Ewan McGregor to make directoral debut with American Pastoral

Actor Ewan McGregor dons the director's hat for the big screen adaptation of Philip Roth's 1997 novel American Pastoral.

Salt filmmaker Phillip Noyce was originally slated to helm the project but when he stepped down as director, MCGregor, who was already attached to star in the film, decided to ambitiously take on the project, reported Deadline.

"I've wanted to direct for years and wanted to wait until I found a story that I had to tell and in this script I knew I had found that story.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge of being on both sides of the camera, especially knowing I'll be working with Jennifer (Connolly) and Dakota (Fanning)," MCGregor said in a statement.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning book follows the fortunes of businessman Seymour 'Swede' Levov (MCGregor), whose life falls into disarray when his daughter (Fanning) becomes wanted for committing a fatal act of political terrorism during the Vietnam War.

Connolly is set to play the Moulin Rouge! star's wife.

Filming is due to begin in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania next month.

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First Published: Feb 19, 2015 16:57 IST