Screen legends Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman will star in a 90-minute film adaption of Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot for BBC 1. Emmy and IFTA award winner Dearblha Walsh from Sligo will be slipping into the director's chair for the project, which will being filming in London next spring.
The film will be based on a screenplay adapted by Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Notting Hill) and Paul Mayhew-Archer (The Vicar of Dibley) with BAFTA-winner Hilary Bevan Jones. BBC One controller Charlotte Moore made the announcement at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Jones said: ‘To bring together two of the world’s favourite actors in Dame Judi and Dustin is a dream come true. Richard and Paul have captured the magic of Roald Dahl’s wonderful tale and I am thrilled that Dearbhla is to direct it’.
Esio Trot tells the story of shy retired bachelor Mr. Hoppy (Dustin Hoffman) who wants to woo Mrs Silver (Judi Dench), his downstairs neighbour. Mr. Hoppy then forms a plan involving a magic spell and Mrs. Silver’s pet tortoise (that's Esio Trot backwards... see... clever).
