City abuzz over visit by A-listers

Nicole Kidman

THE rumours are true!

A-list celebrities including Nicole Kidman will soon descend on Ipswich for the filming of a major movie.

The QT can confirm the cast and crew of The Railway Man will film on location at the North Ipswich Railway Workshops, next to The Workshops Rail Museum.

Colin Firth also has signed up for the film, on the back of his Golden Globe award for The King's Speech.

Other A-listed cast members include Stellan Skarsgard, known for his roles in Good Will Hunting, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and The Avengers, and Jeremy Irvine, of War Horse fame.

The Railway Man is an adaptation of Eric Lomax's autobiography of the same name, and will tell the story of a British Army officer who was sent to a Japanese prisoner of war camp in World War II and worked on the infamous Burma-Thailand railway.

The acclaimed book also follows Lomax's journey post war, when he sets out to find those responsible for his torture.

Firth will play the role of Lomax, and Kidman will play Patti, the woman who befriends and later captures the heart of Lomax.

Kerri's Mobile Coffee Van's Kerri Milton said the city was bursting with rumours about Kidman's visit.

"I'd heard nothing about it until this morning, when one of my customers said it was a big rumour," Ms Milton said.

"I like Nicole Kidman. She's a great Aussie actress and, if it's true, of course it's great news - I'm going to drive by the workshops this afternoon."

Filming already has been conducted in Scotland, and also will take place in Thailand.

Production company L! ionsgate has previously worked on box office hits such as The Hunger Games.