Friends with benefits: Natalie and Ashton try to restrain themselves in a scene from No Strings AttachedIt seems that everything Natalie Portman touches is turning to gold.
Not only is she winning a slew of Best Actress awards for her role in Black Swan, her latest film No Strings Attached has claimed top spot at the U.S. Box Office.
The movie, in which Natalie and Ashton Kutcher play 'friends with benefits,' earned an estimated $20.3 million on its opening weekend.
The domestic takings almost equal the film's production budget of $25 million and means the actress has two films in the top ten.
Her movie Black Swan is still in sixth place in the box office chart, and has grossed $83 million at the domestic box office .
And No Strings Attached performed well, despite lukewarm critical reviews.
It follows two friends, played by Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman, who try to maintain a purely sexual relationship with each other, even though they are falling in love.
Film hit: No Strings Attached has been a Box Office success in the U.SIt also stars Olivia Thirlby, Lake Bell and Kevin Kline.
Paramount Studio Executive Vice President Don Harris, says the chemistry between Natalie and Ashton could be the reason behind the film's success.
'Natalie Portman couldn't be any hotter, and I think this is the kind of movie Ashton Kutcher had hoped to make and be in during his career,' he says. 'They go well together.'
Awards wins: The actress, seen here on the Golden Globes red carpet, is an Oscar favourite No Strings Attached beat Seth Rogen's movie The Green Hornet into second place, while Vince Vaughan comedy The Dilemma took third.
The box office success is the latest good news for Natalie who last weekend won a Best Actress Golden Globe Award for Black Swan.
She is also expected to receive an Oscar nomination for her role on Tuesday.
'It’s a big honour to have people be excited about a movie that you make,' Natalie told U.S. movie site Collider.com, about the awards buzz.
'That’s the one thing that you want, is for an audience to connect to what you make.
'So it’s always really exciting to have that feeling.'
The 29-year-old actress is expecting her first baby with fiance Benjamin Millepied, a dancer who choreographed Black Swan and also has a cameo in it.
No Strings Attached Trailer- HD Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher
source: dailymail
