Swords, sandals and sporrans: Roman epic to tell tale of Caledonian struggle

It is a "swords and sandals" epic featuring swashbuckling Celtic warriors and a disappearing Roman legion, set against the windswept backdrop of Hadrian's Wall.

Now, The Eagle of the Ninth, Rosemary Sutcliff's historical children's novel set in Roman Scotland, is to be made into a "Scottish Western" by the Oscar-winning director, Kevin Macdonald.

Macdonald's vision for the film - in which Roman troops will speak with American accents and the Picts will be portrayed by Scottish actors - is a mix between a Roman costume drama and a John Ford inspired cowboy flick.

The idea has created excitement in the industry not least because Macdonald appears to have the film-maker's Midas touch - he directed the acclaimed documentary, Touching The Void, about two men's disastrous climbing trip to the Andes and The Last King of Scotland starring James McAvoy, won an Oscar.

Roman period dramas have proved commercial hits in recent times. Ridley Scott's box office blockbuster, Gladiator, helped to make the subject of the Roman empire "sexy" on celluloid and it confirmed Russell Crowe's status as a Hollywood megastar in 2000.

The historical drama series, Rome - a co-production by the American network HBO, the BBC and Italy's Rai in 2005, also proved a huge success among television audiences and scooped several Emmy Awards. The Eagle of the Ninth which begins shortly after the building of Hadrian's wall, focuses on a young Roman's quest to discover the truth about the disappearance of his father's legion. In her preface, Sutcliff explains that the story was based on the real life disappearance of the Legio VIIII Hispana, or Ninth Legion, following an expedition to Scotland to deal with the Caledonian tribes. The 4,000 elite troops charged up to Scotland in an attempt to subdue the indigenous masses but vanished without a trace.

Macdonald told Scotland on Sunday that he had been captivated by Sutcliff's novel, published in 1954, when he was a schoolboy, and he had long harboured the desire to turn it into a film.

"I am definitely going to return to Scotland to direct a film version of The Eagle of the Ninth. It is a book that I absolutely loved as a child.

"We are beginning to think about the cast and the idea is to use American actors for the Romans and to use Scots and other Celts for the Pictish people.

"It is a part of history that has never been seen on the big screen before and that is why it is so exciting." He added that John Ford's classic 1956 film, The Searchers, starring John Wayne, inspired the idea of creating a hybrid between a cowboy film and a period drama. "The idea is to create a Scottish Western," he said.

The Searchers is still considered by many to be a true American masterpiece of film-making, and the most important film directed by Ford. It tells the story of a perilous quest of self-discovery after a Comanche massacre. The film examines the psychological turmoil of a fiercely independent man who is obsessed with finding his two nieces.

The project, due to start production next year, is backed by Duncan Kenworthy, the producer of Four Weddings and a Funeral. The script is being written by Jeremy Brock, who co-wrote The Last King of Scotland, Macdonald's film on the tumultuous inner world of the authoritarian Ugandan leader, Idi Amin, and his relationship with a naïve Scottish doctor, played by McAvoy.

Sutcliff's book sold more than one million copies and was made into an acclaimed BBC television serial shot in Aberdeen in 1977, as well as a Radio 4 drama.

Macdonald is currently working on a Hollywood adaptation of the BBC political thriller, State of Play, starring Brad Pitt, with the scriptwriter, Paul Abbot, as executive director.

Rome at the movies

Spartacus (1960)

Stanley Kubrick directed Kirk Douglas in the titular role of this epic picture that featured the memorable and oft-quoted line: "I'm Spartacus! "

I, Claudius (1976)

Mini-series in which Derek Jacobi starred as emperor Claudius. Brian Blessed and John Hurt also appeared.

The Life of Brian (1979)

The Monty Python team's controversial take on the son of God meant the film's release was banned in Ireland and Norway. Featured the line: " He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"

Up Pompeii (1969)

Frankie Howerd appeared in this skittish television comedy as the slave Lurkio. Predictable gags and saucy humour abound.

Gladiator (2000)

Betrayed general Russell Crowe took on the evil emperor Joaquin Phoenix. Used special effects to resurrect Oliver Reed, who died during filming.

Rome (2005)

Big-budget joint production between the US, UK and Italy nominated for two Golden Globes. Raised eyebrows for its racy love scenes, violence and bad language.