Erik Skjoldbjaerg, who made his international breakthrough with his debut feature Insomnia (1997), will return to his native Norway to direct an updated screen version of Henrik Ibsen's 1882 play An Enemy Of The People.

To be produced by the recently restructured Norwegian arm of Nordic major Nordisk Film, producers Axel Helgeland (I Am Dina) and Aage Aaberge (Pelle The Police Car) hope to have the estimated US$13m (NOK20m) budget financed by the end of the year with backing from the Norwegian Film Fund.

Skjoldbjaerg co-wrote the contemporary version of Enemy with Insomnia-collaborator Nikolaj Frobenius. The drama tells the story of a man torn between the loyalty to his family and community and his need to tell the truth.

George Schaefer directed Steve McQueen in a little released adaptation of An Enemy Of The People in 1978.

After the success of Insomnia, which was remade by Christopher Nolan in 2002, Erik Skjoldbjaerg travelled to the US to direct Elizabeth Wurtzel's Prozac Nation (2001) with Christina Ricci both producing and starring.