Trio ready to rock 'Boat'

Branagh, Ifans, Jones join Curtis project

By DIANE GARRETT

Ifans

Branagh

Kenneth Branagh, Rhys Ifans and January Jones have climbed aboard "The Boat That Rocked," a Working Title production for Universal that Richard Curtis wrote and will direct.

Branagh and Ifans play deejays for a pirate radio show in England during the 1970s. Jones, best known for her starring turn as repressed housewife Betty Draper in "Mad Men," plays an American woman who visits the deejays on the boat and falls for her boyfriend's pal (Ifans).

Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Hilary Bevan-Jones are producing, along with Curtis. Project begins lensing March 3 in London.

Branagh next appears in "Valkryie." Ifans, who was recently signed by UTA, had his breakthrough role in "Notting Hill," a 1999 pic penned by Curtis. And Jones had a small role in Curtis' 2003 romantic comedy "Love Actually."