I’m starting to think Terrence Malick may be beachside for the entirety of his next film(s). We already saw Christian Bale and Wes Bentley relax on the beach for one of Malick’s next back-to-back features, either Knight of Cups and/or the previously titled Lawless. Now we’ve got official confirmation that Natalie Portman is part of the production, as the first set photos of her and Bale have surfaced, seeing them return to the Malibu shores. This marks the Black Swan actress’ first production since she took a break to deliver her child. For Bale, it’s his first post-Batman role after The Dark Knight Rises, along with the currently shooting Out of the Furnace. There’s no telling if these are just test shoots or something that will actually make it into the film, but it’s nice to see things moving along.

We know that both films feature Cate Blanchett  as well, with Cups including Isabel Lucas, the other also starring Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara and Haley Bennett. That film, previously titled Lawless, “follows two intersecting love triangles,” and “is a story of sexual obsession and betrayal set against the music scene in Austin, Texas.” With Malick’s other, nearly completed Ben Affleck-starring drama To the Wonder hopefully hitting theaters this year, we can look forward to more information as these two projects head deeper into back-to-back production. Check out the photos below via Daily Mail.

Are you looking forward to seeing Portman and Bale team for these Malick features?