Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman Collaboration in Doubt  3/30/06

The eagerly anticipated first screen pairing of Australian stars Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman has been put on hold, after crew on their latest movie were mysteriously released.

Director Baz Luthmann confesses the ambitious project has been plagued by problems, and bosses at 20th Century Fox have refused to provide funding unless they can guarantee there will be a return on their investment.

The Moulin Rouge! film-maker says, "To say that it is a complex and large-scale undertaking is an understatement and I cannot formally announce the project until all of the crucial elements are secure.

"Currently, they are not, and so it is true we've had to disengage some of our very loyal team. As soon as we are able to bring those crucial elements together I will be able to make a formal announcement concerning the starting date of the production, at which time it will also be named."

Filming was due to start on the World War Two epic in June (06).

Despite being close friends, Kidman and Crowe have never starred in a film together. The Oscar-winners have been keen to secure a new project since filming for 2005's Eucalyptus collapsed amidst rumors of script problems and on set fall-outs.