Oz.

According to Vulture, Franco and Raimi (who worked together on the Spider-Man series) met and discussed Kunis’ involvement before he officially signed to star as the fast-talking magician who flees from a traveling circus in a hot air balloon only to wind up in the magical land of Oz.

Theodora, who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West in the familiar story, begins as a good witch, torn by her affections for Oz and the corrupting influences of her powerful sister Evanora (of the East). When war breaks out between the evil witches and the various creatures of Oz, the magician (mistaken as a wizard) joins the forces of good with Glinda (of the North) for an epic battle — reminiscent of the stand-off in Burton’s recent Alice in Wonderland.

In the script, which underwent revisions recently by David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), Theodora is described as beautiful, dressed in an open-collared white shirt, black pants, and black knee-high boots with “quick eyes, quick movements, and a quick, lively mind.”

Vulture also says Kunis was being considered for a part in WB’s live-action Akira remake, which signed the Hughes brothers to direct over a year ago. Warner Bros president Jeff Robinov reportedly (and rather randomly) offered the lead, Kaneda, to Brad Pitt, who passed. Franco was also rumored for the part, as was Zac Efron. It’s unclear when, or if, the expensive Akira redo will get off the ground, but Disney’s Oz prequel shoots this July.

The ubiquitous Franco, 32, and Kunis, 27, played supporting roles together in Date Night, a rather disposable romantic comedy that starred Steve Carell and Tina Fey but wasn’t quite the hilarious flick its star-studded ensemble deserved.

This announcement partially confirms suspicions that Kunis is using some kind of witchcraft and/or wizardry in order to appear exponentially more sexy every day. However, we’ve been unable to confirm this because she will not respond to our numerous calls to her personal cell phone.

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New "Thor" Trailer and Natalie Screenshot

Rihanna channels Black Swan in new Reb'l Fleur perfume ad

Does anybody else reckon that Rihanna had Black Swan in mind when she was making the new advert to her perfume?
We couldn't stop thinking of the Oscar-nominated Natalie Portman movie Black Swan when we saw Rihanna's Reb'l Fleur perfume advert.

Red-haired RiRi emerges from a sea of peach-coloured feathers at the start of the clip looking simply divine in a flesh-coloured mini dress (this is the white swan moment).

The Barbadian songstress steps out of the feathers into a garden with a maze where she spots a hunky man in a suit *phwoar*.

But before long Ri has stepped through a mirror onto the 'bad' side where her dress changes colour to black (this is her black swan moment) and she seduces the stallion.

Unlike the movie, though, Rihanna crosses back to the good side and back into her flower. Beautiful.

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Kunis: 'I will never dance again' after 'Black Swan'

Mila Kunis has retired her tutu.

"I will never dance again!" the "Black Swan" star tells the March issue of W Magazine. "The first time I saw the movie, I was like it’s great that the performance has been captured on film, because I will never put on those pointe shoes again."

Kunis, 27, explains that before she was cast in the Oscar-nominated thriller, she had absolutely no ballet experience.

"I trained four months, seven days a week, five hours a day," she says. "I lost 20 pounds, I tore a ligament, I dislocated my shoulder. I have two scars on my back but it was worth every minute."

The biggest shocker? Walking around in designer footwear hadn't prepared her to be a prima ballerina.

"I was like, I wear heels; I can do this," says Kunis. "I was wrong. Christian Louboutins are uncomfortable, but I screamed the first time I put on a pointe shoe!"

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Russian Family Still Strong for Aronofsky

Film director Darren Aronofsky, whose latest movie “Black Swan” opened in Russia on Saturday, gained inspiration for the film from a visit to St. Petersburg, he said in a recent interview.

“Black Swan” is set in the New York ballet world and stars Natalie Portman as the perfectionist ballerina Nina. Cast in the lead role of a new production of “Swan Lake,” Nina is the ideal Odette, the innocent white swan princess, but is pushed by choreographer Thomas (played by Vincent Cassel) to develop her portrayal of Odette’s double Odile — the seductive black swan.

It is one thing to lose yourself in your art. Caught up in a web of intrigue involving a younger rival, Lily, who effortlessly embodies the black swan (Ukrainian-born actress Mila Kunis), Portman’s ballerina loses her mind.

“Mila’s Slavonic ancestry did influence us at the start,” Aronofsky said. “ We thought about her having an accent, since ballet is so international, but as we worked on the character we liked her coming from San Francisco better.”

The Brooklyn-born Aronofsky is keenly conscious of his Russian heritage.

“I feel a deep connection to Russia,” he said. “My grandparents came from Russia and so many of my family traditions are connected to the country.”

The director, whose previous films include “Requiem for a Dream” (2000), and “The Wrestler” (2008), said he had originally been attracted to ballet because of his connection to actors.

“When you are in front of the curtain, it’s all beauty and light. When you go backstage, you see the dancers are out of breath and sweaty — it’s anything but effortless. And you realize there is all this competition. As a director, that got me really excited.”

What were the major influences on the film? “More than any other film I’ve done, this one has been compared to other’s people work,” he said. “The biggest influence was Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘Swan Lake.’ We tried to build the entire film from the fairy tale.”

Aronofsky visited St. Petersburg several years ago when he brought his last film, “The Wrestler,” which was nominated for two Oscars, to the city.

“I loved St. Petersburg when I visited with ‘The Wrestler;’ I can’t wait to get back,” he said. “I hope to bring ‘Black Swan’ to the city. When I was in St. Petersburg, I took in a production of ‘Swan Lake.’ The ballet was amazing, the dancers were staggeringly beautiful, and the musicians were tremendous. But I was stunned that the production had a happy ending. I’d never seen it before! And in Russia? Needless to say, my film’s ending isn’t as bright.”

Aronofsky is now working on his next project, a new adventure thriller titled “The Tiger.” The movie, based on John Vaillant’s book “The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival,” has been optioned by Focus Features, with Brad Pitt potentially taking a leading role.

The story tells the tale of poachers in the Primorye region in Russia’s Far East who are tracked and hunted by an “almost” supernaturally powerful Siberian tiger.

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