Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman dominate the intense portrait of the scandalous romance of an older woman (Moore) and her young employee (Charles Melton).

Almost 20 years after the affair made headlines, the couple are preparing to send their almost-adult children off to college. At the same time, a movie star (Portman) comes to study the family for an upcoming film about their lives.

Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chung will star as the children of Moore and Melton, all about to leave home and all spun into emotional upheaval over the adaptation of their family history.

Samy Burch wrote the screenplay from a story he conceived with Alex Mechanik.

Producers on “May December” include Jessica Elbaum and Will Ferrell of Gloria Sanchez Productions, Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler of Killer Films, and Portman and Sophie Mas under their MountainA banner. Grant S. Johnson and Tyler W. Konney are producing and fully financing through their respective companies, Project Infinity and Taylor and Dodge. The film wrapped principal photography before Thanksgiving in Savannah, Ga.

Curda recently appeared on the last season of The CW’s “Legacies” as a student revealed to be the god Vulkan. She’ll next appear in “Back on the Strip” opposite Wesley Snipes and Tiffany Haddish. Additional credits include indies “When Time Got Louder” and “Never Better,” as well as the pandemic horror hit “The Wretched.”

Yu will play series lead Azula in the forthcoming Netflix live-action series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” She recently appeared in the Ray Romano feature “Somewhere in Queens.”

Chung, a social media personality of Korean and Brazilian descent who is known for cosplay, was discovered by Haynes for May December and make his film debut in the project.