Natalie Portman Cuts A Lonely, Haunted Figure In New Batch Of Stills For Jackie

Often referred to as the “most unknown of the known women of the 20th century,” Fox Searchlight and director Pablo Larraín will soon cast light on the late, great Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis through Jackie, a buzzworthy biopic that is expected to fire Natalie Portman directly into the race for Best Actress in a few weeks’ time.

Set soon after JFK’s harrowing assassination in 1963, by the time Larraín’s long-in-development feature opens, we’re introduced to the former First Lady at her absolute lowest. Pushed to the brink by the sheer gravity of the situation – a country in mourning, Camelot, and the loss of her charismatic significant other – a new wave of stills have emerged today to showcase Portman’s intricate, complex performance in all its Oscar-tipped glory.

Some are from behind the scenes, and you’ll notice in one image that archival footage of Jackie Kennedy is playing in the backdrop, which goes some ways to explaining how Portman captured the mannerisms of Mrs. Kennedy before stepping before the camera.

Even if the surrounding material leaves much to be desired, this is absolutely Natalie Portman’s vehicle, and the actress looks set to deliver one of her most captivating performances since Black Swan six years ago. Indeed, had things panned out differently, Portman could have reunited with director Darren Aronofsky for Jackie. However, the latter ultimately assumed a producer role as the biopic began to coalesce.

Fast forward to now and Jackie is prepped and ready – expect it to hit US theaters on December 2.

JACKIE is a searing and intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history, seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, then Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman). JACKIE places us in her world during the days immediately following her husband’s assassination. Known for her extraordinary dignity and poise, here we see a psychological portrait of the First Lady as she struggles to maintain her husband’s legacy and the world of “Camelot” that they created and loved so well.