Universal Pictures has clinched a major multi-territory deal with FilmFour on Gillian Armstrong's Charlotte Gray starring Cate Blanchett which will start shooting early next year. Universal has taken rights to the film in France, Benelux, Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

The deal was negotiated by Carl Clifton, acting director of worldwide sales for FilmFour, with Graeme Mason and Sally Caplan for Universal.

Warner Bros has North American rights to the film and will co-produce it with FilmFour as part of a recently struck longterm production alliance between the two companies. FilmFour is handling international sales and will release it in the UK.

Charlotte Gray, based on the novel by Sebastian Faulks, is the story of a British female resistance fighter in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Scripted by Jeremy Brock (Mrs Brown), the film is an Ecosse Films production to be produced by Sarah Curtis and Douglas Rae. Robert Bernstein will act as executive producer.

Blanchett will shoot Tom Tykwer's Heaven for Miramax Films and Barry Levinson's Outlaws for MGM and Hyde Park Entertainment before seguing into Charlotte Gray.