Anthonly Minghella is doing another one for the ladies. The director of films like Truly, Madly, Deeply, The English Patient, and Cold Mountain has always had a focused feminine audience for what are perceived by many to be “chick flicks” and now he’s taking it another step. Minghella will be directing The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Adapted from the novel by Alexander McCall Smith, the novel is about the first Botswana-based detective agency run by women. With Minghella at the helm this looks to be an interesting movie with the chance for it to become a television series if the movie does well, leading to a little bit of confusion. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting no this as a film, but IMDb has it listed as a TV project. Since there is currently no specific deal in place for the television show, we’ll keep working under the assumption that it’s a film.

The cast for the project is certainly shaping up as well. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Dreamgirls co-star Anika Noni Rose is joining Jill Scott for the production. Rose will play the role of Grace Makutsi, an assistant detective and secretary to Scott’s character, Precious Ramotswe.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is being produced by the Weinstein Company and Minghella’s Mirage Productions. The script was adapted by Smith’s novel by Minghella himself and Richard Curtis.