'Wind in the Willows' to be penned in movie format by Julian Fellowes

Julian Fellowes, who was behind creating the British classic series 'Downtown Abbey', will now pen down the classic children's novel 'The Wind in the Willows' in movie format.

The actor-director-screenwriter has collaborated with Oscar-winning producer Gerald R. Molen to bring the much-loved characters like Rat, Mole, Toad and Badger from the Kenneth Graham novel to the big screen.

Fellowes is also going to work with director and creative Ray Griggs, Richard Taylor at Weta Workshop and Peter Jackson's WETA Digital for the stipulated project.

"We could not have dreamed of a better writer and creative force than Julian Fellowes to work with Ray Griggs to bring to life the classic English novel's characters, nor finer visionaries than WETA to capture the look and feel of Grahame's world," Molen, who will produce the movie adaptation, said Wednesday in a statement.

The production is scheduled to start this year at Jackson's Stone Street Studios in Wellington, New Zealand, while Skywalker Sound will design all the sound effects and ambient noise.

"We are finalizing some of the finest actors to lend their creative and vocal talents," added Molen, without giving anything away on casting.

Disney had earlier brought Grahame book's into a short animated film in 1949, and TV takes followed.