Award-winning film directors have visited Great Yarmouth to research for a major new film.
The creators of The Thick of It and Alan Partridge were visiting the seaside as part of preparations for an adaptation of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield.
A mysterious tweet has led to speculation about a new adaptation of one of the Victorian author's most loved works.
It started with a post by comedy writer Simon Blackwell, the man behind a plethora of popular shows including Peep Show, Veep and the film Four Lions.
The tweet stated: 'On a replacement bus service to Great Yarmouth with [Armando Iannucci] for Charles Dickens reasons.'
%image(14549094, type="article-full", alt="Small plaque on the front of the Royal Hotel on Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth. Charles Dickens stayed at the Royal Hotel whilst writing the novel "David Copperfield" Picture: James Bass")
Later in the day Mr Iannucci announced on Twitter that they were researching for the new film.
In was reported in March 2015 that Mr Iannucci, who is responsible for creating Alan Partridge, The Thick of It and The Day Today, would create a new big screen adaptation of the Victorian novel.
In 1849 Dickens stayed for two days at Royal Hotel in Waterloo Road, Great Yarmouth, and used the town as the main setting for his semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield.
The movie was announced as part of BBC Films' 25th anniversary celebrations and the BBC said it would be a 'fresh take' on the novel.
%image(14764650, type="article-full", alt="Charles Dickens stayed at the Royal Hotel whilst writing the novel "David Copperfield" Roads named after him and his characters Picture: James Bass")
The Dickens aficionado presented a documentary on BBC Two called Armando Iannucci on Dickens and used his eighth novel, David Copperfield, as a focal point.
He unpicked the language, analysed the characters and explored the development of Dickens the story-teller.
As one of the most popular Victorian novels, in a preface to the 1867 version of the book, Dickens himself said: 'Like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield.'
In the novel the seaside setting is given high praise, being described as follows: 'Yarmouth was, upon the whole, the finest place in the universe.'
%image(14764651, type="article-full", alt="Charles Dickens stayed at the Royal Hotel, Great Yarmouth whilst writing the novel "David Copperfield" Roads named after him and his characters Picture: James Bass")
An upturned boat on the beach, used as a house, almost certainly provided the inspiration for Peggotty's house.
David Copperfield was born at Blundeston, just over the border in Suffolk, near Lowestoft.
According to the movie website IMDb the film is in production and is due to be released in 2018.
%image(14764652, type="article-full", alt="Royal Hotel Yarmouth 1971 for sale late October. Charles Dickens stayed here while researching David Copperfield")
%image(14764653, type="article-full", alt="GREAT YARMOUTH PICTURE OF " PEGGOTTY'S HUT " FROM CHARLES DICKENS " DAVID COPPERFIELD " DATED UNKNOWN PLATE P4935")
%image(14764654, type="article-full", alt="Charles Dickens")
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