But there are two people who’ve been left red-faced and jealous by the shock casting development – the pair’s respective spouses, Jennifer Aniston and Keith Urban.
Sources tell New Idea that Jen has become ‘very nervous’ at the thought of her husband Justin spending long days filming with Nicole, anxious that feelings could develop between the potential co-stars.
Meanwhile, Keith too has voiced his concern over his wife’s plans to team up with Justin – worried that even more time apart could have a lasting effect on their marriage.
‘For Jen, she just worries that it’s another Brad and Ange situation,’ says a source. ‘She still has a lot of open wounds from when Brad left her for Ange on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith, and she’s always going to be wary of Justin spending long hours apart from her, especially with a beautiful A-list star like Nicole.
A source close to Keith adds: ‘Keith and Nicole have spent so much time apart over the last 18 months with her filming back-to- back roles and his Rip Cord tour, he’s worried about sending her off to spend long days and weeks filming with an actor she clearly has a great relationship with.
‘Nicole has laughed off his concerns, but Keith knows how invested Nicole gets in her roles and he’s worried about a deeper connection developing. He’s not excited about her doing a big project with Justin, let’s just put it that way.’
Justin and Nicole’s obvious chemistry was on display last weekend when they hit the red carpet at a Louis Vuitton event in New York, warmly hugging one another away from prying eyes.
During the event, the pair sat next to each other and spent the night deep in conversation. And while former Friends star Jen, 48, sat with her husband during the night as well, she couldn’t help but feel left out by Justin and Nicole’s banter.
‘They were talking non-stop about wanting to work together – Nicole was saying how much she admires his abilities, that she’s very excited by the prospect,’ says a source. ‘It was a little hard for Jen to listen to, she felt like she was invisible.
While details on Justin and Nicole’s new project are a little hazy, sources say Nicole, 50, has approached Justin, 46, with a script for a TV series she’s interested in – believing they’d make perfect co-stars.
‘No-one has signed on the dotted line, but I know Nicole would love to work with Justin,’ says a source close to the Aussie actress. ‘They met at last year’s Oscars and have a very healthy respect for one another’s work. She believes his work in The Leftovers is sublime, she’s desperate to find a project they can both sink their teeth into – there’s one script in particular which she believes is perfect.’
However, Nicole may have to get past the most important man in her world – husband Keith, 50 – before committing to any new shows with Justin.
‘Keith loves Nicole so much and has always been incredibly supportive of her career,’ says a source. ‘But he’s also mindful of what the reactions will be if she has another high-profile on-screen romance with someone like Justin Theroux.
For the full story see this weeks issue of New Idea - out now!