First, Pajiba's report:
The film itself, which is about a baby's surrogate who becomes obsessed with wanting the baby and the husband for herself -- smacks of The Hand that Rocked the Cradle, but one would imagine there's more to it if Mulligan is interested. There's no director attached as of yet, but Screen Gems is clearly searching for someone with decent pedigree -- Mark Pellington, and Gary Fleder (among others) have been discussed as potential directors, while the laundry list of potential parents have included high-profile actresses like Kate Winslett and Cate Blanchett, as well as Adrien Brody. But according to our source, Mulligan is the linchpin for the film, and once she signs on, the other pieces should begin to fall in place. However, if she doesn't sign on, Cradle Will Fall might slip into direct-to-DVD fare based on some of the second and third choices, which include Julie Bowen, Billy Zane, Peter Facinelli, and Liv Tyler.
Yes, I can see why the name "Billy Zane" would set off alarm bells, but if a Mulligan-Winslet-Brody version of this film does get set up, it's the perfect chance for Mulligan to start shedding her British waif persona to take on something meaner and sexier. Thus far, her upcoming films include Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (where she plays The Girlfriend) and Never Let Me Go, where she's the limpid observer who stands by as Keira Knightley strikes up sexual sparks with Andrew Garfield. It's time for Mulligan to play an aggressive character before she's forever typecast as a polite, doe-eyed Merchant-Ivory ingenue with an innocent pageboy hairdo. That happened to Helena Bonham Carter once, and her hair has spent decades rebelling against it.
UPDATE: Mulligan's reps deny the report.
Exclusive: Carey Mulligan All But Set for The Cradle Will Fall, a Hand That Rocks the Cradle-type Role [Pajiba via The Playlist]