Italy'sGiovanna Mezzogiorno (pictured) has joined Javier Bardem on the cast of Stone VillagePictures' Love In The Time Of Cholera,adapted from the bestselling novel by Gabriel Marcia Marquez.

StoneVillage Pictures will fully finance and assume all international rights to the$35-40m project, which is set to begin in Brazil on August 15.

SummitEntertainment is handling foreign sales in Cannes and beyond on behalf of StoneVillage, while New Line Cinema has domestic rights.

MikeNewell will direct Marquez' modern classic about unrequited love in centralAmerica that spans more than 50 years. Ron Harwood adapted the screenplay.

StoneVillage Pictures' Scott Steindorff will produce and Stone Village executivesDylan Russell and Michael Roban are serving as executive producers with ChrisLaw

"CastingGiovanna Mezzogiorno echoes our commitment to creating a genuine internationalfilm which mirrors the global appeal of Gabriel Garcia Marquez,"Steindorff said.

Mezzogiorno'scredits include Don't Tell, whichearned her the Coppa Volpi for best actress at the Venice Film Festival lastyear.

StoneVillage is in post-production on the modern-day fable Penelope with Reese Witherspoon's Type-A Films, starring ChristinaRicci, Witherspoon, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara and Peter Dinklage.

Otherforthcoming titles include The Tortilla Curtain, the remake of Rififi, and an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' True Believer.