STARGAZERS will be out and about in Ipswich this week.

Filming for one of 2013's Hollywood blockbusters, The Railway Man, is due to begin in Ipswich.

Heart-throb Colin Firth, together with Swedish icon Stellan Skarsgard and War Horse star Jeremy Irvine, will be on location at the Railway Workshops from the middle of the week, according to the film's publicist Tracey Mair.

Aussie actor Nicole Kidman will not join her male co-stars.

Firth is best known for his roles in Bridget Jones' Diary, The King's Speech, Mamma Mia! and Pride and Prejudice.

Co-star Skarsgard is another big name who has most recently starred in The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo and The Avengers.

A Screen Queensland spokesperson said Queensland was always a popular area for filming in Australia.

"South-east Queensland in particular is renowned for its amazing locations," the spokesperson said.

The Railway Man is also being shot on the Gold Coast.