Oliver Twist: Roman Polanski and screenwriter Ronald Harwood, who won Oscars for The Pianist, are once again teaming up for a feature film adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist".

Polanski said it would be a challenge to condense Dickens' 456-page book into a two-hour film, but he was inspired to make the film by his own children, now 10 and 5 years old.

Polanski also mentioned that they will be shooting the film in Europe next summer with an all British cast.

Also joining Polanski on Oliver Twist are Pianist producers Alain Sarde and Robert Benmussa. Working with the filmmaker's reps at ICM, they plan to finance the new film much as they did Pianist, seeking a domestic distributor only after the film is completed.

Charles Dickens' story is that of an orphan who runs away from a workhouse and meets a pickpocket on the London streets. He joins a household of young boys who are trained to steal for their master.

Stay tuned for more on this project...