The Pianist director Roman Polanski is taking on Charles Dickens' classic tale
Oliver Twist, according to Variety.
The film about young pickpockets in 19th-century London will have an expected 15-20 week shoot and a Thanksgiving 2005 release.
"It's a huge project," said producer Benmussa. "It's a two-year job. After the heavy emotional and personal story of 'The Pianist,' Polanski wanted to make a family film. We spent a year reading scripts and searching for the right story. Then we discovered the last film of 'Oliver Twist' was made by David Lean in 1948. There was a musical in 1968, but Lean's was the last straight version."