It's been 15 years since Alan Rickman last picked up the bullhorn and clapperboard, but his second directorial project is taking shape nicely. Kate Winslet has joined Matthias 'Belgian Tom Hardy' Schoenaerts on the roster of A Little Chaos, a long-germinating historical drama now underway at Lionsgate.

Like 1997's The Winter Guest, it's a character piece that reunites Rickman with a past collaborator. Winslet, his co-star on Sense And Sensibility, will play a garden designer locked in a bitter rivalry with Schoenaerts' fellow horticulturalist as both vie for the patronage of Louis XIV in the late 17th century. The Sun King wants a new fountain built at Versailles and both are desperate for the prestigious job. Rickman will also co-star, possibly as his Maj, although no word on that yet.

"We are delighted to be working with the best of British actors and directors like Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman," explained Lionsgate UK CEO Zygi Kamasa, "as we move forward in doubling our investment in British films in 2014".

Producing for the studio are Gail Egan, Andrea Caldrewood and Bertrand Faivre, with Lionsgate financing and co-producing alongside BBC Films and Lipsync.