Hollywood’s latest leading man, Jonathan Bailey, has landed his next major movie role.
Fresh from being crowned 2025’s box office king thanks to “Jurassic World Rebirth” and “Wicked: For Good,” Bailey is now teaming up with Oscar winner Natalie Portman (“May December,” “Black Swan”) for “Pumping Black,” a psychological thriller set in the competitive and cutthroat world of professional cycling.
Anton will launch international sales at Cannes with CAA co-repping the U.S.
"Pumping Black" will be directed by Mimi Cave, best known for directing 2022 horror “Fresh,” starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan, and 2025 comedy-mystery film “Holland,” starring Nicole Kidman.
Cave will direct from a screenplay by Haley Hope Bartels.
The feature is described as an “adrenaline fuelled, dangerous thriller” likened to both “Whiplash” and “Black Swan.”
It follows cyclist Taylor Mace, who, at 35 years old, is finding himself aging out of the sport. He is taken under the wing of Andrea Lathe, a doctor driven by her own thirst for victory and power. As the race to the Tour de France progresses, Taylor must take increasingly dark measures to protect his secret.
"Pumping Black" is produced by Stacey Sher at Shiny Penny (“The Hateful Eight,” “Heretic”), Cave, Anton’s Sébastien Raybaud (“Victorian Psycho”) and Natalie Portman and Sophie Mas from MountainA (“May December,” “Arco”).
Anton is fully financing, with production scheduled for the fall.
After breaking out in Netflix hit “Bridgerton,” Bailey has been making waves lately and has reached blockbuster audiences through the “Wicked” franchise and “Jurassic World Rebirth.” The combined box office of “Rebirth” ($869 million globally) and “Wicked: For Good” ($540 million) made him 2025’s highest-grossing actor.
Portman, meanwhile, won an Oscar for “Black Swan,” while she’s renowned for other acclaimed roles including “Jackie,” “V for Vendetta,” plus franchises including “Star Wars” and “Thor.”
On television, she starred in and executive produced Apple TV’s “Lady in the Lake.”
Other upcoming movies for Portman include “The Gallerist” by Cathy Yan and “Good S--” by Lena Dunham.
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