Anderson to star in 'Great Expectations'

BOSTON, July 8 (UPI) -- U.S. actress Gillian Anderson has signed on to play Miss Havisham in a small-screen adaptation of the literary classic "Great Expectations," PBS announced.

Based on Charles Dickens' novel of the same name, the TV movie is to be a PBS/BBC co-production.

David Suchet and Ray Winstone are to co-star as Jaggers and Magwitch, respectively, in the production, which is to air in April 2012, during the bicentennial of Dickens' birth.

"I can't wait to see Gillian delicately sink her teeth into the role of the beautiful, mysterious and manipulative Miss Havisham. She's one of the most intriguing female characters in literature," Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton said in a statement Friday. "Gillian's hypnotic portrayal of Lady Dedlock in 'Bleak House' showed that she and Dickens are a perfect match."

"Great Expectations" is to begin filming in London this month.

Anderson is best known for her work in the TV series "The X-Files," for which she won an Emmy in 1997.