Firth to star in 'Railway Man'

TORONTO -- Colin Firth is placed to star in epic drama "The Railway Guy," helmed by Jonathan Teplitzky and in line with the tome by Eric Lomax.Lionsgate U.K. has clicked up Brit privileges for that pic while Lionsgate Worldwide is handling worldwide sales and can shop the project to purchasers in Toronto.Pic, that is modified by Andy Paterson and Frank Cottrell Boyce, is dependant on Lomax's account of his torture throughout the making of the Dying Railway in The Second World War and the mission decades later to find revenge on his tormentor.Paterson will produce through his Brit shingle Archer Street with Bill Curbishley and photographs in Paradise's Chris Brown while Lionsgate U.K.'s Zygi Kamasa will professional produce.Pic, which marks the very first major investment from Daria Jovicic's Latitude Media, will start lensing in Feb 2012 in Blighty, Thailand and Oz and it is the official Australia-U.K. co-production.Project reunites Paterson and Teplitzky, who lately worked with on Matthew Goode starrer "Burning Guy," that will screen in Toronto on Saturday.Transmission, which pre-bought "Burning Guy" and launched Firth starrer "The King's Speech" here, will distribute the pic in New zealand and australia. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com