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James Purefoy to play Simon Templar in The Saint remake

10/03/2008

British actor James Purefoy is being lined up to play international man of mystery Simon Templar in a remake of The Saint, it has been confirmed.

Purefoy, who played Mark Antony in the joint BBC/HBO drama Rome, will star in a one-off two-hour show for American television.

The independent producers of the pilot hope to tout the project to a network later this year.

Roger Moore, who played Templar during the 1960s, is attached to the pilot, as is his son Geoffrey.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, principal photography will take place in Hungary's Budapest, New York and Puerto Rico, hinting at the show's globe-trotting flavour.

Several attempts to remake The Saint have been made sine Moore's take on Leslie Charteris' novels in the 1960s, the latest of which saw Val Kilmer star as the thief in a 1997 movie.

Purefoy, 43, has had big screen roles in A Knight's Tale and Resident Evil, as well as his leading role in Rome.