Hugh Laurie Cast in ‘Mister Pip’

Hugh Laurie

Deadline reveals that English actor Hugh Laurie will soon be heading down under to begin work on the 2012 drama, Mister Pip.

Kiwi-born producer and director Andrew Adamson — who is known for his work on the first two Chronicles of Narnia films as well as Shrek and Shrek 2 — is at the helm of this project. He penned the script and is reportedly slated to direct the movie, which is based on Lloyd Jones‘s prize-winning novel of the same name.

As for Laurie, the 51-year-old House star will portray Mr. Watts. He is “the last white man left on the war-torn island of Bougainville,” which is on the eastern side of Papua New Guinea. The story focuses on Watts’ efforts in re-building a school and how he and the lives of his students are affected after Watts shares his favorite novel, the Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations, with them. Filming is scheduled to kick off in May in New Zealand.