Hayden Christensen has signed on to play the male lead in "The Decameron," Dino De Laurentiis' upcoming adaptation of the 14th century Italian classic by Giovanni Boccaccio.
Christensen will play the role of Lorenzo, starring opposite "The O.C.'s" Mischa Barton, who in December signed on as Pampinea, the project's leading lady.
Headed for an April shoot in Rome and Tuscany, "The Decameron" is being directed and adapted by Britain's David Leland, whose helming credits include "Band of Brothers."
"Il Decameron" is a ribald collection of 100 stories told by a group of unmarried nobles -- seven women and three men -- as they wait out the Florentine plague in the nearby countryside. Each tells one story per day. Pier Paolo Pasolini directed an Italian-language version of the film in 1971.
The De Laurentiis film is being designed to appeal to a younger audience and will include popular music as well as costumes from the Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli. De Laurentiis and his wife and partner, Martha De Laurentiis, are producing, with Paris-based producer and financier Tarak Ben Ammar co-producing.
Christensen next will be seen in "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." His credits include "Shattered Glass," "Life as a House" and "The Virgin Suicides." He is represented by CAA and manager Dan Spilo of Evolution Entertainment. (As reported by THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
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