Natalie Portman is in talks to direct and star in a new biopic about identical twin sisters Esther and Pauline Friedman.
The Oscar-winning actress is close to agreeing a deal to take control of the project which would see her portray both sisters in the movie.
Esther and Pauline – who were nicknamed Eppie and Popo – were born in Iowa in 1918 and were very close as they grew up, and went on to work together at Morningside College’s school newspaper even shared a joint marriage ceremony on their 21st birthday.
However, their relationship soured when Esther – who went on to be known as Eppie Lederer – accepted a position as the Ann Landers advice columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper leading Pauline to start her own column in 1956 entitled Dear Abby – written under the pen name Abigail Van Buren.
That column was syndicated to over 1,200 newspapers and sparked a feud between the two siblings which lasted decades.
After Esther died in 2002 their daughters kept the feud going.
Portman is to direct the film from a script by The Affair’s Katie Robbins.
The 37-year-old actress will next be seen in musical drama ‘Vox Lux’ and then ‘The Death and Life of John F. Donovan’ with Kit Harington.
Natalie Portman to play twins in new biopic
