Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie are planning to collaborate on something other than domestic bliss.

Variety reports that the singer and occasional actress will team up with director Ritchie ("Snatch," "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels") for a remake of director Lina Wertmuller's 1975 Italian film "Swept Away By An Unusual Destiny In The Blue Sea Of August."

The original, the title of which was mercifully abbreviated to "Swept Away," told the story of a snobby rich woman (Mariangelo Melato) who, while yachting with her upper-class friends, is marooned with the boat's lower-class, class-conscious skipper (Giancarlo Giannini).

If Ritchie sticks to the general outline of Wertmuller's original, the project will mark a distinct departure from his first two films. Where "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock" were urban, exclusively male ensemble pieces, "Swept Away" takes place almost entirely on a deserted island. It is also built around a strong female lead and consists of only two lead characters.

While she remains an icon in the world of music, Madonna has had a tougher time expanding into the world of film. Although she has been well-received in a handful of features (1985's "Desperately Seeking Susan," 1990's "Dick Tracy," 1996's "Evita"), her bombs have been notorious: 1986's "Shanghai Surprise," 1993's "Body Of Evidence" and "Dangerous Game," and her most recent feature, last year's "The Next Best Thing."

Variety said Ritchie has written his own script for "Swept Away," and production is scheduled to begin in the fall. Ritchie directed Madonna's video for "What It Feels Like To Be A Girl." She also played a cameo in his Internet-streaming ad for BMW, "Star." Based on those two projects, the couple decided they could work together, Variety said.

Once "Swept Away" is completed, Ritchie will move on to his self-penned crusader epic, "The Siege Of Malta," Variety said.


More Artists