Pompeii tells the story of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 through the eyes of a young engineer, Marcus Attilius, who is sent out to repair the greatest aqueduct in the Roman Empire, which brings water to 250,000 people on the Bay of Naples. Attilius not only has to fight the corrupt forces, which control the town of Pompeii, but ultimately the overwhelming power of nature itself.

Filming of the $130 million movie will begin in Italy this summer.

"I got seduced by the writing... I liked that it was a thriller, " Polanski told trade magazine Variety.

Polanski said the big-budget film would be "very dependent on visual effects".

The Paris-born director's films include Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown and The Pianist, for which he won a best director Oscar in 2002. Last year, he received a lifetime achievement award from the European Film Academy. But he gained notoriety in 1977 when he jumped bail in the US and fled to Europe after being charged with a lawsuit.

Polanski has been unable to return to the US since then.

Police said they would arrest the director if he turned up to collect his Oscar five years ago.

Source: BBC