It seems that the kids these days with their iPhones and Twitters and MyBooks and Facespaces are changing the way typical business is done in Hollywood.
Speaking to BlackBook, Mila Kunis revealed that she was offered the role in “Black Swan” over iChat. Darren Aronofsky saw her in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” was impressed by her work, saying, “She electrified me and made the screen sizzle. I instantly knew I wanted to work with her.” Unfortunately, the two could never set up a time to meet due to their conflicting schedules so the web-obsessed Kunis, ventured an iChat meeting. She was sent the script and a few meetings later, this time over IM, Aronofsky offered her the part. Kunis recalls their online exchange:
“Hey.”
“Hey. Do you want to do this?”
“Video chat?
“No, the movie.”
“If you just offered me the movie, I think you need to get on video chat and offer it to me.”
And of course, Aronofsky did.
Speaking about the film Kunis, who admits to feeling like a “douche” because she can’t really talk about it, says the film is like “a real life version of the third act of ‘Swan Lake’.” In case you’re not up on your ballets, here’s a summary of the third act courtesy of Wikipedia:
The Prince returns to the castle to attend the ball. Von Rothbart arrives in disguise with his own daughter Odile, making her seem identical to Odette in all respects except that she wears black while Odette wears white. The prince mistakes her for Odette, dances with her, and proclaims to the court that he intends to make her his wife. Only a moment too late, Siegfried sees the real Odette and realizes his mistake. The method in which Odette appears varies: in some versions she arrives at the castle, while in other versions von Rothbart shows Siegfried a magical vision of her.
Of course, as we mentioned in our script review last month, the film is loosely based on the ballet, so while there aren’t any castles or grand balls, you can expect the identity challenge the dancers face playing a big thematic part of the film. As for the sex scene that Natalie Portman previously described as “extreme,” Kunis already seems tired of addressing the issue: “It’s two girls making out, and guys have a thing for that. And Nat is like every guy’s dream. She’s a nerd’s idea of heaven. The whole thing is silly, but I can see why people care.” So, keep it your pants guys.
“Black Swan” is currently filming in New York City, and some early set photos of Portman looking fabulous at the Lincoln Center have hit the web. We’ve got one for you, but you can see the rest of them here.