Gerard Depardieu to star Stalin in new film

French actor and Russian citizen Gerard Depardieu will star as Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in a planned movie with the working title Le divan de Staline (Stalin's Sofa).

French actress and director Fanny Ardant is set to direct the movie, based on French author Jean-Daniel Baltassat's 2013 novel of the same name.

Moscow-based film studio Mosfilm said it would provide costumes and props for the movie, produced by French/Portuguese company Leopardo Filmes. The Russian company won't co-produce the movie, with its role limited to providing production services.

The movie is to be set in the 1950s Soviet Union and will center on a young artist who is commissioned to create Stalin's monument and must go through KGB scrutiny.

Depardieu, who was granted a Russian passport by President Vladimir Putin via decree in early 2013, has lately been involved in a number of projects related to Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Earlier this year, he announced a movie about WWII French fighter aces who flew alongside Red Air Force pilots over the Eastern Front.