Kidman signs on to Rudnick's <i>Stepford Wives</i> remake (6730)

Variety reports that Nicole Kidman will star in a new screen adaptation of Ira Levin's novel The Stepford Wives with a screenplay by gay writer Paul Rudnick. Rudnick is reteaming with In & Out director Frank Oz in retelling the story of a new arrival in a Connecticut suburb who wonders why all the other wives are so obsessed with housework. The new version is said to be more contemporary--not only have the ladies' station wagons become minivans and SUVs, but Rudnick has also changed the tone of the piece from a thriller to a sophisticated black comedy. Out mogul Scott Rudin will coproduce with Donald DeLine; no shooting date has been set, although Kidman is expected to step into the production following her work on Birth, directed by Jonathan Glazer for New Line.