Since the failure of SPEED RACER, the Waschowski’s Andy and Lana (formerly Larry) have been a bit quiet apart from the odd producing shindig. They have CLOUD ATLAS based on the novel by David Mitchell due out later this year which they co-directed with Tom Tykwer and that sounds like it could be a huge game changer or an epic fail. Recently they were pitching an original science fiction film called JUPITER ASCENDING and Natalie Portman was rumoured to be taking a role.

Now it seems that the project is gaining momentum as offers for the leads have gone out to the hot young things Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum. Tatum has his detractors but was impressive and versatile in both 21 JUMP STREET and HAYWIRE so far in 2012 and also has MAGIC MIKE due out this summer. Kunis is about to appear in Seth Macfarlane’s TED and is also cute as a button but aside from BLACK SWAN hasn’t really been tested dramatically so far.

Nothing is known about the plot for JUPITER ASCENDING yet but it’s an original idea from the duo that brought us THE MATRIX and say what you will about the sequels but that first film was mind blowing back in 99. Will they repeat a similar trick here? Time will tell…

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