Australian actress Nicole Kidman recently joined the cast of Lionsgate's World War II drama "The Railway Man" and replaces the movie's supposedly leading lady Rachel Weisz.

"The Railway Man" will start production in a few weeks but Rachel Weisz needed additional days in April for the shoot of her two other films: "The Bourne Legacy" and "Oz: The Great and Powerful". Thus, producers of the drama flick needed to find the last-minute replacement.

According to Variety, the Academy Award winning actress signed a contract to star in the film to star opposite Colin Firth playing the main role as she Chan-wook Park's English-language debut "Stoker."

"The Railway Man" is based on the story of Eric Lomax. The movie will be told in two parts. The first part tells about Lomax's time as a soldier when he was captured by Japanese soldiers and made a prisoner of war. Lomax was brutally tortured and forced to work on the construction on the Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway for five years.

The other half of the film will focus on Lomax's struggle years later to overcome the physical and emotional scars of this ordeal, with the help of his wife, Patti Wallace, who ultimately urges him to reconnect and confront his captor. Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) will play the younger Lomax, while Firth will play the elder, and Kidman will portray Wallace.

Nicole Kidman was previously criticized by her choice of films to star in, particularly "Just Go With It" with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Annistorn. Then came "Rabbit Hole" in 2010 where she portrayed the role of a mother trying to cope in the aftermath of her toddler's unexpected death. Nicole Kidman nailed it with her performance.

"The Railway Man" will start its production in Scotland in April. The production team will also shoot in Australia for the WWII scenes. Jeremy Irvine will also be in the film portraying the younger version of Eric Lomax. Jonathan Teplitzky will be behind the helm.

Australia