Nicole Kidman's casting in The Golden Compass has been confirmed. She's already in final negotiations for the part of Mrs. Coulter, the villain of record from the books.

The film is based on a the first in a series of books by Philip Pullman called "His Dark Materials", and if you were reading Cinema Blend last week then this whole Kidman thing is already old news. Now though, it's official.

For those of you who weren't here at the same bat time, same bat channel last week, here's a recap: The Golden Compass is the story of a little girl from an alternate Earth full of magic and magical (sometimes furry) avatars. She embarks on an adventure that takes her across the world and into encounters with all manner of strange people.

Variety says the film is shooting with a hefty $150 million budget and being written and directed by Chris Weitz. An unknown named Dakota Blue Richards has been cast in the lead as the littler girl Lyra, and now we know she'll be facing off against Nicole Kidman.

I'm not a huge fan of the books, but Kidman's a perfect fit for the role. Mrs. Coulter is beautiful, snobby, and aloof. Nic pulls that off just by rolling out of bed in the morning.