Dench steps into Branagh's Italian Shoes

After jostling for space on screen in My Week with Marilyn , Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh are set to reunite for an adaptation of Henning Mankell 's novel Italian Shoes . Brannagh, who played a director – Laurence Olivier – in Marilyn, will step behind the camera for his version of the Swedish author's story. He hopes to cast Anthony Hopkins as Fredrik Welin, a retired orthopaedic surgeon who retreats to an isolated island, only to be forced back into human contact when an old girlfriend (Dench) comes to visit. The film is "tailor-made" for Dench and Hopkins, according to Branagh. "The nuance, delicacy and flavour is so based on the perfect casting," he told Daily Variety . "[This casting] takes advantage of my long relationship with the pair of them." Branagh has given Dench her marks before. She played Mistress Quickly in his directorial debut, Henry V , and later starred in Branagh's version of Hamlet. Dench in turn directed Branagh in Look Back in Anger , an adaptation of John Osborne's celebrated play that also starred Emma Thompson. Hopkins appeared in Branagh's last film, Thor , as the Nordic god Odin, ruler of Asgard.