Dustin Hoffman, Judi Dench Set for Adaptation of Roald Dahl's ESIO TROT

Deadline reports that Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman will team with Dane Judi Dench in an upcoming 90-minute adaptation of Roald Dahl's ESIO TROT for the BBC.

Hoffman will portray Mr Hoppy, described as "a retired bachelor who harbors a secret passion for his neighbor, Mrs Silver (Judi Dench). Unfortunately, she lavishes all her affection on Alfie... her pet tortoise."

The BBC One project will be helmed by Emmy winner Dearbhla Walsh. Production will begin next spring in London.

Veteran stage and actor Dustin Hoffman has starred in a slew of films and theatre productions. Broadway credits include 'The Merchant of Venice', 'Death of a Salesman', 'Jimmy Shine', 'The Subject Was Roses' and 'A Cook for Mr. General'. Hoffman's film credit include 'The Graduate', 'Midnight Cowboy', 'Straw Dogs', 'Rainman', 'Kramer vs. Kramer', 'Marathon Man', 'Wag the Dog', 'American Buffalo', 'Sleepers', 'Meet the Focker's and 'Last Chance Harvey'. For his work, Hoffman has won two Academy Awards (for 'Rainman' and 'Kramer vs. Kramer'), six Golden Globe Awards, three BAFTA's, an Emmy Award (for 'Dearth of a Salesman') and three Drama Desk Awards.

Dame Judi Dench is once of the most internationally celebrated stage and screen actresses in history. Originally trained as a set designer, Dench made her professional stage debut in 1957 with The Old Vic Company and has since performed leading roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre, on the West End and on Broadway. Most notable was her starring performance in Cabaret in 1968. In television, she achieved success early on in the series A Fine Romance from 1981 until 1984 and in 1992 began a continuing role in the television romantic comedy series As Time Goes By. Her film notoriety began as Agent M in GoldenEye (1995), a role she has played in each James Bond film since. She received several notable film awards for her role as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown (1997), and has since been acclaimed for her work in such films as Shakespeare in Love (1998), Chocolat (2000), Iris (2001), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005) and Notes on a Scandal (2006), and the television production "The Last of the Blonde Bombshells" (2001). Her awards include ten BAFTAs, seven Laurence Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. Dench was awarded the OBE in 1970, became a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1988, and a Companion of Honour in 2005.