Natalie Portman to star in Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity?

Warner Bros have officially offered Natalie Portman the lead role in Alfonso Cuaron‘s upcoming sci-fi thriller Gravity.

Portman jumped to the top of WB’s wishlist following the positive notices out of the Venice and Telluride film festivals for her performance in Black Swan.

According to The Hollywood Reporter (who nabbed the exclusive):

“[Gravity] centers on a woman stranded on a space station after satellite debris slams into it and wipes out the rest of the crew…much of the picture is devoted to the female character, who must survive a solitary ordeal much in the way Tom Hanks did in “Cast Away” or James Franco does in “127 Hours…”

Angelina Jolie recently pulled out of the $80 million 3D flick, making it one of the most sought-after roles in Hollywood.

As previously reported, Robert Downey Jr. will have a supporting role in the film, which is also set to feature a 20-minute long opening shot.

Discuss: Can Portman carry a film (almost) entirely on her lonesome?