Catherine Zeta-Jones is on her way to joining the cast of Death Defying Acts, a biopic about Harry Houdini. Guy Pearce is already signed to play the magician lead, and Catherine Z is in negotiations to play a psychic who’s also his lover.

The movie is described as a “lavish” period adventure, which probably means a lot of big, poofy dresses. It’s a joint British-Australian venture, and they’ll shot in the UK later this year from a script by Brian Ward and Tony Grisoni, the rhyming name screenwriter.

Death Defying Acts will be directed by Gillian Armstrong, who is no relation to Stretch. He’s an Aussie and the director of such films as Charlotte Gray and Little Women. Here’s a man who knows a thing or two about poofy dresses.

When not making millions for selling people cell phones, Catherine Zeta has a busy career as a movie actress, and in theory it’s a successful one. Except no one has gone to see her last few movies. Audiences skipped right over her last two, Ocean’s 12 and The Legend of Zorro. That’s probably because they sucked. But she perseveres. If she agrees to be a part of Death Defying Acts, it will be the fifth film in her future. Her other upcoming projects include an eclectic mix of gay cabaret and more based on real history pics.