Firth, Spacey to star in 'Catalonia'

Hugh Hudson to direct Orwell adaptation

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK, JOHN HOPEWELL

Hugh Hudson will direct the bigscreen adaptation of George Orwell's "Catalonia," with Colin Firth and Kevin Spacey attached to star. Arclight Films is repping the film at the Cannes market.

Hudson ("I Dreamed of Africa," "Chariots of Fire") will direct from a script by Bob Ellis.

Orwell's book revolves around the real-life story of how he and his wife Eileen traveled to Barcelona to fight Stalinism. There, Orwell joined the Anarchist brigade and fought in the Spanish Civil War. Film will highlight the relationship between Orwell and Georges Kopp, the charismatic commander of the brigade.

Al Clark is producing with veteran French producer Alian Sarde and Fernando Meirelles through his Brazilian company O2 Films.

Clark was co-producer on the last film adaptation of an Orwell book, "1984," toplining John Hurt and Richard Burton.

Sarde's credits include Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" and Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake."

Hudson is scheduled to begin lensing in the first half of 2010 in England, Spain and then Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Uruguay.