Following their most recent on-screen efforts together in My Week with Marilyn, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Kenneth Branagh will, again, join forces in an adaptation of Henning Mankell’s Italian Shoes. Branagh is no stranger to the work of the Swedish author as he is currently filming the third season of Mankell’s Wallander series for broadcast on both the BBC and PBS’ Masterpiece series.

Branagh, who will step behind the camera for the project, hopes to also cast Sir Anthony Hopkins alongside Dench, all of which are quite familiar with each others works throughout the years — you’re going to need a scorecard to follow this, unfortunately.

Judi Dench played Mistress Quickly in Branagh’s directorial debut of Henry V. She also starred in Branagh’s adaptation of Hamlet. Dench directed Branagh in Look Back in Anger and Hopkins appeared in Branagh’s last film, Thor. Still with me?

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that this is destined for the big screen and not for BBC or PBS in the near future given the brilliant cast already lined up. That said, both do have the highly anticipated third season of Mankell’s ‘glass half empty’ Swedish detective, Wallander, to look forward to in 2012. Stay tuned.