Veteran US director and scriptwriter Lawrence Kasdan is set to direct a new family drama titled Darlin Companion with longtime collaborator Kevin Kline leading the cast, alongside Diane Keaton and Richard Jenkins.

“I’ve just joined the cast for Darlin Companion alongside Kline and Keaton in what will be a really fun project,” Jenkins told ScreenDaily at San Sebastian, where he is helping to promote Ryan Murphy’s film Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts, which is in Official Selection, out of competition, at the festival.

Darlin Companion will be about a family that reunites their bond after their dog goes missing. It is due to shoot in Utah later this year with John Kelly producing.

Kasdan has co-written scripts for Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Wyatt Earp, which he also directed. He worked with Kline on The Big Chill, Silverado and Grand Canyon among others.

Eat Pray Love received a good reception at its first screening at San Sebastian yesterday, and Murphy confirmed to Screen afterwards that he is writing a script for another project with Julia Roberts in mind to take the lead role.