Natalie Portman to Star in HBO Films’ The Days of Abandonment Movie

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Natalie Portman to star in The Days of Abandonment movie from HBO Films

HBO Films is currently in the process of developing a film adaptation of Italian author Elena Ferrante’s best-selling novel The Days of Abandonment, with Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman attached for the lead role. On top of starring, Portman has also signed on to executive produce through her recently-formed MountainA Films banner. This project also marks Ferrante’s second collaboration with HBO after previously working on the TV adaptation of another one of her many acclaimed novels, My Brilliant Friend.

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First published in 2002, The Days of Abandonment is described as a visceral, no-holds-barred journey into the mind of a woman in crisis that confronts the norms of motherhood and female identity as Tess traverses the darkest reaches of her own psyche. The film will follows the story of Tess, a woman who abandoned her own dreams for a stable home life. Her world gets suddenly thrown off its axis when her husband abandons her.

Pick up a copy of the novel here!

The film adaptation, which is still in the pre-production stages, will be written and directed by Maggie Betts, who is also executive producing. The project also hails from Maven Screen Media, who previously worked with Betts’ feature directorial debut Novitiate. Executive producers are MountainA’s Sophia Mas, Maven Screen Media’s Celine Rattray & Trudie Styler, Len Amato for Crash&Salvage, Fandango’s Domenico Procacci and Maria Zuckerman.

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Portman is currently in production in Australia for Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated Thor: Love and Thunder. She will also next be seen in Apple TV+’s limited series adaptation of Lady in the Lake with fellow Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.