LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Natalie Portman has been cast as the female lead in “Thor,” Marvel Studios’ adaptation of its comic book featuring the Norse god of thunder. Kenneth Branagh is directing.

Portman will play Jane Foster, who in early comic-book lore was a nurse who became Thor’s first love. The studio said the character will be updated for the feature adaptation, with Foster a doctor-scientist type.

Chris Hemsworth (”Star Trek”) is already cast as Thor. Tom Hiddleston is Loki, the god of mischief who serves as the movie’s villain.

“Thor” is Marvel’s stab at an epic fantasy adventure, spanning from present-day Earth to the realm of Asgard. The story centers on Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. As punishment, Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans. But once here, he learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

“(Jane) is the human lead, so to speak, who helps ground the film in reality,” said Marvel’s Kevin Feige, who is producing the movie.

He added: “We wanted to avoid that syndrome of just because the hair is up and they’re wearing glasses it means they’re smart. … We wanted somebody that can have the chemistry that the best of our Marvel couples have had, whether it’s Tobey (Maguire) and Kirsten (Dunst) or Tony (Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper (Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow).”

The film will be released in the U.S. on May 20, 2011, distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Portman is about to start work on the comedy “Your Highness,” directed by David Gordon Green, and in the fall will shoot David Aronofsky’s supernatural thriller “Black Swan.” Her comic-book and fantasy movie resume includes the recent “Star Wars” trilogy and “V for Vendetta.”

(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters)

The director is Kenneth Branagh. The villain is stage veteran Tom Hiddleston. And now Natalie Portman is the love interest.

Is “Thor” a comic-book movie or a Shakespeare adaptation?

Portman will join Branagh, Hiddleston and star Chris Hemsworth for Marvel Comics’ version of the Norse god of thunder, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She’ll play Jane Foster, in the comic books a nurse working for Dr. Donald Blake, who is secretly Thor.

No word yet on the plot or how it’ll tie into Marvel’s other big-screen properties, though when evil trickster-god Loki (played by Hiddleston) is around, reality tends to shudder.

Filming on “Thor” begins early next year. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters May 20, 2011.

According to /Film, Fox Searchlight is in the process of grabbing Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan starring Natalie Portman. Searchlight also worked with Aronofsky in his film The Wrestler. The Black Swan is about a veteran ballerina (Portman) who finds herself in a competitive showdown with a rival dancer. But wait there’s a twist! Portman’s character is not sure whether her rival is a supernatural apparition or if she is having delusions.

Now that The Black Swan is moving forward, where does that leave Aronofsky’s remake of Robocop? Robocop was set to be released in 2011 but if production started soon for Black Swan, Aronofsky wouldn’t get to wrap up Robocop unitl mid 2010. Will he be able to do both films in time or will MGM have to look for a new director for Robocop?

Natalie PortmanVariety and The Hollywood Reporter confirm that Natalie Portman will star as the love interest in Marvel Comics’ upcoming adaptation of Thor.

Chris Hemsworth has already been cast in the title role. Portman will play Jane Foster, a nurse who becomes Thor’s first love interest early in the comic book series. The story involves Thor’s banishment to the world of everyday humanity after he commits reckless actions in battle.

The movie is being directed by Kenneth Branagh, who is best known for his cinematic interpretations of Shakespeare. It is set to begin shooting early next year and is slated for a May 20, 2011 release.

Other upcoming Portman projects include Jim Sheridan’s Brothers, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire; Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan; David Gordon Green’s Your Highness; and the ensemble vehicle New York, I Love You.

Portman will play the lead female role in Marvel’s “Thor.”

Marvel Studios has confirmed Monday that Natalie Portman will be playing the lead female in upcoming comic book movie, “Thor,” reports the Hollywood Reporter. She plays Jane Foster, a nurse who becomes the main love interest of Thor.

The announcement was made along with a brief outlook of the movie’s plot; the character, Thor, is punished for wreaking some havoc in another world and is cast down to Earth to live with humans. On Earth, he learns what it takes to become a true hero.

Portman’s character will help “ground the film in reality,” says Kevin Feige, who will be producing the film, stating they have been working around the mythology of Thor and the other realms of the Nine Worlds. Portman’s character will also be receiving an upgrade in her occupation, becoming more of a scientist-type nurse.

Portman is well known for her role as Queen Padme Amidala in the “Star Wars” trilogy. She has also appeared in the action sci-fi thriller, “V for Vendetta,” released in 2005.

She will be a busy girl in the upcoming months, working on projects such as David Gordon Green’s “Your Highness,” a Universal comedy set to film in Northern Ireland. She will also start work in New York this fall shooting “Black Swan,” a supernatural thriller by David Aronofsky.

Audiences will be able to view Portman next in Jim Sheridan’s drama, “Brothers,” alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Toby Maguire, reports EW.com

“Thor” is set to be released in May 2011.The film will be distributed by Paramount Pictures and will start production in 2010.

She already said, “Yes Man” and spent “(500) Days of Summer,” but now Zooey Deschanel will be able to call herself “Your Highness.” The actress is heading to Northern Ireland this month to begin filming “Highness,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In the comedy, which was penned by Ben Best and Danny McBride (both of whom star in and created HBO’s “Eastbound & Down”), Zooey will play the virginal bride to a heroic prince (James Franco) who is on an adventure with his much lazier brother (Danny) to save their father’s kingdom.

Rounding out the cast is Natalie Portman, who will play the object of Danny’s affections, a warrior princess. The cast may sound like a bit of a mixed bag, but if we learned anything from Franco and McBride’s absurd antics in last years hilarious “Pineapple Express,” then we know that “Highness” is sure to bring laughs, cringes perhaps even a couple of tears.

After the sudden shocking deaths of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon and Natasha Richardson, it’s no wonder the Web has been rife with death rumors about other stars.

But relax. Everyone’s still alive. Jeff Goldblum is fine. He even talked to TMZ’s cameras this week. So is Harrison Ford. And Natalie Portman did not suffer a devastating fall or get injured on a movie set.

And so far, George Clooney is plugging along just fine, thanks much.

He didn’t …

fall off a cliff in New Zealand, perish in a private plane crash or go missing when a luxury yacht sank off St. Tropez. And he was not murdered in a bizarre ritual sacrifice arranged by all his ex-girlfriends. Yet.

But his rep Stan Rosenfield is over all the phone calls about these death rumors. He says that he’s even gotten frantic calls from Clooney’s pals, concerned about the Web death buzz.

Enough already, people! Stan is a busy man and doesn’t have time for this rumor-blasting nonsense.