Bill Nighy has signed up to star in Living, an English-language adaptation of the classic 1952 Japanese movie Ikiru.

The new movie will be set in 1952 in London and follow Nighy's character Williams, a veteran civil servant, as he struggles to enrich his life with meaning after being diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Rising star Aimee Lou Wood – best known for playing Aimee Gibbs in Netflix hit Sex Education – will co-star as Margaret, a co-worker who bonds with Williams and helps him to revive a project to help poor postwar kids in east London.

Oliver Hermanus (Moffie, Beauty) is directing from a screenplay by Sir Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go) and shooting is due to start in London in the spring.

Ishiguro told Deadline that the movie will strike a particular cord at the moment, saying: “The inner story suggests that it’s the responsibility of each of us to bring meaning and satisfaction to our life. That even against the odds, we should try to find a way to be proud of, and happy with, the lives we lead. I believe this story can speak to the many of us obliged to spend long hours each day anchored to desks and screens – all the more so in this era of Covid – struggling to see what our individual contributions can possibly amount to within the broader picture.”

Earlier this year we made Bill Nighy our British Icon of the Week, and celebrated his generosity in always stopping to pose for selfies with fans.

Are you looking forward to seeing Bill Nighy in Living?