When Michael Cunningham and Nicole Kidman last got together, for 2002's The Hours [1], the result was an Oscar win and a boatload of critical acclaim. So my ears perked at the news that Cunningham wants to work with Kidman again — this time on a biopic of British soul singer and chanteuse Dusty Springfield.

Cunningham told New York Magazine's Vulture blog that he's currently writing the screenplay for the film [2], with Kidman meant to play the lead role. Cunningham said he's trying to convey the idea that Springfield "was a great artist who no one knew what to do with" and who clearly deserves a spot in rock history with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones — but he said he won't be shying away from the seedier side of Springfield's life, which included drug abuse and an often-prickly personality.

Though I was disappointed with Evening [3], the last film Cunningham penned, there's no denying that he has a special talent for delving into the multi-layered lives of complicated women. And I like picturing Kidman in the role, playing both the popular, public Dusty and the more private, darker side. (I don't know if she could pull off Springfield's sultry vocals, but I was impressed with her singing in Moulin Rouge.)

Do you think Springfield's life story is a good one for Cunningham to pen? And could you imagine Kidman inhabiting the role?

Source [4]