Nicole Kidman playing a sewer rat?

Will Kidman be the latest to join the rank of A-list Hollywood celebs voicing an animated character?

Oct 29 2004

Whereas fellow actress Angelina Jolie played the glamorous man(fish)-eater in 'Shark Tale', Kidman is reportedly up for the animation equivalent of a character-actress role - such as the ones played by Cameron Diaz in 'Shrek' and Ellen DeGeneres in 'Finding Nemo' - voicing the part of a sewer rat called Rita. Hugh Jackman is to play opposite her as a lost, upper class rodent, Roddy, trying to find his way home.

The feature animation, 'Flushed Away', will be co-produced by Aardman Animation and DreamWorks. Although DreamWorks are well used to making blockbuster CGI flicks, having brought us the modern classics Shrek, Shrek 2 and recently Shark Tale, this will be Aardman's first diversion from the traditional claymation technique, used in Chicken Run and the eagerly-awaited Wallace and Gromit feature, due for release in 2005.

Ian Mckellen is also reportedly lined up to play an evil frog, while his fellow Lord of the Rings actor, Andy Serkis, is to play his henchman Spike.

The anticipated release date is 2006. Although animations do take a little longer to reach the screen than their live action counterparts, they are more often than not well worth the wait - one involving Aardman, DreamWorks and Nicole Kidman will be especially so.

Other Kidman news

Kidman has spoken out in defence of some controversial scenes in the forthcoming film 'Birth', reports Ananova.com.

Kidman plays a widow who is told by a ten-year-old boy that he is her reincarnated dead husband.

Kidman claims that the controversial scenes - in which she kisses the boy passionatly while sharing a bath with him - were justified in context with the film, saying: 'It wasn't really an intimate scene. I believe that the boy is a man, and at no point do I ever think that he's a genuine boy'.

'Birth' will be released on November 5.