Keira Knightley is apparently in early talks to star in romantic drama Safe Haven, Belfast Telegraph reported.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star is considering playing a young woman with a mysterious past, who strikes up various relationships when she arrives in a small town in North Carolina.

Lasse Hallstrom, who is currently finishing up his Swedish crime thriller The Hypnotist, would direct the big-screen adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name. It would be his second work with a Sparks book, following 2010's Dear John with Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried.

Filming is expected to begin in May, with a release date set for February 2013.

Keira, who was last seen in A Dangerous Method opposite Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen, next shares screen time alongside Steve Carell in apocalyptic romantic comedy Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World, before starring as Anna Karenina in Joe Wright's period piece.