Cannes 2012: Saoirse Ronan to Star in Movie Based on Vera Brittain Memoir

Saoirse Ronan is attached to star in Juliette Towhidi’s adaptation of Vera Brittain’s heartbreaking First World War memoir.

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Being mounted by producer David Heyman and his production banner Heyday Films, the project is backed by BBC Films and forms part of a slate of projects in various stages at the pubcaster's standalone filmmaking unit.

The slate also includes a slew of films that sees the filmmaking unit partner with people it has worked with before including a fresh film with Simon Curtis, having collaborated with him on My Week With Marilyn.

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BBC Films is backing Curtis's The Golden Lady, written by playwright Alexi Kaye Campbell to be produced by former film unit chief David Thompson via his production label Origin Pictures.

It tells the contemporary story of Maria Altmann who, with young lawyer Randy Schoenberg, fought to reclaim several world famous Klimt paintings, including his most famous golden portrait of Maria’s aunt Adele Bloch-Bauer, that had been stolen from her family by the Nazis.

There will also be a reunion with Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas who worked on Glastonbury and now Julien Temple’s Kinks’ film You Really Got Me.

BBC Films is working with Thomas on Dom Hemingway, the London-set black comedy starring JudeLaw and Richard E. Grant to be directed by Richard Sheppard (Matador).

And Ralph Fiennes follows his directorial debut with BBC Films Coriolanus with The Invisible Woman.

Adapted by Abi Morgan, the film stars Ralph Fiennes, Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas and Tom Hollander.

Other previous relationships include uniting again with Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey of Wildgaze on a brace of projects: Colm Toibin’s novel, Brooklyn will star Rooney Mara and has been adapted by Nick Hornby.

And Hornby’s own novel A Long Way Down, has been adapted by Jack Thorne and will be directed by Pascal Chaumeil (Heartbreaker). It will star Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots and Emile Hirsch.

Once again, BBC Films will join forces with Ruby Films on which is set to Saving Mr. Banks shoot later this year with Disney and stars Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson. Scripted by Kelly Marcel, the film tells of the longstanding feud between Walt Disney and novelist P.L. Travers to obtain the rights to what was to become Mary Poppins.

BBC Films is in partnership with Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci to bring comedy creation Alan Partridge to the big screen next year with The Alan Partridge Movie (working title) which begins shooting in the Autumn. Produced by Baby Cow, Kevin Loader, Henry Normal and Iannucci, the film is directed by Declan Lowney.

And having previously worked with producer Andrew Eaton on A Cock and Bull Story, BBC Films has teamed up again on Good Vibrations which unspooled in this year's Marche du Film to buyers.