The story of how Mary Shelley came to write Frankenstein has been well documented, but how about how she came to be Mary Shelley? A Storm In The Stars promises to explore the younger romantic life of the real-life author, with Elle Fanning set to star.

A Storm In The Stars finds Wadjida director Haifaa Al-Mansour working from a script by Emma Jensen that charts the passionate love affair between the 17 year-old Mary Wollstonecraft and Percy Shelley, the charismatic poet and her future husband. It’s set just one year before Mary would craft her tale of man trying to create life from death.

"Elle is amazingly smart and talented and very much relates to Mary as a young woman," producer Amy Baer tells The Hollywood Reporter. "She is going to do something extraordinary in this role that will transition her from a compelling young adult to a formidable leading lady."

Fanning, who most recently appeared opposite Angelina Jolie in Maleficent, has also recently signed to star in How To Talk To Girls At Parties, adapted from Neil Gaiman’s short story. She’ll next be heard in Laika’s latest animation The Boxtrolls, which arrives here on September 12.