Nicole Kidman

Superheroes Batman, Iron Man and Hellboy are mixing it up with Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman and an ancient mummy for the visual-effects Academy Award. The Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" is one of seven films competing for the Oscar, along with fellow comic-book adaptations "Iron Man" and "Hellboy II: The Golden Army." The other four nominees announced Tuesday: Kidman's "Australia," Pitt's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and two Brendan Fraser films, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."

Patrick Goldstein's column ["Ferrell Feeling the Effects of a 'Hangover,' " June 9] identified some of the reasons the Will Ferrell comedy "Land of the Lost" may have bombed, among them the film's lack of focus and Ferrell's nebulous comic identity. But he overlooks another possibility: After Spielberg's 1993 "Jurassic Park" redefined special effects, moviegoers will not fork over 10 bucks to see dinosaurs that look like overgrown, rubberized sock puppets. William D. Wolff Tarzana :: Maybe the reason "Land of the Lost" was such a bomb is because the only thing it had in common with the old TV show was the title.

Hot Property: The April 6 column reported that Nicole Kidman had purchased a Brentwood home for $7 million. Kidman looked at the home a few months ago but did not purchase it, according to her publicist Catherine Olim of PMK/HBH. She is still looking for a home, Olim reports.

Hot Property: The April 6 column incorrectly reported that Nicole Kidman had purchased a Brentwood home for $7 million. Kidman looked at the home a few months ago but did not purchase it, according to her publicist Catherine Olim of PMK/HBH. She is still looking for a home, Olim reports.

Kate Hudson is the latest addition to the star-studded cast of "Nine," an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical. She joins Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard and Penelope Cruz. The film, about an Italian film director, will be directed by Rob Marshall for producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Production is scheduled to begin Oct. 10. "Nine," which originally opened on Broadway in 1982 and was revived in 2003, is based on Fellini's autobiographical film "8 1/2 ."

Baz Luhrmann has a few points to make in "Australia," his World War II-era romantic epic starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman: points about the mixing of genres, untold stories of the country's involvement in the war and that even in the most brutal parts of his homeland, there is soul-moving beauty. "When I arrived there, I thought, 'This is going to be horrendous, shooting under these conditions,' " said Kidman of filming in Australia's rugged Northern Territory.

Looks like the sexiest acting races in eons. For the first time since costarring in Oscar heavyweight "Titanic," screen heartthrobs Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are back together in "Revolutionary Road" and pining for their own first wins. Real-life lovebirds Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt haven't been nominated in nearly a decade but now heat up the top races in separate films. And the academy may finally be smitten again with big, romantic epics thanks to Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman sizzling on screen in "Australia."

Nicole Kidman: An article about Nicole Kidman in today's Envelope section says that her eldest daughter is named Stella. Her name is Isabella and she goes by Bella.