Lily James, Paul Dano to star in the BBC's 'War and Peace'

LONDON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Paul Dano, Ade Edmondson, Lily James, James Norton and Greta Scacchi are to star in a small-screen adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, the BBC announced.

Screenwriter Andrew Davies is developing the 19th-century epic as a series. No air date has been set yet.

"When I came to War and Peace for the first time, rather late in life, I was struck by how fresh and modern the characters and relationships felt. It's a story of the hopes and dreams of youth, set against the titanic background of the Napoleonic wars," Davies said. "Three characters [are] at the center: Pierre, the bumbling, chaotic idealist; Prince Andrei, whose cool Darcy-like exterior conceals huge emotional conflict; and Natasha Rostova, possibly the most appealing heroine in literature. These three are surrounded by a gallery of unforgettable characters -- we get love, friendship, huge swings of fortune, betrayals, tragedy, and a surprising amount of comedy, too."

Harvey Weinstein, who is producing the series with the BBC, said he fell in love with the classic novel when he first read it as a teenager.

"Putting an epic, iconic story like War and Peace on screen with a cast of this caliber is an incredible thrill," Weinstein said. "Lily, Paul and James are all amazingly talented actors and it takes their level of talent to capture the scale of Tolstoy's words. We are excited to get under way with Andrew Davies and the phenomenal team at BBC."