(Cover) - EN Movies - Neil LaBute has teased that he prepares himself "to be stoned" whenever he adapts the work of a British writer.

It was announced at the ongoing Cannes International Film Festival that actress Gemma Arterton will join stars including Julie Andrews, Matthew Goode and Gabriel Byrne in Crooked House. Director Neil is adapting the movie from late British crime writer Agatha Christie's story of the same name.

The 48-year-old American, who famously reworked acclaimed English novelist A. S. Byatt's Possession: A Romance for the big screen with 2002's drama Possession, has been speaking about his decision to adapt Crooked House.

"Every decade I like to take a hallowed English writer and adapt their work and prepare myself to be stoned. First it was A.S. Byatt and now Agatha Christie. I'll get to Coward and Wilde eventually," he laughed, while speaking to Total Film at Cannes.

"But seriously, I saw Julian Fellowes' script and I like a mystery and I thought everything from the title on down was intriguing."

Crooked House tells the story of three generations of a family living together in a mansion. They all become suspects after the wealthy patriarch gets murdered and Neil says the story appealed to him because there are also romantic elements.

"This one has never been touched on television or film; it was sort of outside the safe zone for her in terms of having a romance as well as the requisite murders," he added. (C) Cover Media