Olivia Thirlby Is Natalie Portman's Sister For Ivan Reitman

It's hard to know exactly how to feel about the upcoming comedy that's not titled Friends With Benefits, but is about basically that concept, starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman as the pair in question. It's a great premise that's developing a great cast, but it's directed by Ivan Reitman, who was responsible for the timeless comedies Ghostbusters and Stripes, but hasn't made a comedy that could be legitimately considered good since, if we're being generous, 1993's Dave.

So are we glad that Olivia Thirlby, according to The Wrap has signed on to play Portman's sister? After all, she starred in Juno for Reitman's son Jason, so maybe she's just completing her Reitman family set. Or do we worry that Reitman is just collecting a starry cast for a movie that's just going to be another disaster? Greenberg's Greta Gerwig and Kevin Kline are also on board, so there's no lack of talent in there to save it if things go South. The film is set for January 7 release next year.

Katey Rich

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend