Nicole Kidman Replaces Rachel Weisz As Colin Firth's Wife In 'The Railway Man'

News

by Simon Dang
March 2, 2012 8:59 AM
1 Comment

Just a day after she was noted to be lining up Rowan Joffe's psychological thriller "Before I Go To Sleep," Nicole Kidman has now replaced Rachel Weisz in Jonathan Teplitzky ("Burning Man") adaptation of Eric Lomax's Prisoner Of War tale "The Railway Man."

According to Baz Bamigboye, Weisz has dropped out as she's apparently committed to reshoots on two of her gestating films, "Oz The Great And Powerful" and "The Bourne Legacy," which has opened the door for Kidman who'll take over the role of Patti Wallace, the wife of Andy Paterson. A second lieutenant in the British Royal Corps of Signals, Paterson was captured by Japanese forces in WWII, shipped to a camp in Thailand where he was tortured and made to work on the Burma-Siam railway -- which is the same construction portrayed in "The Bridge On The River Kwai."

Frank Cottrell Boyce ("Millions," "24 Hour Party People") adapted the novel for Teplitzky which sounds like potential award season material. And, of course, it doesn't hurt to have Colin Firth lead your pic either with the actor playing Paterson while recent "War Horse" lead Jeremy Irvine will play the younger version of the character. Lensing should be getting underway any time now with the production heading to Australia, Scotland and Thailand.