Nicole's Return. The Dates Are Ever Changing.
Friday, August 15, 2014 at 12:45PM When will our beloved Kidman return to us? For someone who works so consistently, doesn't it seem like it's hard to find Nicole Kidman in a movie theater? Grace of Monaco keeps threatening to arrive but never does leaving us to wonder if it will ever play in regular movie theaters after its shaming at Cannes (that place can be brutal). Any big dreams for the quality of Paddington (it comes from charming source material at least) her Christmas film, have been dashed by that hateful slapstick trailer and Colin Firth's exit as the voice. The wait is soon over though. For those of you who missed The Railway Man in theaters, it's just out on DVD and Blu-Ray. [Warning: Nicole's part is small enough that when the climax arrives, she's literally a blurry figure in the background.]
Next up though is the thriller Before I Go To Sleep which has a new poster (above) and a new release date: Halloween to be exact. Let's just hope it's better than The Invasion or Trespass. (It's apparently really hard to make a good thriller post-Hitchcock because not that many filmmakers are skilled at making them.)
After that picture all us Kidmaniacs will wait again for her other completed films to play the release date shell game. Most promising by far is Werner Herzog's Gertrud Bell biopic Queen of the Desert both because Herzog is an amazing director (another feather in Kidman's auteur-fetish cap!) and because the role is big and central. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Queen of the Desert is doing the fall festival circuit so maybe they're waiting until 2015?
CAST THIS!
This is one of those stories that was so obviously a Film Experience type of story that I pretended to myself that I'd already covered it on the blog. Like those dreams you have where you already went to class or work so there's no need to jump up and go when you wake up! Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon are now attached to the film adaptation of Liane Moriarty's comic best seller Big Little Lies about a group of three mothers whose kids are in the same Kindergarten class in a beautiful Australian seaside town (with secrets, natch). A sprained ankle sets off a series of events which eventually leads to a school riot and a murder. There are three major characters (and apparently a lot of broadly drawn but possibly scene-stealing supporting casts). No word yet on which of the moms Nicole & Reese are planning to play but obviously a third star will be joining them.
These are the characters...
Madeline: gleefully extroverted, fashionable, and still a "glittery girl" at 40. Her broken Dolce & Gabbana heel sets the plot in motion. She's happily married but still having trouble with her ex and his younger "new age-y" wife
Celeste: a nervous very beautiful mom with twins, who is married to a wealthy man
Jane: shy, plain and uncomfortable in her own skin. New in town but Madeline and Celeste befriend this single mom when her son gets in trouble the very first day of school
YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO PICK THEIR ROLES FOR THEM AND ADD A THIRD ACTRESS IN THE COMMENTS!
Let's just pray this wasn't doesn't go the way of The Danish Girl which Nicole was attached to for quite some time until development hell took it from her plate. The film is still trying to get made but instead of an actress in the transgender lead role it's now Eddie Redmayne with his Les Miz director Tom Hooper guiding him through the transformation.
Reader Comments (40)
I want Nicole to be Madeline, because I've seen Nicole do many things, but gleefully extroverted is not one of them. Many of the characters that she has portrayed have a public face, and one of the many things Nicole does very well is that delineation between public and private. This character sounds like her public face is part of her actual personality, so I think that would be interesting to see.
Reese would be interesting as Jane, because it would be against type for her since a majority of her characters have a very strong sense of self, unearned or not, that gets them through the day.
Toni Colette seems like an obvious choice to me because she is a fellow Aussie and also incredibly brilliant. I'd love to see her glam up again. Fellow Aussie actress Rachel Griffiths would be fascinating.
What a horrible career moment she's in. Flop after flop after flop.
Kinda sad how her fans celebrate when her movies get a theatrical release instead of going straight to VOD. Even then it's a mixed blessing considering the quality of Trespass and Grace of Flopaco. Not to mention she already played second bananas to the likes of Adam Sandler/Jen Aniston just to be in a hit movie. Ofc with a horrible Metacritic score.
She keeps ruining her face, her movies keep getting worse, she really needs to produce her vehicles if she wants good roles cause no one is offering. Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore and Naomi Watts are way above.
Madeline - Nicole
Celeste - Reese
Jane - Depends on the age of the son. It would be nice to see Angelina Jolie take on a serious role and nail it. Watching her go "plain" would be a nice change. Elisabeth Moss could be interesting. Or Nicole could take this role and Laura Linney could take on Madeline, which would be fun to see.
