Screen catches up with Timothy Burrill and Peter Webber who are in Cannes to raise money for their Moroccan set feature The Spider’s House.

The very dapper Timothy Burrill (Roman Polanski’s long-time producer) is in Cannes with director Peter Webber (The Girl With A Pearl Earring) to raise financing for their feature The Spider’s House, which they are hoping to begin production on early next year.

Based on the novel by Paul Bowles, the film is set against the backdrop of the 1950s political uprisings in Morocco, focusing on two former lovers who meet in the medieval city of Fez.

The project has been brewing for a number of years, but the duo told Screen that “it feels like the time is right”.

“The story we’re working with has become so relevant because of what’s happening in the Arab world right now,” says Webber, who describes the film as a combination of The Battle Of Algiers and Casablanca.

“One of the things that fascinates me is the enigmatic attitude between the lovers; they are really wonderful roles,” says Burrill.

The leads are yet to be cast, but Webber has his good friend Alexandre Desplat on board to write the score. And, most importantly, they’ve promised Screen a trip to the set when shooting begins.