It’s all change, please, for one of the major roles in drama The Railway Man as Rachel Weisz’ involvement has fallen victim to pesky scheduling issues. She was set to co-star alongside Colin Firth, but Weisz will now have to spend her time on reshoots for both Oz: The Great And Powerful and The Bourne Legacy. But her timing misfortune is lucky for Nicole Kidman, as she’s stepping in to take the part.
Jonathan Teplitzy is directing the film, which follows the harrowing real-life story of Eric Lomax (Firth). Taken prisoner by the Japanese forces during World War II, Lomax was tortured and forced to work on the notorious “death railway” in what was then known as Burma. War Horse’s Jeremy Irvine is on board to play the younger Lomax, with those scenes filmed on Australia’s Gold Coast.
But before that happens, Teplitzy and his crew will kick off shooting in Scotland this April to make the modern-day sections of the film, which finds Lomax (Firth) and his wife Patti (Kidman) facing up to the psychological scars of his captivity and finding some reconciliation with one of the Japanese officers.