Radcliffe to star in adaptation of 'Woman'

LONDON, July 19 (UPI) -- British actor Daniel Radcliffe has signed on to star in "The Woman in Black," Hammer Films and Alliance Films said.

The movie is a big-screen adaptation of Susan Hill's best-selling novel.

Radcliffe is best known for playing the titular wizard in the Harry Potter film franchise.

The announcement was made Monday by Simon Oakes and Nigel Sinclair of Exclusive and Hammer.

To be directed by James Watkins and written by Jane Goldman, "The Woman in Black" follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who is ordered to travel to a remote corner of the United Kingdom and sort out a recently deceased client's papers.

As he works alone in an old and isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover its tragic secrets, and his unease grows when he discovers that the local village is held hostage by the ghost of a scorned woman set on vengeance, a synopsis of the film said.

Production is expected to begin this fall.

"'When I met Dan, it was quite uncanny how closely our thoughts on the story mirrored each other. I can't wait to get down to work with him to fashion a compelling character and a classy ghost story that tugs at the heart and chills to the bone," Watkins said in a statement.

"We're thrilled to have Daniel on board, I can think of no better actor to play the role of Arthur Kipps. I'm confident that under the direction of James Watkins, he'll take Jane Goldman's script and deliver an utterly intense and compelling performance," Oakes said.