Summary:

Colin Firth has signed on to star opposite Ben Barnes in "Dorian Gray," the retelling of the Oscar Wilde classic being directed by Oliver Parker.

Based on "The Picture of Dorian Gray," the story centers on Gray (Barnes), a young man who becomes the subject of a painting. As the man descends into a hedonistic lifestyle, the portrait begins to age and morph, but he doesn't.

Firth will play Lord Henry Wotton, the aristocrat who corrupts Gray with his worldview. (He is sometimes called Harry in the novel.)

Ealing Studios is behind the adaptation, which is being produced by Barnaby Thompson. At May's Festival de Cannes, Thompson said Parker plans to make a visceral, dark horror story and said the themes of stardom are as relevant as ever.

The movie began shooting first week of August 2008.

Firth stars in the hit musical "Mamma Mia!" and next appears in Michael Winterbottom's "Genova" and Ealing Studios' "Easy Virtue," both of which will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Firth, repped by CAA, also has wrapped Robert Zemeckis' motion-capture "A Christmas Carol" opposite Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman.

Dorian Gray is an Ealing Studios presentation of a Fragile Film backed by Prescience, Aramid and the U.K. Film Council.

Pic will be released in Blighty in fall 2009 via Momentum Pictures. International sales, which have already been fairly frenetic, are being handled by Ealing Studios Intl.

The Hollywood reporter / Variety

Directed by

Oliver Parker                  

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)

Toby Finlay                 screenplay

Oscar Wilde                 novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

Cast:

Information courtesy of The Internet Movie Database