Natalie Portman To Play Pioneering DNA Scientist Rosalind Franklin In ‘Photograph 51’ For Director Tom Hooper & FilmNation

One of the most buzzworthy projects heading to this year’s Cannes market has been unveiled: Oscar winner Natalie Portman will lead Photograph 51, directed by The King’s Speech filmmaker Tom Hooper.

Hooper, who also holds an Academy Award, is set to helm the film based on the remarkable true story of Rosalind Franklin, the British scientist whose critical research unveiled the structure of DNA. Despite her groundbreaking contributions, Franklin’s legacy has long remained in the shadows. The screenplay is adapted by Anna Ziegler from her acclaimed play of the same name.

Photograph 51 explores the life and legacy of Franklin, a pioneer in x-ray crystallography, whose image of DNA revealed its now-famous double-helix structure—the fundamental code for all living organisms. The film raises a provocative question: “how could Watson and Crick, scientists working on the same conundrum in a competing lab, have been awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery without even a mention of her name?”

Over the years, Franklin has earned a range of posthumous titles, including the “wronged heroine”, the “dark lady of DNA”, the “forgotten heroine”, a “feminist icon”, and the “Sylvia Plath of molecular biology”. Photograph 51 aims to spotlight her profound scientific achievements, as well as her personal and professional struggles leading up to her untimely death at just 37.

Producers on the project include Ben Cosgrove of Leviathan Productions and Mandy Greenfield of Red Yes Studio, who developed the film together, along with Hooper. FilmNation Entertainment—also behind Arrival and Conclave—will produce and finance the film. FilmNation is handling international sales at Cannes and will co-represent domestic rights with CAA Media Finance.

Read the whole article on Deadline.