Topol cast in Yiddish-language 'Golem'

Fiddler On The Roof star Topol has been confirmed for new Yiddish-language film The Golem.

The 74-year-old actor will play the Maharal - the 16th century Chief Rabbi of Prague who brings a clay statue to life to protect the ghetto.

Writer/director Stuart Urban told DS at Cannes: "I've known Topol on and off over a few years and I just thought he would be the ideal person to play this role because of his stature as an actor.

"He played another Yiddish folktale that is known worldwide and was seen by a billion people in both theatre and film versions, according to the Los Angeles Times."

Urban added of Topol: "I thought he'd be a really good, solid anchor for the film and he's a tremendous actor and can speak Yiddish.

"He's equally a singer, and in the last few years he's been doing more theatre tours. I think he's doing this out of passion really. It's not that he needs to work - he just wants to do it."

The $5 million project will be produced through the London-based Cyclops Vision, with the movie due to shoot on location in Prague in 2011.