As expected, Gladiator star Joaquin Phoenix has signed to play the male lead in It's All About Love, a fantasy romance by white-hot Danish director Thomas Vinterberg (Festen). He joins Claire Danes who signed last month (ScreenDaily, Jan 3).

The film, which is Vinterberg's English-language debut, begins production on April 23 in studios in Sweden and locations in Denmark and New York.

Ben van Os, whose credits include The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover and Orlando, has been signed as production designer and to create the near-future world in which the film is set. It's All About Love tells the story of two lovers attempting to save their relationship as the earth hovers on the brink of cosmic collapse

The Nimbus Film production was greenlit in December after Shochiku picked up Japanese rights, Slot Machine became a French partner and Sweden's Memfis Film a co-producer. The UK's FilmFour, Germany's Senator and Italy's Key Films are also backing.

Trust Film Sales is handling the film in non-English speaking territories. FilmFour is selling to English-speaking markets.