Scantily-clad Keira gets stuck into her 'challenging' post-Pirates role

In these stills from the high-profile film adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel Atonement, Keira stands on the edge of a fountain after diving in to retrieve a broken vase in a key scene from the film in which she stars with Last King of Scotland actor James McAvoy.

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Knightley and McAvoy will play the star-crossed lovers Cecilia and Robbie, whose fates are forever changed on a hot summer day in 1934.

The 22-year old starlet told Empire magazine she was "relieved" to be done with the Pirates franchise which made her a Hollywood star.

In the much-anticipated film version of the best-selling novel, the actress, who played Jane Austen heroine Elizabeth Bennet in the big-screen adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is reunited with the film's director Joe Wright who won plaudits and a Bafta for his silver screen debut at the helm of the Austen classic.

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Wright said he felt it was time for the Knightley, who appears scantily clad in some scenes, to blossom into womanhood.

Wright said: "I wanted to cast Keira as a woman, a sexual character. She's only ever played girls before."

The English beauty said she is grateful for the new role which has more depth than that of her long-suffering Pirates character, Elizabeth Swann.

Keira told Empire magazine: "This is such a relief. Not that I don't enjoy all that Pirates stuff, but it's not about my character - it's about Johnny's character.

Discussing the limitations of her swashbucking role in the successful film series Keira added: "It's not focusing on emotional turmoil.

"It's been great just to get my brain engaged."

And judging from the romantic look of the film, there's no doubt the audience will find it similarly stimulating.