Director Mike Newell is in advanced talks to direct a new adaptation of Great Expectations, written by David Nicholls.

Newell’s last film was big-budget epic Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time for Disney.

He has previously talked about plans to direct a story about the Litvinenko case, but it is expected that if all goes ahead as planned, Great Expectations will be his next project.

Elisabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley’s Number 9 Films is producing.

On his blog in late 2009, Nicholls wrote: “I’m also revisiting another script that I’ve been working on, a new film adaptation of one of my favourite books, Great Expectations. This, again, has been a real pleasure. Needless to say David Lean’s classic version casts a long shadow, but I’m confident that we’ve come up with a new take on the wonderful material, something that feels fresh and new while still being largely faithful to the book.”

Nicholls recently adapted his own bestseller One Day for a Focus Features adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.

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