LA, July 10: Keira Knightley, who stars in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," has caught "Tulip Fever." The 20-year-old English actress is in negotiations to join Jude Law in the John Madden-directed project, due to start shooting in April for DreamWorks and Miramax.
Set in the mid-1600s in Amsterdam, "Fever" centers on a young woman (Knightley) who weds a wealthy merchant to escape poverty. However, she meets up with a penniless artist (Law) hired to paint her portrait, and the two fall in love. Their only hope of escape from her current situation is by raising money from the all-important tulip market.

Tom Stoppard wrote the screenplay based on Deborah Moggach's novel, published in March 2000.
DreamWorks is taking the lead on production and will handle domestic rights, while Miramax, which worked with Madden and Stoppard on "Shakespeare in Love," is handling international.
Knightley is onscreen in Fox Searchlight's summer hit "Bend It Like Beckham." The actress is also set to star as Guinevere in Disney's "King Arthur," and will appear in "Love Actually."
Bureau Report