David Duchovny and Helen Hunt are to star in a new screen adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull.
Deadline.com reports that Larry Moss, their former acting coach, is set to direct Relative Insanity, which will update Chekhov's play to the present day and relocate the action from the Russian countryside to the Hamptons in upstate New York. Maggie Grace, Joan Chen and John Davidson will also star in the film, which will be written by Michael Din and Juri Henley-Cohn.
The Seagull centres on the fading actress Irina Nikolayevna Arkadina's relationship with her son Konstantin, a failing playwright in love with a bright, young actress, Nina Mikhailovna Zarechnaya. Though casting hasn't been officially announced, Hunt is likely to take the Irina role and Duchovny that based on Trigorin, the pompous established playwright despised by Konstantin.
London audiences have seen two high-profile productions in the last five years: Ian Rickson's highly acclaimed production for the Royal Court in 2007, which starred Kristin Scott Thomas, Mackenzie Crook and Carey Mulligan (which also visited Broadway), and Katie Mitchell's revival for the National Theatre, starring Ben Whishaw and Juliet Stevenson.
Moss has worked as an acting teacher for 35 years and is widely held to be among the world's best acting coaches. In addition to Duchovny and Hunt, his former students include Hilary Swank, Leonardo Di Caprio and Jim Carrey. Though he has previously directed for the stage, Relative Insanity will mark his feature film debut. Moss cites The Seagull as his favourite play.
Hunt won the best actress Academy award in 1997 for her performance opposite Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets. Other credits include Twister, Cast Away and What Women Want.
Duchovny is best know for The X-Files, in which he played special agent Fox Mulder for seven series, during which time he won the best television actor Golden Globe in 1996. He won the same award 11 years later for his performance as Hank Moody in comedy-drama Californication.
Relative Insanity is set to start shooting next year.