MADELINE STOWE :-)
Madeline - Nicole
Celeste - Charlize Theron
Jane - Reese
I swear I'm not being a suck-up, but Madeleine/Kidman, Celeste/Reese, Jane/Melanie Lynskey just makes sense, right?
Rachel Griffiths as the third mom. Since these characters are Australian, and god knows I don't want to hear Witherspoon's southern accent even attempt it–we're stuck with her for the time being because she's still considered bankable–that's youth, and the agency an actress is given once she marries a Hollywood agent.
I hate the name Kid-manics for Nicole fans. We deserve better!
Lem -- frankly i don't see what's so horrible about her career moment right now. She still makes a shit ton of money with ad campaigns (Jimmy Choo hello). She still commands a ton of media attention (see: Cannes), And in this decade alone she's already been in the awards game thrice
2010 - Oscar nomination, Rabbit Hole
2012 - Emmy & Globe nomination, Hemingway & Gelhorn
2012 - SAG & Globe nomination, Paper Boy
And she's got like 4 movies in the can and 3 more in production. Most people would kill to be in this "shitty" career moment of hers.
Nicole does Nicole. She keeps moving forward, working on splashy projects with fascinating directors. She has her Oscar. It's enough, right?
The only thing that saddens me is that her persona telegraphs so much insecurity and sensitivity. I just hope she takes it on the chin. At least she's not as career-wimpy as Naomi Watts, which I'm sure gives her strength.
eurocheese -- the kids are all 5 years old because it's centered around a kindergarten class.
F - love hte muriels wedding suggestions.
Madeline: Nicole
Celeste: Nicole
Jane: Nicole
Oh...is that not how the game works? :p
Sad man for the win!
Honestly, I don't care about Nicole at all (don't hate me), BUT I am thrilled that Mark Strong finally gets almost equal billing with two major Oscar winning stars. About time!
Madeline - Nicole
Celeste - Reese
Jane - Naomi Watts
Isn't the Jane character described as a young mother? I mean, younger than Celeste and Madeline? How about Anne Hathaway? I will explode if this happens. I read some news that Rose Byrne has been approached for the last role; I think that's a great suggestion also.
I think it's super cute that Nicole and Reese went in together with their respective production companies and bought the rights to this book that has three female lead roles. You hear so often of actors (especially the likes of Kidman and Witherspoon who once would open blockbusters based on their name) being so insecure and spiteful with sharing the screen with other women that it's nice to hear they're going into this together.
Madeline could obviously be changed to a 45-year-old and given how old some people are when they have kids (hello, even Kidman!) then it shouldn't be a fuss like it was with her playing the younger Grace Kelly. I guess it makes sense for Witherspoon to play Celeste, but maybe the age difference could imply she's Jane. Even if Reese being uncomfortable in her skin sounds ludicrous. I second the Melanie Lynskey suggestion though. If they keep the Australian setting then her NZ accent will slide right in perfectly.
I wonder if that Australian locale will stay though. Will they make Witherspoon an American because I don't see her as an actress who's good with foreign accents, but who knows...
Madeline-Reese
Celeste-Nicole
Jane-Naomi Watts
Yes, it's type casting. But there is comfort in type casting and I would love to just see the three of them having fun and going for broke in what sounds like a film that needs that sort of fun. Especially if there are scene stealing roles all around them, they need to be loose or they could get lost. The height differences would be fun to play off as well. And realistic. Lynskey is a good idea but US Southern to Australian will be easier to wrap a tongue around than Kiwi to Australian.
I really like that poster for "Before I go to Sleep." Mark Strong is so fine in all his work.
I've worked with Nicole several times. She is shy. Not insecure. Not in the least. She is also one of the most professional and dedicated actors I have ever experienced.
Yes to Rose Byrne as Jane, and I can see Nicole and Reese doing either of two other roles.
Glenn-
"Will they make Witherspoon an American because I don't see her as an actress who's good with foreign accents."
Or good with anything else for that matter ;)
I would love for this to be cast with an entirely different set of actresses. I think Toni Collette as the fun-loving mom, Rosamund Pike as the wife of the wealthy man and Melissa McCarthy as the newly-arrived single mom would be a great team and a somewhat unexpected combination of looks and acting styles, with all the actresses bringing something strong to the table.
