Nicholas Hoult - Nicholas Hoult to star in Birdsong

Nicholas Hoult to star in Birdsong

Nicholas Hoult will star in a big screen adaptation of 'Birdsong'.

The 'Warm Bodies' actor has been cast as the lead in Sebastian Faulks' classic 1993 novel of the same name about a young World War I officer who falls in love with an older married woman.

Director Rupert Wyatt said in a statement picked up by The Hollywood Reporter: ''His great depth and range as a fearless young actor whose great weight, depth and range allow us to explore this timeless story of a boy broken by a tragic love affair and what it means for young men to experience the real horror of war.''

The 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' helmer had been searching for a leading man to play 21-year-old officer Stephen Wraysford for some time, and described Nicholas as ''the holy grail'' of actors.

Stephen was most recently portrayed by fellow British actor Eddie Redmayne, who starred opposite 'Harry Potter' beauty Clemence Poesy in a critically successful BBC TV adaptation of the drama last year.

'About a Boy' star Nicholas - who recently split from 'Silver Linings Playbook' actress Jennifer Lawrence - is making a name for himself in Hollywood with roles in 'Jack the Giant Slayer', 'X-Men: First Class' and new zombie romance 'Warm Bodies'.