Ben Kingsley leads cast for 'A Doll's House'

Cinema Alterna has tapped Ben Kingsley, Julian Sands, Jena Malone and Michele Martin for the lead roles in its big-screen version of "A Doll's House." Produced by Cinema Altera principal Charles Huddleston, the film is envisioned as a modern day adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play. Huddleston will direct the film from a screenplay he adapted with Michele Martin. The Little Film Company's Clay Epstein is executive producing and handling international sales for the film. Epstein will introduce "A Doll's House" to buyers at the American Film Market. Principal photography is slated to begin in January in Cincinnati. "Ibsen's tale of a family unraveling in the face of the debt crisis is as relevant now as it was a hundred and thirty years ago," said Huddleston. "By bringing it into today's world I'm going to heighten the characters' emotional turmoil and send them on a frightening journey where their deceptions and financial decisions threaten not only their social standing but their lives." "A Doll's House" centers on a young woman's escape from an overbearing husband set during today's recession. Martin ("Assisting Venus") will play Nora Helmer, the naive young wife of a banking executive. Malone ("Pride & Prejudice") will play the role of Christine Linde, a friend of Nora's who has to decide between her loyalty to Nora and her own future while Kingsley is attached for the role of Dr. Rank, a friend to the Helmers. Sands will play Nathan Gynt, a professional in the seedy world of lending desperate people money. "A Doll's House" has been revived eight times on Broadway, most recently in 1997. Cinema Alterna plans to produce two to three feature films a year -- half for under $1 million while the other half will be in the $5 - $10 million range. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com