Colin Firth to Dress Gray

If you like your Colin Firth all Darcy-ed up in Pride and Prejudice period apparel, then you'll be happy to learn that he has joined the cast of the upcoming Dorian Gray, a new version of the classic Oscar Wilde thriller The Picture of Dorian Gray.

With Ben Barnes as the title character, Firth will play Lord Henry Wotton, the aristocrat who "corrupts Gray with his worldview"; reportedly, the two's relationship will contain some homoerotic overtones. Following the recent "Now Gayer Then Before!" Brideshead Revisited, this is a trend I could get used to.

Dorian Gray, directed by Oliver Parker (who knows his Wilde; he also helmed the movie versions of An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest, the latter co-starring Firth), began shooting this week. No other casting has been announced at this time. The film is expected sometime next year.

UPDATE: Variety reports on the full cast, which will also include Ben Chaplin, Rachel Hurd-Wood and Fiona Shaw.