The outer-space thriller Gravity is fast becoming one of the hottest, and most sought after, movies that are currently in development in Hollywood; with a number of high-profile actresses, including Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively, currently gunning for the lead role in the picture.
Gravity centers around a female astronaut who is part of a team repairing the Hubble Telescope, when it gets blasted with a satellite junk, and forces the sole survivor (who is then lost in space), to try and fight her way back to Earth, and back to her daughter.
Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) wrote and is due to direct the film; which was originally intended to be a vehicle for Angelina Jolie (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), until it Warner Bros acquired the rights from Universal, and refused to pay her $20 million dollar salary, which consequently led to her leaving the project.
Since then numerous big name stars have been eyeing up the film; Sherlock Holmes star Robert Downey Jr has become attached to play the lead male (a part that will be overshadowed by the female lead’s struggles), and Marion Cotillard (who caused a stir in Public Enemies, and played an extremely important role in Inception) recently read for the lead role, although it now seems as though Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson are the most likely candidates to receive the part.
But it’s difficult to predict which one of the two will eventually land the job, as Warner seems to have a soft sport for Lively; following her work in The Town, and the fact that they recently cast her in The Green Lantern; despite her being known for playing parts that are more juvenile than those played by Johansson, who many people believe is more suited to the role; and has an excellent working relationship with Sherlock Holmes star Robert Downey Jr (as evident by their chemistry in Iron Man 2); but may be busy during the planned filming schedule, when she gets to work on The Avengers.
An official announcement is expected to be made within the next couple of weeks, before the movie starts filming early next year (depending on the availability of the chosen actress), and gets a widespread theatrical release sometime in 2012.
