October 17, 2013 - 10:49 AMT
Blake Lively, Ellen Burstyn to topline “The Age Of Adaline” romantic drama

The romantic drama The Age Of Adaline has been through a couple of incarnations, but it is now set to go into production in March as a co-production between Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Lakeshore Entertainment. The Town‘s Blake Lively is set to star with Ellen Burstyn, with Lee Toland Krieger directing. Lionsgate is set to release the film domestically, Deadline said.

Scripted by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz, with revisions by Allison Burnett, The Age Of Adaline follows the miraculous life of the 29-year old title character, who stops aging after recovering from a near-fatal accident. Over the 20th century she embarks on an epic but isolated worldwide journey, keeping her secret, until she meets a man who forever alters her life. Lee Toland Krieger is directing, and Sidney Kimmel is producing with Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi. Jim Tauber and Eric Reid will be executive producers.

“They’re extraordinarily talented and perfect for telling the beautiful and timeless tale of The Age Of Adaline,” Lakeshore CEO Rosenberg said of Lively and Burstyn. Added Lakeshore prexy Lucchesi: “Lee Toland Krieger is one of the most stylish young filmmakers working in Hollywood today. He is visually imaginative and possesses a strong narrative sense.”

Noting that the project took awhile to come together (Katherine Heigl once was attached), Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger said: “We searched for the ideal director and stars. We believe that we have found them with Lee Toland Krieger, Blake Lively and Ellen Burstyn, and together they will tell the story of Adaline in a way that audiences won’t forget.”

Lively is coming off Savages. Burstyn next stars in Draft Day and Interstellar, and Krieger directed Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg in the indie Celeste And Jesse Forever and wrote and directed The Vicious Kind.