Barbra Streisand's 'Catherine the Great' - starring Keira Knightley

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Keira Knightley Circling Catherine the Great Biopic

Barbra Streisand will direct the film, which was put at the top of the 2014 Black List.

Barbra Streisand may be enlisting Keira Knightley to be her Catherine the Great.

The Oscar-nominated actress is in talks to star as the Russian monarch in a Streisand-directed biopic, which was written by Kristina Lauren Anderson and topped the 2014 Black List for best unproduced screenplays.

Knightley met for the project last year and, since then, talks have been progressing slowly.

Born Sophia Augusta Fredericka, Catherine the Great became the longest-ruling female leader of Russia. The film, which is set to be produced by Gil Netter, will follow the young empress as she find herself trapped in an abusive marriage to the inept ruler, Emperor Peter III, and eventually uses her intelligence and cunning to rise to power.

The Pirates of the Caribbean alum was just cast to star alongside Will Smith, Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren in Collateral Beauty.

Knightley is repped by CAA, the U.K.'s United Artists and MGMT.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...e-great-867127