Natalie Portman is in negotiations to replace Reese Witherspoon in 'Pale Blue Dot'.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman

The 36-year-old actress is being eyed to replace Reese, who walked away from the role in the Noah Hawley-directed movie in November last year due to a scheduling conflict.

'Pale Blue Dot' tells the story of an American astronaut, whose life starts to come apart after she returns home from a mission to her seemingly perfect life, according to Variety.

The movie - which is based on a script by Brian C Brown and Elliott DiGuiseppi - centres on the idea that astronauts can lose touch with reality after spending lengthy periods of time in space.

Natalie has been working in Hollywood since she was a child, but the Academy Award-winning actress previously revealed that her dad was keen for her to pursue another path.

The brunette beauty studied at Harvard University, and her father Avner was keen for her to consider a career in academia.

Natalie previously explained: "I came from such a serious, academic family, where the only thing that was acceptable was to be very literate and educated - you become a professor or a doctor or a lawyer.

"My dad pulled me aside when I was 25 and was like, 'I think it's time for you to go to law school or grad school.' Not that he was saying that acting was bad, but more that he was like, 'I think you'll be more fulfilled if you have something more - like a life of the mind.'"

Natalie admitted she was torn at one point about what to do with her career.

She said: "It took me a while, coming from that background [as a child actor before realising], 'This is what I want, and this is what I love. I enjoy this.'"