Tim Robbins and Miranda Otto are headed for "War of the Worlds." Robbins is in negotiations to play astronomer Ogilvy in the big-screen adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic novel, while Otto would play the wife of the main character, to be played by Tom Cruise. Dakota Fanning also is set to appear as their daughter. Paramount Pictures put the project on the fast track in August -- with just 10 weeks of preproduction in order to meet a mid-November start date -- and the cast has been coming together quickly. Steven Spielberg directs. DreamWorks and Paramount are co-financing "War of the Worlds," a contemporary adaptation of the 1898 novel, which is one of the best-known alien-invasion stories. C/W Prods.' Paula Wagner and Kathleen Kennedy are producing from a script by David Koepp. Robbins, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for his work on last year's "Mystic River," most recently worked with British director Michael Winterbottom on "Code 46." Repped by CAA, he also is set to star in "Zathura" for Columbia Pictures. Otto's recent credits include "The Flight of the Phoenix," the second and third installments of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "What Lies Beneath." Otto is repped by UTA.