Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are to work together for the first time in 13 years, on an animated version of Oscar Wilde’s 1887 short story The Canterville Ghost.

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The comedy cohorts first found fame in the late 80s with their hit sketch show A Bit Of Fry & Laurie and continued their partenrship in PG Wodehouse adaptation Jeeves and Wooster. They’ve each since gone on to achieve international acclaim, with Laurie winning plaudits for his role as the titular character in hit US series House, while Fry has become a British national treasure, maintaining hosting duties on BBC panel show QI, as well as making appearances in Hollywood movies including upcoming blockbuster The Hobbit.

The project was originally announced in May but was officially given the go ahead yesterday after a deal was struck between Canadian companies Dorado Media and Arc Productions, the studio behind animated hit Gnomeo and Juliet.

Fry and Laurie will lend their voices to the 90-minute CGI movie based on Wilde’s farcical tale of an American family who move into a British mansion, much to the annoyance of its world-weary ghost. Fry will star as the title character, Sir Simon de Canterville, whilst Laurie will voice his resident nemesis, a lowly gardener who is not what he first appears.

The film is being produced by London-based Melmoth films, with Kim Burdon in the director’s chair and legendary composer Ennio Morricone providing the score.

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The Canterville Ghost will be released worldwide in time for Christmas 2014.

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