MOULIN ROUGE Writer to Adapt THE MAID: A NOVEL OF JOAN OF ARC for TV

Craig Pearce, the acclaimed writer behind MOULIN ROUGE, is set to adapt Kimberly Cutter's best-selling novel THE MAID for FremantleMedia, The Hollywood Reporter announced this morning. The Production Company has yet to pitch the international series to any networks.

Cutter's THE MAID: A NOVEL OF JOAN OF ARC is officially billed by the publisher as:

"It is the fifteenth century, and the tumultuous Hundred Years' War rages on. France is under siege, English soldiers tear through the countryside destroying all who cross their paths, and Charles VII, the uncrowned king, has neither the strength nor the will to rally his army. And in the quiet of her parents' garden in Domrémy, a peasant girl sees a spangle of light and hears a powerful voice speak her name: Jehanne.

The story of Jehanne d'Arc, the visionary and saint who believed she had been chosen by God, who led an army and saved her country, has captivated our imaginations for centuries. But the story of Jehanne-the girl whose sister was murdered by the English, who sought an escape from a violent father and a forced marriage, who taught herself to ride and to fight, and who somehow found the courage and tenacity to persuade first one, then two, then thousands to follow her-is at once thrilling, unexpected, and heartbreaking. Rich with unspoken love and battlefield valor, The Maid is a novel about the power and uncertainty of faith and the exhilarating and devastating consequences of fame."

Pearce is best known for writing MOULIN ROUGE, ROMEO + JULIET, and CHARLIE ST. CLOUD. THE MAID will mark his first small-screen venture. Richard Taylor of the New Zealand-based Pukeko Pictures will serve as executive producer.

"This project is the perfect fit for everything New Zealand has to offer," Taylor told The Hollywood Reporter. "From our spectacular landscapes to the award-winning team here at Weta Workshop -- an epic drama that can showcase everything from conceptual design through to manufacturing; utilizing all the skills we have honed on our feature work."

As of now, no network or cast is attached to Pearce's project. BWW TV World will keep you updated as the adaptation comes to fruition.