Felicity Jones to star in Swan Lake film adaptation penned by Jessica Swale

Felicity Jones will star in a new film version of Swan Lake, it has been revealed by Deadline.

The new film is to be written by veteran award-winning playwright Jessica Swale (Nell Gwynn), and is based on Tchaikovsky's ballet of the same name. Swale recently made her directorial debut with World War II drama Summerland, which is currently in cinemas.

Having been been rumoured for more than three years, the film seems to have gained momentum in recent months. It is set to be distributed by Universal Pictures, with further casting and a release date to be announced.

Tchaikovsky's 1875–76 Swan Lake ballet, fashioned from Russian and German folk tales, follows a Princess who is transformed into a white swan. It has been adapted for different medium a few times, with an anime version created in 1981, while the piece features heavily in Darren Aronofsky's hit film Black Swan.

Jones' credits include The Theory of Everything and Star Wars: A Rogue One Story, and she was last on stage in Luise Miller at the Donmar Warehouse, nine years ago.