AlanRickman, Derek Jacobi, Jason Isaacs, Janet McTeer and Henry Goodman are set tostar in Manchester United Ruined My Life, the feature debut of director Mark Brozel.

The adaptation of Colin Shindler's best-sellingnovel is a rites of passage story about a Jewish boy in 50s and 60s Manchester,growing up under the shadow of the mighty Manchester United football team.

Samuelson Productions, which is producing from a script byShindler, is aiming for a spring/summer shoot. Financing from the Isle of Man,with which the Samuelsons' struck a three-year deal in 2002, is in place,covering 25% of the budget.

Brozel is adocumentary and TV director, represented by ICM's Michael McCoy, who madehis mark with Holy Cross, an award-winning BBC single drama about the dispute over the rights ofCatholic schoolgirls to walk through a loyalist area.

"I want people to be caught up inthe story," Brozel said. "I want them to go on a journey, to becompletely rooting for the boy."

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