Rhys Ifans is one of those actors you can put in virtually any type of movie and he seems perfectly at home. While he spent this summer turning into a lizard in The Amazing Spider-man, now he’s planning to don some period garb, as he has joined the cast of Madame Bovary for director Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls).

Mia Wasikowska is set to play the title character in this adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s classic novel, which is about a married woman who tries to enhance her social status by having a number of extramarital affairs. Rhys Ifans will play Monsieur Lheureuse, a shifty merchant who convinces Bovary to buy goods on credit, which leads to her financial downfall. Paul Giamatti and Ezra Miller also star.

Sophie Barthes will direct from a screenplay by Rose Barreneche. The movie is expected to be faithful to the book, while emphasising more youthful and contemporary themes. Filming is expected to begin next spring in Europe. (Source: Variety)