Many unfortunate fallouts stem from the disintegration of any long-standing relationship; taken under a reasonable eye, some cancelled project is pretty low on that list. Nevertheless, it is a shame that Darren Aronofsky and Rachel Weisz could never make their Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis picture, Jackie, it being a project which — what’s about to be said is all inference, for the record — would have had one of America cinema’s more provocative voices change courses. (Noah is now the driving force behind such a sight, and that’s no bad thing.)

In an occurrence which shows just how small Hollywood can be, Deadline reports that Jackie may have found a second life with none other than Natalie Portman — or, the very actress Aronofsky directed to an Oscar in Black Swan. With this role — one which probably doesn’t require the same amount of lesbian action — she’d be stepping into the shoes of the 37th First Lady, with Noah Oppenheim‘s script reportedly shining a light on her after JFK’s assassination, “showing the beloved Jackie at both her most vulnerable and her most graceful.”

Said script is even in Portman‘s favor, though, now being something of a pickier actress, her own participation will depend on who’s behind the camera. It’s suggested that Aronofsky could do that work, but the man is so busy and so hard to pin down — remember, around the time of Swan‘s release, when he became “attached” to something every 17 minutes? — that betting on him is a fool’s move. I guess it helps to think Fox Searchlight can get talented people with seemingly little trouble.

All that being put to the side, it would appear as though Jackie is, still, getting some legs once again. While I, in most cases, wouldn’t exactly care — Kennedy’s never been my bag, as that period’s rising subversive element would have put it — Portman, a strong-but-unusual choice, certainly makes the proposal a more interesting and unexpected sort. Those aren’t always the words you’d use for a historical period piece.

With Portman (potentially) in tow, would you hope to see Jackie come back?