Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman flew into Christchurch this week on a top secret visit to tour locations for New Zealand’s latest fantasy epic The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
The glamorous star of recent films, The Hours and Cold Mountain, arrived early on Thursday morning and took part in a whirlwind tour of Canterbury’s high country in a helicopter.
One of the locations paid particular attention was Flock Hill station near Arthurs Pass where there were several sightings of the actress and accompanying crew.
The visit has firmed up rumours Kidman has signed for a major role in the film which is being brought to the big screen by Kiwi producer-director Andrew Adamson, who also produced the Oscar-winning animated film Shrek.
Adamson’s latest epic, based on the C S Lewis classic, will be filmed mainly in Auckland but some scenes will be shot in the South Island.
At 178cm tall, the pale, imposing Kidman, 36, is thought to be perfect for the role of the White Witch, who in the book puts a spell on Narnia so that it is always winter and never Christmas.
Kidman has often been connected with the film and is known to have taken her children, Isabella, 10, and Connor, eight, to a stage play of the famous book.
Australian-raised Kidman, who maintains an exhausting regime of shooting movies, travelling to promote her movies and attending award ceremonies like this week’s Academy Awards, made a powerful impression during her Canterbury visit, sources told The Press.
The casually dressed star looked tired and in a no-nonsense mood but was “very nice” to everyone, they said.
The former wife of actor Tom Cruise, who has recently formed a strong bond with one-time rock wild man Lenny Kravitz, was accompanied by eight people thought to include security men and representatives of Los Angeles-based film company Walden Media, the company producing the film.
They flew to Flock Hill in two helicopters operated by Christchurch Helicopters. The company would not comment yesterday.
Other film industry sources, including Film South in Christchurch and Film Auckland, could shed no light on the visit. Walden Media’s Auckland office refused to comment.
Kidman left Christchurch early yesterday.
She won an Oscar for her role as the emotionally fragile Virginia Woolf in the film The Hours.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe has won backing from industry heavyweight Walt Disney Studies, which has entered an agreement with Walden Media to co-finance and distribute the $170 million film.
It will be first in what could be a series of films based on the seven Chronicles of Narnia books by C S Lewis. The books have sold 85 million copies worldwide.
By JUSTINE TURNER