After several years in development, a big-screen adaptation of best-selling novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is now set to move forward with Lily James attached to star and Mike Newell on board to direct.

As reported on Deadline, the feature will be a co-production between LA-based Mazur/Kaplan and Blueprint Pictures in the UK; Paula Mazur and Mitchell Kaplan produce alongside Pete Czernin and Graham Broadbent.

Production Intelligence first listed the film in 2012, when it was in development with the same LA producers. Back then, Kenneth Branagh was mooted to direct and Kate Winslet to star. Studiocanal is financing the project; they have been on board from the start.

Don Roos and Tom Bezucha have written the screenplay based on the book of the same name by Annie Barros and Mary Ann Shaffer. Set on Guernsey during the aftermath of the Second World War, the story centres on Juliet (James), a journalist who writes about the book club that the islanders established during the war.

Filming will take place next year. PI subscribers should follow the project as we will be reporting with dates and names as key hires board the production.

Blueprint has had a busy year – their feature-length TV adaptation of Jasper Fforde”s The Last Dragonslayer was filmed at Pinewood earlier this year and is due to air on Christmas Day, and the company is also in development on several projects including The Homeless World Cup and A Boy Called Christmas.

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Lily James photo via Getty Images Ent/Anthony Harvey.