As it is, with Reese and Nicole, I believe it would be fun to have Reese as the trophy wife and Nicole as the zany whimsical mom, as to move them away from type-casting. Reese can excel in weird histrionic types, at least she did early in her career (Election, Legally Blonde, etc) and Nicole played trophy wife to Tom Cruise for a good decade of her life, so let's swap those talented ladies around and see how they fill one another's shoes! :)
Elizabeth Moss would be a good choice for the third mom, but perhaps she's too beautiful? I guess anyone can be toned down with proper make-up and lighting, and Moss has shown her ability to be both strong and vulnerable in the same role, so she would probably be a strong choice for the material.
Another actress that ocurred to me was Martha Plimpton. She has massive dramatic chops, but a dark funny edge, I bet her take on the character would be quite unique. She's not a plain looking woman, but she's outside of what is traditionally considered beautiful (for Hollywood standards), so she would fit the bill quite well.
She's not a plain looking woman, but she's outside of what is traditionally considered beautiful (for Hollywood standards)
Martha Plimpton does not fit a beauty standard at all.
Well, i've just started reading the book a few days ago and i'm actually thinking Kidman as Celeste rather than Madeline.
Plus, unless Grace of Monaco gets some re-editing, let's just pretend that it didn't exist. She was lovely in the role and looked mostly gorgeous but the movie is a mess.
I just wanna put it out there:
I still have faith in Paddington!
The combination of Kidman, Hawkins and Thompson is too powerful to ignore.
Hayden: you may want to check those adjectives. If Nicole were insecure, she wouldn't be where she is now or wouldn't dare to do the things she does. Shy, yes, but I don't see that as a bad thing.
Madeline: This will go to Reese.
Celeste: Nicole Kidman
Jane: ?? They may go for a relatively unknown actress? In the book she's so young that she is mistaken for the nanny...
Oh dear, please stop torturing yourself! If Grace of Monace gets a US release she will totally get a Razzie nom and you will be utterly devastated.
Nicole never stops pushing, you have to admire that. Especially since most actresses who enter motherhood and marriage just completely give up their own interests.
lem is so nice.
I wanna see nicole in something new too. I'll try "the railway man".
I'd love to see Elizabeth Debicki as Jane. She is 1.9 meters tall (6 foot 3 inches) so she could look uncomfortable towering over the other actresses without having to play "plain". I didn't get to see The Maids, but I want to see more of her.
Oh and I'd like to see Candice Cane in the Eddie Redmane part. I really liked her in Dirty Sexy Money. That was such an endearing romance.
Adri--Nicole is 5'11" (and I think they've shaved an inch off).
I would say the first actress that came to mind was Michelle Williams for the Jane role. But if she's supposed to be out of town it might seem like they're going to have Reese play her as an american moving to Australia no? Maybe get some other Australian actress for Madeline. Rose Byrne would be awesome.
Henry - kiwi accent doing Australian would be much easier than southern us doing Australian. As long as the script avoids the words, six, fish and chips, it would be fine.
i hope she makes the silent wife before this. she has been circling chick lit to film adaptations lately. and the silent wife has a better role.
these liane moriarty adaptations should just be adapted to american settings because i've read the husband's wife and nothing about it is specific to that continent/region.
I have a feeling they will change the locale to America -- Reese does not excel at accents.
Recast Reese and let the Australians play: Kidman/ Watts/ Collette
Thanks Henry, I didn't know that. I always thought she was about 5 foot 9 (and Tom Cruise about 5'6"). But that makes more sense. No wonder she wore flats instead of heels then.
If Moss gets the role I hope I don't have to endure her 'Australian' accent again. Otherwise I'm happy to watch her in anything.
adri--All three of the women Cruise married have been taller than him. Mimi is almost 5'9", Nicole is 5'11" and Katie is 5'10" and I think they may be trying to call them shorter and him taller at that. He always wears lifts.
There are few bigger Nicole Kidman fans than me but she has made some terrible movie choices and in my opinion should redeem herself with something of Blue Jasmine proportions. She has it in her but she needs the right director and movie. Maybe queen of the desert but I don't believe so. In the public eye she is now coasting on her style icon persona. That won't get her too far. She needs somehow to re-establish respect. Nicole, give Cate a call.
Nathaniel, are you planning to see Before I Go to Sleep? Many critics (especially U.S. critics) don't like the film but they praise Nicole's performance (and Firth and Strong also). The film has been more successful in Europe and Asia, premiering in the number 3 spot.