Gerard Depardieu is to star as Dominique Strauss-Kahn in a film about the New York sex scandal that caused the former IMF chief to resign.

US director Abel Ferrara told France's Le Monde newspaper he would be making the film, with Isabelle Adjani playing Mr Strauss-Kahn's wife, Anne Sinclair.

Mr Strauss-Kahn left the International Monetary Fund last May after being charged with raping a hotel maid.

The case was dropped but ended his ambitions for the French presidency.

Before the scandal Mr Strauss-Kahn, a former French finance minister, was thought to have had aspirations to run as a Socialist contender for the post.

French writer Tristane Banon later accused him of trying to sexually assault her during an interview in 2003, claims he denied. No action was taken because of a three-year statute of limitations but Ms Banon has indicated she may still file a civil suit.

Anne Sinclair is seen here with her husband after the case against him in New York was dropped.

Ferrara met Depardieu, 63, at the Deauville film festival in September and said the French star was everything a director could wish for in an actor, BBC reported.