Nicole Kidman has signed on to star in a remake of the cult classic "The Stepford Wives," about a newcomer to suburbia who notices something strange about the women there. They all love to do housework.

In the 1975 movie, Katharine Ross (then still riding high from romancing Dustin Hoffman and Paul Newman and Robert Redford, respectively, in "The Graduate" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), played "Stepford"'s main character, Joanna Eberhardt, which will now be Kidman's role, Variety reports.

The story comes from a novel by "Rosemary's Baby" author Ira Levin, and was adapted for the first film by "Butch Cassidy" screenwriter William Goldman. Unfortunately, that flick was statically directed, by Bryan Forbes. Still, there was something campy enough about the movie -- and its robotic housewives catering to the every whim of their husbands -- to make it popular.

Variety says the movie, to be directed by Frank Oz ("The Score"), will be updated, with SUVs and minivans replacing station wagons as the suburban vehicles of choice.

Also, rather than a being a thriller, as the first movie purported to be, this new take on the story is by "In & Out" and "Addams Family" screenwriter Paul Rudnick, who is better known for generating laughs than screams.