Dustin Hoffman and Dame Judi Dench are to star in a new BBC adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's book classic, Esio Trot.
The 90-minute film will be adapted by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, who co-wrote The Vicar of Dibley, and directed by Little Dorrit Emmy-winner Dearbhla Walsh.
"It's absolutely stellar casting for one of the nation's favourite children's classics," said Charlotte Moore, the controller of BBC1.
Hollywood heavyweight Hoffman will play the role of Mr Hoppy, a retired bachelor who has a secret passion for his neighbour Mrs Silver, played by Dench.
Moore, who is just weeks into her new role as controller of BBC1, said that she would like to see more women on the channel, as well as more diversity in general.
"I've been speaking with other [BBC] executives about more women," she said, speaking at the Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival. "I think more women protagonists would be great. The breadth is there but it is important we go on looking for new stories and new ways of telling stories".
She added that she is also keen to tackle the issue of diversity.
"I think the BBC do quite a good job of diversity [but] it is not enough," she said. "Industry-wide we all know we need to do much more ... on screen and off screen. And actually I think those things go hand in hand. We need more diverse voices working behind the scenes to bring those stories in a more authentic real way".
She added that a number of programmes, such as The One Show and Watchdog, are perfect formats for bringing through new talent.
"In factual [programming] we could nurture a more diverse talent on-screen," she said. "We have got The One Show, Watchdog, and magazine shows which are fantastic places to bring people through. It's not about ticking boxes – you've got to do it in a very real way, and I'm committed to doing that."
• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
• To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook
