Last year we told you how Downton Abbey director Brian Percival will helm the film adaptation of Markus Zusak’s WWII Nazi-Germany novel, The Book Thief. Today, it was announced that Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson will star in the film!

THR states not only that Rush and Watson were cast, but also who will play the main character, Liesel, who is a young girl that is cared for by her foster parents. Liesel will be played by little known French-Canadian actress Sophie Nelisse, and Book Thief will be her English-language film debut. Rush and Watson were cast as Liesel’s foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Huberman.

The Book Thief follows the life of Leisel, a young girl sent to live with foster parents. Leisel’s story is narrated by Death, a simple observer of the girl he calls the book thief because of her penchant for stealing books. The Huberman’s take Leisel in and while Mrs. Huberman is rough around the edges, Hans Huberman genuinely cares for Leisel and teachers her how to read. As tensions grow in Nazi Germany the Huberman’s are forced to make choices about where their allegiances lie. Hans Huberman makes the choice to protect a young Jewish boxer, Max, by hiding him in their house. The Max will be played by Ben Schnetzer (Happy Town). This young adult adaptation has the potential to be stunning.

Rush was nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for his performance in The King’s Speech, and was last seen on the big screen in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Watson was seen last year in Anna Karenina alongside Keira Knightly.

The Book Thief is set to hit theaters on January 17, 2014, and production begins later this month in Berlin.

Have you read The Book Thief? What do you think of Rush and Watson’s casting?