When word broke that Nicole Kidman was pregnant back in January, she backed out of her role in The Reader, leaving the door wide open for Kate Winslet to take over. One waifish beauty with a shaky box office take replaced with a beautiful and talented actress that kicks all sorts of ass -- it was excellent news! And now we get to see just how she ages through the feature. Above you can check out a zoomed version, and then head over to Just Jared for a number of other oldie shots that were taken in Berlin, Germany last week. They've got some talented makeup artists working their magic on this feature.

The Reader is the story of a man (Ralph Fiennes) who has been sexually obsessed with an older woman (Winslet) for years -- one who is prosecuted for Nazi war crimes when it is revealed that she was a guard at Auschwitz. It should be all sorts of dramatic and sexy, steaming up the screen when it hits theaters on December 12.

Fox411's Roger Friedman is reporting that Julia Roberts could be joining Nicole Kidman in the romantic comedy, Monte Carlo. Fox spoke with Kidman during the NYFF premiere for Margot at the Wedding (read Ryan's review here) when the actress confirmed Roberts involvement. Monte Carlo centers on three schoolteachers that pose as socialites in the glamorous city to snag a rich husband. Kidman signed on for the project back in July with The Family Stone director, Tom Bezucha, who is also co-writing the script with Maria Maggenti. The story is based on the novel Headhunters by Jules Bass and the movie was inspired by the Marilyn Monroe classic, How To Marry a Millionaire.

Roberts has relatively absent from the screens for the last few years, with only the odd role here and there, but she appears to be returning to work full time. The gal will next appear in the political drama Charlie Wilson's War, followed by the dramatic weepy, Fireflies in the Garden. Last but not least, she has just signed for another romantic role in the Friday Night Knitting Club with actor and writer Mike Binder (Reign Over Me). Kidman is busy back at work on Baz Luhrmann's epic, Australia, as well as the period drama, The Reader with Ralph Fiennes. So in spite of some rather low blows in the press, Kidman has no shortage of work, and has already lined up the drama, Need, with long-time friend Naomi Watts. Although, judging from Kidman's past attempts with comedy, she could probably use the help from a veteran like Roberts.

First we have Valkyrie, Tom Cruise's film about the failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. After initial problems, the movie got their access to Benderblock, a memorial for the executed conspirators. Now another film is getting the big, black X, but I don't think the powers that be can be swayed this time around. Variety reports that The Reader, the erotic love story starring Nicole Kidman and Ralph Fiennes, has been denied access to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. The site only allows documentary filmmakers and Horst Seferens, spokesman for the curators, says: "Former concentration camp sites are cemeteries -- it's just not appropriate to use them as film sets."

That's pretty much a solid reason right there, but I wonder if the film's theme isn't helping things? The movie is based on the book by Bernhard Schlink, about a man recalling his experiences during World War II, his sexy experiences, that is. As a 15-year-old boy, Michael Berg learns the ways of sex from a 36-year-old woman, Hanna Schmitz, who happens to be a Nazi supporter. In other words, director Stephen Daldry and his crew have no leg to stand on -- it's sex between a kid and an older, pro-Nazi lady. Sure, it deals with some interesting topics, like the struggle between caring for someone and being horrified by their actions, but it's definitely not the sort of thing that would inspire the curators of an old concentration camp to change their policies.

And as an aside: What is it with Kidman and stories about love with youngins? There aren't many like this out there (and I'm not talking about May-December things like The Graduate), so I find it curious that she's got a few of these on her roster. (Is it that ever-present Oscar drive, that Samantha Morton mentioned?) At least with a kid at 15, back in a time when young men looked much older, they can cast someone a little older, which would make it less jarring. The film is starting up this week, so maybe we'll find out who plays the young Berg soon.

Variety is reporting that two of Hollywood's palest and chilliest stars are joining forces for The Reader. Nicole Kidman and Ralph Fiennes will star in the romance, which is to be based on the international bestselling novel by German writer Bernhard Schlink. IMDb lists Anthony Minghella as director of the film, but it appears that information is inaccurate or has changed. Minghella will produce, along with Sydney Pollack and Scott Rudin. Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) is now set to direct the movie, and David Hare will write the script. The project is something of a reunion of the team that worked on 2002's The Hours. Daldry directed that film, Hare wrote it, Rudin produced it, and it won Kidman a Best Actress Oscar.

The Reader is set in contemporary Germany, where "a man recounts the story of his erotic awakening in a covert love affair with an older woman in the wake of World War II." I assume Fiennes is playing the man recounting his story and Kidman is playing the older woman here? That might be tricky to pull off, considering Kidman is five years younger than Fiennes. And "erotic awakening?" I thought that term wasn't used outside of Cinemax plot descriptions. I must admit, I have a real problem getting into a lot of these period romance films, they all just sort of run together for me. I'm glad Minghella isn't at the wheel, though. Just writing that guy's name makes my eyelids heavy. The Reader was an Oprah's Book Club selection, and with her massive following, the film adaptation should have a built-in audience. Have any of our readers read The Reader? And can you say that three times fast? And what did you think of the book?