Kirsten Dunst to make directorial debut with Sylvia Plath film adaptation

Los Angeles - Kirsten Dunst will direct The Bell Jar.

The 34-year-old actress is set to make her directorial debut on the big screen with an adaptation of the Sylvia Plath novel of the same name.

Dakota Fanning will star as the film's lead character Esther Greenwood whilst Dunst has been busy working on the script with Nellie Kim, Deadline reports.

The Bell Jar, which was first published in 1963 under the pseudonym of 'Victoria Lucas', follows the story of a young woman who secures herself an internship at a magazine in New York. But moving to a big city doesn't sit well with her and after suffering from mental health issues, she returns to her home in Massachusetts.

After being rejected from a literary course she had hoped to participate in, Esther tries to write a novel but feeling she is no good, she laments about what she can do next, spiralling her into depression.

Prior to directing The Bell Jar, Kirsten has been at the helm of two film shorts, 2011's Bastard and 2007's II Welcome.