Natalie Portman “is a strong likelihood” to play Rosa Saks in the film adaptation of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon announced Wednesday.

“The fate of this project–whether it will move at last from the nebulousness of pre-pre-production into really-truly pre-production, with a budget and cast and everything, will be decided on or around 12 July 2006,” Chabon said in a posting on his Web site.

Casting continues, Chabon said, along with the script, with “a lot of cutting” taking place. Several “top-drawer” animation students are conducting tests for the movie’s comic book sequences, Chabon said.

Portman, of Star Wars and V for Vendetta fame, previously came up as a possibility for the role of Rosa in a January 2005 Web site update by Chabon, in which he called her “perfect” for the role. Other casting rumors at the time included Tobey Maguire as Sam Clay and Jamie Bell as Joe Kavalier.

Chabon also briefly confirmed the existence of certain scenes and themes, including the Golem, a gay love story and Salvador Dali. He also confirmed Kavalier would go to Antarctica, a scene his wife, Ayelet Waldman, had said in 2002 audiences would “never see” on film.

However, several notables are missing from the film at this moment, Chabon said, including the ruins of the World’s Fair, Long Island, Orson Wells, any references to Betty and Veronica, and Stan Lee.

Pre-production work on the film adaptation The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay has officially kicked off, with filming scheduled throughout the summer, according to the New York City’s mayor’s office.

Paramount Pictures kicked-off scounting in New York on May 3, the office’s weekly movie projects list says. Scouting will end June 2.

Meanwhile, filming has been scheduled since April 1, the document says. That is scheduled to end July 1.

Chabon had announced March 29 that pre-production had begun.

The film, produced by Scott Rudin and to be directed by Stephen Daldry, features production design by Patrizia von Brandenstein and costume designs by Ann Roth. Paul Pope is in charge of converting the comic elements to film. No casting has officially been announced to date.

Could a British actor be in-line for a role in the screen adaptation of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay?

That at least is what the UK’s The Sunday Times hints at in its recent interview with actor Dan Stevens. Stevens, the article says, is scheduled to meet with Stephen Daldry about a movie project. Stevens declined to tell the paper what movie they would be discussing, but he happened to have the Michael Chabon novel with him during the interview.

Daldry is signed to direct Kavalier & Clay.

Stevens, 23, has never acted in movies, instead primarily showing up on stage or in BBC mini-series. He stars as Nick Guest in BBC2’s mini-series adaptation of Alan Hollinghurst’s novel The Line of Beauty, which kicks-off Wednesday at 9 p.m. in the UK.

The film adaptation of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay recently moved into pre-production, Michael Chabon said Wednesday.

In a posting on his Web site, Chabon said Paramount Picture’s adaptation, produced by Scott Rudin and directed by Stephen Daldry, has begun design work.

“Though the production has by no means been greenlighted, prospects for this long-running, oft-moribund project are suddenly looking better than they ever have before,” Chabon said.

Production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein and costume designer Ann Roth have begun work, Chabon said. The film’s comic book elements, “of which there are many,” is being overseen by Paul Pope.

Casting has also begun, Chabon said, though not roles have been cast yet.

In other news, Chabon confirmed that Dark Horse Comic’s The Escapists, the six-issue limited series spinning-off from the now-canceled Michae Chabon Presents: The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, will debut this summer.

Writing for Disney’s Snow and the Seven is “ongoing,” Chabon said. And Chabon said The Yiddish Policemen’s Union will hit book stores in January.

“Really. No, really.”