Cary Elwes has been cast as a lead in Paramount's untitled Ivan Reitman comedy opposite Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.
Elwes plays a physician who works with Portman's character and develops a flirtatious relationship.
Project, previously known as "Friends With Benefits," centers on the question of whether two longterm friends can have a purely sexual relationship without falling in love. Reitman's directing from Elizabeth Meriwether's script.
Paramount, which has set a Jan. 7 release date, has set up the pic with Reitman's Montecito Picture Co., in association with Portman's shingle handsomecharliefilms and Kutcher's Katalyst. Cold Spring Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment are co-financing with Par.
Elwes was recently cast as George Harrison in Robert Zemeckis' re-imagining of the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" for Imagemovers. He also stars in the indie "Flying Lessons."
Elwes is repped by APA and managed by Kritzer Levine Wilkins Griffen.
Contact Dave McNary at
dave.mcnary@variety.com