Indian-origin British actor Dev Patel is set to play David Copperfield in the new retelling of Charles Dickens' novel, The Personal History of David Copperfield. The film will be written and directed by Veep creator Armando Iannucci.

The project will offer a modern take on Dickens' title character as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. 

The original David Copperfield was first published in 1850 and describes the journey of the titular protagonist, who was modeled after Dickens himself, from an impoverished childhood to becoming a successful author, thanks to perseverance and despite a lack of personal discipline.

Kevin Loader and Iannucci will produce the feature, which was developed with FilmNation. The latter is directing the film based on a script he co-wrote with Simon Blackwell.