See, this is what irritates me about Hollywood. Jolie drops out, so the only possible contenders are Johansson (26) and Lively (23)? if the script is about an astronaut who has a daughter, they're both a bit too young, especially Lively. What, there are no actresses in H'Wood in their 30s, or is that too old nowadays? Cotillard is at least 35, which would probably make more sense.
************************************************************* http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2010/08/11/johansson-lively-competing-for-gravity-role/ Johansson, Lively Competing for “Gravity” Role August 11, 2010 by Michael Hickerson || Category: Film News , Polls A few weeks ago, it was reported that actress Scarlett Johansson had been cast as the female lead female lead opposite Robert Downey Robert Downey , Jr. in the upcoming sci-fi movie sci-fi movie , “Gravity.” The reports of the casting of Johansson may have been pre-mature. According to the Hollywood Reporter , Johansson is in competition with actress Blake Lively for the starring role. The movie will be directed by Alfonso Cuaron Alfonso Cuaron , who co-wrote the script with his brother Jonas. During the past two weeks, Johansson and Lively tested for the lead role of a female astronaut lost in space. A decision is expected within the next week or two. The movie’s plot revolves around astronauts repairing the Hubble telescope the Hubble telescope who are hit with an avalanche of satellite junk. In a plot akin to “Cast Away,” the surviving astronaut must fight her way back to Earth, where she hopes to reunite with her daughter. The project originally was set up at Universal as a vehicle for Angelina Jolie, but it moved to Warners , where it hit debris of its own: Jolie left the project, partially because of the studio’s balking at paying her $20 million fee. Although Downey brings star power to the project, his role is overshadowed by the female lead, whose struggle to survive becomes the movie’s focus. As the project underwent further developments this summer, Marion Cotillard Marion Cotillard , who stars in Warners’ “Inception,” tested for the lead role. But now Lively and Johansson look like the likeliest candidates, even though they are younger than Jolie. It’s unclear whether the character is still written as a mother in the latest draft, though both actresses have played older than their ages in recent movies. Filming probably would begin early next year, depending on the availability of the female lead. According to the Reporter, Lively is considered the favorite of Warner studio execs, who believe her star is on the rise on the rise with the high profile role in next year’s “Green Lantern.”
