Pablo Larraín , not typically inclined to directing biopics , was initially hesitant to direct '' Jackie '' when he was offered the opportunity . He stated that although he did not have any history or knowledge about John F. Kennedy 's assassination , he connected with Jacqueline Kennedy . Prior to directing '' Jackie '' , he had only made films centering on male protagonists rather than women . Thus , '' Jackie '' is the first film that he could approach from a woman 's perspective . He grew more interested in Kennedy after learning more about her . To him , her life after the assassination " had all the elements that you need for a movie : rage , curiosity , and love . " Oppenheim said that the screenplay itself did not change much over the long development process , revealing , " When Pablo Larraín boarded the project , he had ideas . I wrote two or three more drafts with his guidance , but over a very condensed period of time . So while it took six years from first draft to completion , most of those six years were not active years . " In April 2010 , it was announced that Rachel Weisz would star in the titular role , with Darren Aronofsky set to direct and produce the film , from Oppenheim 's script . However , both Weisz and Aronofsky dropped out after they ended their romantic relationship . The same year , Steven Spielberg showed interest in helming the film . Then in September 2012 , without a director , Fox Searchlight Pictures started courting Natalie Portman to star in the film as Jacqueline " Jackie " Kennedy , hoping that her participation would bring back Aronofsky , although Portman 's involvement was contingent on which director signed on . At the 65th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2015 , Pablo Larraín was approached by Aronofsky to direct the film , after he was impressed by the former 's '' The Club '' . Larraín was skeptical , and asked Aronofsky why he wanted a Chilean man who was not fond of biopics to helm the film . In May 2015 , Portman was confirmed to star in the film . That same month , Larraín was hired to direct the film , with Aronofsky working as a producer . By the 2015 Cannes Film Festival , the film was officially a go . The rest of the cast – led by Greta Gerwig and Peter Sarsgaard – were announced between May and October of the same year
2015 Cannes Film Festival
2015 Cannes Film Festival
Jackie (2016 film)