An animated version of a Roald Dahl classic with a voice cast headed by George Clooney will open the London Film Festival. Fantastic Mr Fox will kick off this year's event on 14 October.

The film is a first venture into animation for its director, Wes Anderson, who made The Royal Tenenbaums.

The voices of Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson and Jarvis Cocker also feature.

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Anderson, who was also a producer on the movie, is expected to attend the opening night, along with Clooney, Streep, Schwartzman and other members of the voice cast.

He said: "Fantastic Mr Fox is a British film - based on a Roald Dahl book, set in the UK, produced in the UK - and so I am especially pleased to have been invited to the opening night movie of this year's London Film Festival...

"I am eagerly looking forward to introducing Fantastic Mr Fox to the world in this wonderful venue."

The story sees Mr and Mrs Fox (Clooney and Streep) living an idyllic home life with their son Ash (Schwartzman) and visiting young nephew Kristopherson (Eric Anderson).

But after 12 years, Mr Fox's wild animal instincts re-surface and he slips back into his old ways as a chicken thief, endangering his beloved family and the whole animal community.

Trapped underground and with not enough food, the animals band together to fight against the evil farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean, who are determined to capture the fantastic Mr Fox.

Sandra Hebron, the festival's artistic director said the event was "thrilled" to be hosting the "much loved story".
The London Film Festival runs from
14 to 29 October. www.bfi.org.uk/lff