Charlotte to spin her web in Victoria

Children's classic Charlotte's Web will be given a modern twist when it is filmed in Victoria, Australia, next year.

The Paramount Pictures' adaptation of the famous book, which will be a mixture of animation and live action, is slated for release in 2006.

The movie will be filmed in Williamstown, in Melbourne's southwest, and in Greendale, in western Victoria, with production scheduled to start in late January.

Victorian premier Steve Bracks said it was a "great coup for Victoria".

"A major international production of Charlotte's Web, is going to be the important remake, the definitive remake," Mr Bracks told reporters in Melbourne today.

"That will lead to some 1000 local jobs as part of the production.

"I am very pleased this has been secured for Victoria and I think it's going to be great for the (local) film and TV industry."

He said they had major competition from New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and other states in Australia.

Victoria recently announced it had also lured the production of another blockbuster movie, the Marvel classic, Ghost Rider, for next year, which will inject $A40 million ($NZ43.68 million) into the Victorian economy.

Minister for innovation, John Brumby, said the film industry was going strong.

"In the next 12 months there will be somewhere between $A50 million and $A100 million worth of additional film production in Victoria," he said.

Mr Brumby said Charlotte's Web would put Melbourne on the map.

"The beauty of this film is that it is so well known around the world," he said.

"It's going to appeal to mums and dads and the kids and it'll put Melbourne on the map and it'll put Greendale on the map."

The story, set in the 1940s, follows the touching friendship between a pig, Wilbur, and a spider, Charlotte.

Hollywood child actor, Dakota Fanning, who also stared in The Cat in the Hat and I Am Sam, has been rumoured to be cast in the part of Fern, who teams up with Charlotte to save Wilbur from becoming pork chops.

The cast list has not been made public.

The original animated film, based on a story by E B White, was released in 1973.

The new version will be directed by Gary Winick, who most recently directed Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30.

Film Victoria chief executive officer Sandra Sdraulig said it was a "great result" for the Victorian film industry.

"We've been working very tenaciously to secure production here," Ms Sdraulig said today.

"It's a terrific result for Victoria to have this level of production here."

- AAP