The 'Gladiator' actor is set to portray famed painter Mark Rothko in the upcoming movie which will be directed by his co-star Aaron's wife Sam Taylor-Johnson.

AceShowbiz - Husband and wife Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are teaming up again for a new art world drama, based on Kate Rothko's battle to protect the legacy of her dad, revered U.S. painter Mark Rothko.

Sam will direct Aaron, Russell Crowe, and Aisling Franciosi in "Rothko".

Crowe will play Mark Rothko and Franciosi will portray his daughter in the film, adapted from Lee Seldes' book "The Legacy of Mark Rothko", which has been adapted by Lara Wood.

Kate Rothko was a teenager when she was forced to take on her late father's estate executors and the directors of his gallery, Marlborough Fine Art, to protect her dad's work in a legal battle that stunned the art world.

The Taylor-Johnsons, who met on the set of The Beatles film "Nowhere Boy", will also executive produce the film.

"Rothko is not just a movie about the great artist, but rather a timeless story about right versus wrong," filmmaker Sam tells Deadline. "It's Kate Rothko's journey to protect the seminal paintings from the corrupt men who betrayed her father and stole his art; it is a reckoning with men in positions of power who try everything to destroy her father's legacy."

Meanwhile, Kalinda Vazquez has signed up to become the first woman to write a "Star Trek" film.

The "Fear the Walking Dead" executive producer has been hired to come up with the screenplay for the latest movie in the iconic sci-fi franchise by Paramount Pictures bosses and producer J.J. Abrams.

Vazquez isn't new to the "Star Trek" universe, having previously written episodes of the TV series "Star Trek: Short Treks" and "Star Trek: Discovery".

She has also written episodes of "Runaways", "Once Upon a Time", and "Nikita".

Her movie isn't the only "Star Trek" production currently in the pipeline - Noah Hawley's film has been put on hold by Paramount, with suggestions that a plot focused on a deadly virus would be too inappropriate to film amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Noah previously revealed the project will "feature a new crew of characters" and won't feature icons of the franchise such as Captain Kirk or Jean-Luc Picard.

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