Natalie Portman raves about starring alongside Julianne Moore

Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, are set to mesmerize audiences with their upcoming film, May December. 

In an exclusive interview with Netflix Queue, Portman, aged 42, expressed her deep admiration for her co-star Moore, aged 62, and the opportunity to work alongside her in this compelling project.

Portman couldn't hide her excitement as she shared, "Working with Julie was absolutely a highlight of my life. I’ve admired Julie for so long, and particularly her work with [director] Todd [Haynes]. Their collaborations have stayed in my mind as some of the highlights of films that I love. So to get to be working with them together is absolutely a highlight of my life."

May December explores the intriguing story of Elizabeth Berry, portrayed by Portman, who embarks on a journey to Georgia to study the life of the woman she is preparing to portray in her next role, Gracie Atherton-Yoo, played by Moore. 

The film delves into the controversial romance between Gracie and Joe Yoo, portrayed by Charles Melton, which led to Gracie's imprisonment due to their significant age difference. Following her release, the two defiantly married and built a family together, defying societal norms.

Netflix Queue revealed that Portman brought the script to Todd Haynes in 2020 and also serves as a producer of the movie. Moore was drawn to the script's depth and complexity, stating, "I loved this script when I first read it. It’s interesting. It’s interesting. It felt slight at first. But the minute you get into it, it’s unbelievably sturdy. It holds a tremendous amount of feeling and humanity and complexity."

Director Todd Haynes praised Moore's ability to portray complex female characters, citing their past collaborations in films like Safe (1995), Far from Heaven (2002), and Wonderstruck (2017). 

He emphasized Moore's talent for delving into the enigmatic and thought-provoking aspects of her characters, stating, "Julianne loves to enter into these places of inscrutability in her depictions of women, and in stories in general. She does not want to put the viewer at ease. How you ignite a viewer’s thinking and questioning — that is opening up something incredibly potent and special, and a lot of movies sort of shut that down."

May December promises to be a captivating exploration of love, complexity, and the desire for understanding in the face of judgment. It is set to premiere in select theaters on November 17th and will be available on Netflix starting December 1st, 2023.