News > Winslet to Replace Kidman in Reader

Written by David Morgan

Kate Winslet has stepped up to replace Nicole Kidman in Stephen Daldry's post-World War II drama The Reader. Kidman left the project Monday, giving her pregnancy as a reason. Winslet will star opposite Ralph Fiennes and a young German actor named David Kross. According to Variety, the story concerns "a teen who falls for an enigmatic older woman in postwar Germany."

Variety also mentions that Winslet was actually the first choice for the role, but had to decline due to a prior commitment to Revolutionary Road, co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by her husband Sam Mendes. Filming of The Reader began in Berlin late last year, but the production will be able to roll along relatively smoothly as Kidman had not appeared in any scenes before her desertion.

The film is based on a novel by Bernhard Schlink and has some major producers backing it, namely Sydney Pollack, Anthony Minghella, and Scott Rudin. The screenplay was penned by David Hare.