Thursday, September 6

• Fiennes on board The Duchess

  Fresh from his latest stint as the evil Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ralph Fiennes has signed on to play a cuckolded duke in the BBC period flick (redundant, I know) The Duchess, says Variety.

  The Duchess is based on Amanda Foreman's biography of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, a randy 18th century British aristocrat who became involved in a scandalous affair with Earl Grey (yeah, the tea guy). The part of Georgiana will be played by Keira Knightley, who, apparently, can't seem to get enough of those corsets.

  
  

  Posted 09/06/2007 by Thomas

  Keira Knightley | Ralph Fiennes

Saturday, August 18

• Kidman and Fiennes to star in The Reader

  Looks like opening a sci-fi remake isn't enough to keep Nicole Kidman satisfied this weekend. The hard-working Aussie Oscar winner has signed on to star opposite Ralph Fiennes in The Reader, reports Variety.

  The Reader is the story about a German man who recounts his post-WWII romance with an older woman. It was adapted by David Hare (The Hours) from a novel by Bernhard Schlink, which we happen to remember was on Oprah's (first) book list.

  The WWII novel-turned-film romance is well-trodden ground for smoldery Fiennes, who steamed up the screen in both The English Patient and The End of the Affair. Couple that with director Stephen Daldry (The Hours) and producers Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, Cold Mountain), Sydney Pollack (Cold Mountain, Sense and Sensibility) and Scott Rudin (The Hours, Closer), and we're getting ready to swoon already.

  
  

  Posted 08/18/2007 by Heather

  Ralph Fiennes | Nicole Kidman | Stephen Daldry | The Reader