Judi Dench takes on maternal role

Dame Judi Dench is in talks to star in Stephen Frears' upcoming drama Philomena.

The Oscar-winning actress is rumoured to play Philomena Lee, an Irish woman trying to find the illegitimate son she was forced to put up for adoption in the big-screen adaptation of Martin Sixsmith's book The Lost Child Of Philomena Lee, reported Variety.

Based on a true story, Philomena follows the lead character after nuns at a Catholic home for unmarried mothers forced her to give up her child. She meets former BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith in 2004 after she has moved to England and had a family, and the two resolve to track down her son, who has been renamed and grew up to become a lawyer and politician.

Steve Coogan is tipped for the role of Martin.

Judi's next big-screen outings include the upcoming James Bond film, Skyfall, where she reprises her role as M, the head of MI6 opposite Daniel Craig, followed by comedy drama Better Living Through Chemistry with Olivia Wilde and Sam Rockwell.

Stephen, who directed The Queen, Tamara Drewe and High Fidelity, is attached to direct Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight, and is also the frontrunner to take control of a Freddie Mercury biopic.