Kidman, Fox tour the world

Fox is going globe-trotting with Nicole Kidman and Simon Kinberg. The studio has picked up "The Eighth Wonder," an action-adventure pitch from Kinberg, with Kidman attached to star and produce. Laurence Mark also is producing.

Details of the plot are being kept under wraps, but the story centers on an archaeological discovery that sets off a globe-spanning race. The goal is to create a movie that will be to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" what the "Bourne" movies are to James Bond movies: a character-driven, treasure-hunting thriller.

Kidman and Kinberg met when working on "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," which the scribe wrote and the actress was to have starred in. When she dropped out because of scheduling reasons, the two teamed for an untitled spy thriller for Regency and Fox, with Mark and Jonathan King producing. That project never came to fruition, but Kidman and Kinberg looked for something to work on together. Kinberg cooked up the new idea with Fox, bringing in Kidman and Mark King.

Kinberg will write the script in the fall, and Alex Young will oversee for the studio.

Kinberg, repped by CAA, is coming off rewrite duties on Fox's "Night at the Museum 2," his fourth movie for Fox, and Warners' "Sherlock Holmes." He also is working on a new adaptation of "The Osterman Weekend" for Summit.

CAA-repped Kidman next stars in Fox' latest Baz Luhrmann extravaganza, "Australia." (partialdiff)