Mark Herman, the UK director of Purely Belter, Little Voice and Brassed Off, has been signed by Fragile Films for its upcoming film New Cardiff, an adaptation of The Graduate author Charles Webb's novel.

The book follows an Englishman who goes to America after his girlfriend jilts him by sending him an invite to her wedding. He strikes up a relationship with another woman only for his original girlfriend to show up saying it was only a joke.

Fragile, the UK production outfit of Barnaby Thompson and Uri Fruchtmann, is currently in production on The Importance Of Being Earnest, the first title to go under the Ealing Studios banner after Fragile bought the studio as part of a group in 1999. For its second Ealing picture, the production company is lining up either A Nice Easy One, a comedy set in the world of pub quizzes, or Antoine de Caunes project Mad Dogs And Englishmen.

Fragile is also developing Listen To The Wind, a children's musical being written by Matthew Jacobs, whose credits include The Emperor's New Groove. The company has two pictures for imminent release: Lucky Break, by The Full Monty director Peter Cattaneo; and Mel Smith's High Heels, Low Lifes. Fragile is now re-negotiating its overhead deal with BVI, although it is unclear whether the pact will be continued.