Screen Talk: Natalie's a sight for Thor eyes

Natalie Portman has been cast as the female lead in 'Thor,' Marvel Studios' adaptation of its comic book featuring the Norse god of thunder with Kenneth Branagh directing.

Portman will play Jane Foster, who in early comic book lore was a nurse who became Thor's first love. Chris Hemsworth is cast as Thor while Tom Hiddleston is Loki, the god of mischief who serves as the movie's villain. The story centres on Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. 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.

Ghostwriter

A smattering of wry humour is a must for most animated movies coming out of Hollywood to service parental needs while accompanying the children. DreamWorks Animation is pushing forward with a new ghost project referred to internally as 'Boo U,' with writer Jon Vitti ('The Simpsons Movie') to pen the screenplay. The storyline centres on a ghost who is bad at his job and must return to ghost school. Doh. The project is to be directed by Tony Leondis ('Igor') and executive produced by Gil Netter and Courtney Pledger.

Animal antics

Benjamin Mee's memoir 'We Bought a Zoo' about the author, his cancer-stricken wife and their kids purchase of a run-down zoo in the English countryside – along with 200 exotic attractions – is to be uncaged on the big screen. Fox has hired '27 Dresses' screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna to work up a screenplay from Mee's book, published in the United States last year. McKenna wrote the screenplay for the highly rated 'The Devil Wears Prada' and MGM will be releasing 'Fame', which she co-wrote, in September.

Family man walks on the dark side

Combining a road trip to the devil's domain and supernatural action sounds like one helluva a script. Which is why Paramount snapped up 'Hellified', a spec script by Andy Burg, with Dan Bradley attached to direct. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura (left), whose 'Transformers' sequel is terrorising the box office, is on board to produce. The script and the accompanying six-figure deal mark a return to Hollywood for Burg, a comedy and family-film writer who has worked on such movies as 1989's 'K-9' and 1996's 'Alaska'. During the early 2000s he styled himself as a web entrepreneur but has returned to the big screen aiming to kickstart a second act as an action writer. Bradley is a second-unit director and stunt coordinator-turned-director who is directing MGM's 'Red Dawn' remake.

No 1 Hack for slash and burn movie

Cult horror comic book 'Hack/Slash', created by Tim Seeley and Stefano Caselli, is coming to a big screen near you. The comic centres on Cassie Hack, a woman who symbolises the lone girl survivor at the end of every horror movie. Hack not only survived, she has become a killer of killers and travels to small towns across the country hunting slashers in the vein of 'Halloween's' Michael Myers, 'Friday the 13th's' Jason Voorhees and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street's' Freddy Krueger. She is partnered on her journey by Vlad, a hulking companion who serves as her protector. Commercial director Fredrik Bond has come aboard to direct 'Hack/Slash' from a current script by Justin Marks.