Actress Nicole Kidman will play the lead in a new sci-fi thriller, 'Invasion' directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. Hirschbiegel's film about the last days of Adolf Hitler's life, 'Downfall,' was nominated for an Academy Award.
'Invasion' is loosely based on the classic sci-fi film 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' although those close to the project insist it is neither a remake nor a re-imagining of the 1956 film.
'It's a very insidious story about how the end of the world can come through science and disease and not through explosions,' producer Joel Silver told the 'Hollywood Reporter.'
The film takes place after a mysterious epidemic alters the behavior of human beings and follows the actions of a Washington psychiatrist, played by Kidman, who discovers that it originated in outer space. Kidman's character has to fight to protect her son who may hold the key to stopping the invasion.
''Invasion' gives Nicole an opportunity to bring her depth and range to the kind of gritty action role that we haven't see her play before, as Oliver infuses the film with the brand of provocative, character-driven storytelling he's known for,' Silver said.
Kidman has not acted in a major science fiction film since starring in 'The Others' in 2001.
Filming of 'Invasion' is scheduled to begin in late September on location in Baltimore, New York and D.C. It is expected to be released some time in 2006 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the release of the original 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers.'
