London based sales outfit The Works has taken internationalrights to Michael Winterbottom's Tristram Shandy, while Newmarket Films has picked up distributionrights for North America.

Based loosely around Laurence Sterne's Englishliterature masterpiece, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, the project is a comic, post modern take onthe construction of a film.

Shandy, played by Steve Coogan, guides viewers through theepic tale of his life and opinions, jumping back and forth between the 18thCentury and the hapless efforts of 21st Century filmmakers.

Also starring are Rob Brydon as Shandy's co-star andCoogan's best-friend, Keeley Hawes as Shandy's mother, ShirleyHenderson as Shandy's maid, Stephen Fry as the curator of the Shandy HallMuseum and 'Parson Yorick', Kelly Macdonald as Coogan's wife,Naomie Harris as Coogan's production assistant, Gillian Anderson as'Widow Wadman' and as herself, Jeremy Northam as the director, IanHart as the writer, James Fleet as the producer and Mark Williams as the battlescene/reconstruction expert.

The six-week shoot has started in Norfolk and will concludein Northamptonshire and London

"We areexcited to continue our working relationship with Michael Winterbottom. We have had a successful run of saleswith his previous films, and we are eager to extend our efforts on thisentertaining adaptation," said Joy Wong, Head of International Sales atThe Works.

Andrew Eaton is producing and Anita Overland isco-producing.

David Thompson, Tracey Scoffield, Kate Ogborn, JuliaBlackman and Jeff Abberley are the executive producers.

The film is a Scion Films production of a Revolution Film and is financed by BBCFilms, Scion Films, East Midlands Media, NewMarket Films and Nine SongsFilms. Banking is provided byRoyal Bank of Scotland.