Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson Battle it Out for Lead Role in ‘Gravity’ with Robert Downey Jr.

I’m sure that after Iron Man‘s massive success, Robert Downey Jr. knew that he was back. But I bet he didn’t know that the top actresses in Hollywood would engage in a steel-cage death match to work with him. Well, maybe not a steel-cage death match, but according to Heat Vision (via Collider), Blake Lively is reportedly “scheming to steal” the lead female role in Gravity, the upcoming sci-fi drama co-starring RDJ, from Children of Men writer/director Alfonso Cuarón. Scarlett Johansson reportedly “verbally agreed” to star in the film, but apparently that report was premature.

As of now, Lively and Johansson are currently neck and neck to play the “female astronaut lost in space.” Angelina Jolie was originally tapped for the role, but decided to drop out to pursue other projects. A slew of other high-profile actresses have also done screen tests for the part, including Inception‘s Marion Cotillard, but Lively and Johansson have come out on top as the front-runners.

The current logline for Gravity goes like this:

The movie’s plot revolves around astronauts repairing the Hubble telescope who are hit with an avalanche of satellite junk. In a plot akin to “Cast Away,” the surviving astronaut must fight her way back to Earth, where she hopes to reunite with her daughter.

Pretty heavy stuff. Not that I would expect anything less from Cuarón. In my opinion, Children of Men stands a top the elite list of epic science fiction films to come out over the last 25 years. He also directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, showcasing his versatility in being able to handle a massive franchise budget.

Gravity is currently in pre-production with a release date set for sometime in 2012. No word on when a decision on casting will be made or when shooting will begin, but be sure to stay tuned to The Movie Mash for updates.

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