Momentum has acquired the UKand Spanish rights to Cannes market title Love In The Time Of Cholera.

Mike Newell, who previouslydirected Four Weddings and a Funeral and Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire, will direct the $40m project. Javier Bardem, GiovannaMezzogiorno and Benjamin Bratt will star.

The Pianist screenwriter Ron Harwood has adapted Gabriel GarciaMarquez's classic novel. The project will start shooting in Colombia onSeptember 1.

Scott Steindorff willproduce, with Stone Village executives Dylan Russell, Michael Roban and ChrisLaw as executive producers. New Line will release in the US.

Momentum's VP ofacquisitions Lara Thompson negotiated the deal with Summit Entertainment'sDavid Garrett ahead of Cannes.

Momentum will release in theUK and its sister company Aurum will handle Spanish distribution.

"Love In The Time OfCholera is one of the great romanticnovels and has been beautifully adapted by Ron Harwood," said XavierMarchand, Momentum's managing director. Mike Newell is hugely talented and inJavier Bardem has found the perfect Fiorentino. Everyone at Momentum and Aurumis thrilled to be given the privilege to work on this magnificentproject."