Josh O'Connor and Paul Mescal Set for Gay Romance

Two of Britain's leading young male stars are pairing up for a new film based on a gay love story, Variety reports.

"'The Crown' star and recent Emmy winner Josh O'Connor and Normal People BAFTA winner�Paul Mescal�will star in gay romance The History of Sound,' an Oliver Hermanus-directed adaptation of an award-winning short story," Variety writes. The director was the winner of the Queer Palm in 2011 for�"Beauty"�and was directed the recent BAFTA-nominated LGBT drama�"Moffie."�

The story follows two young men, Lionel (Mescal) and David (O'Connor), who, during the WW1 period, set out to record the lives, voices and music of their countrymen. An official description of the pic reads: "In this snatched, short-lived moment in their young lives, and while discovering the epic sweep of the U.S., both men are deeply changed."

The film will be�adapted by Ben Shattuck from his own Pushcart Prize-winning short story of the same name that is available to read at this link.

"Produced by End Cue, the story follows two young men, Lionel (Mescal) and David (O'Connor), who, during the WW1 period, set out to record the lives, voices and music of their countrymen," adds Variety. "An official description of the pic reads: ;In this snatched, short-lived moment in their young lives, and while discovering the epic sweep of the U.S., both men are deeply changed."

"I instantly fell in love with Ben Shattuck's flawlessly beautiful short story and knew I had to be involved in its journey to the screen," said Hermanus of the project. "Paul and Josh are two of the most promising actors of their generation who will share with us deeply soulful performances. This is an unexpected love story that needs to be told – it is a journey through the life of America, across the 20th century and the traditions of American folk music, all seen through the bond between two men immersed in the history of sound. This undeniably powerful story will certainly resonate with audiences the world over."

Principal photography will begin in summer 2022, predominantly in the U.S. and on location in the U.K. and Italy.

O'Connor previously appeared as an English sheep farmer in the gay film "God's Own Country," directed by"Ammonite" director Francis Lee. He is a recent Golden Globe and Emmy winner and recently received a third BAFTA nomination for his role as Prince Charles in Netflix's "The Crown."

Mescal won a BAFTA and was Emmy-nominated for the BBC series "Normal People." He is featured in Maggie Gyllenhaal's Venice Film Fest winner ""The Lost Daughter." He also stars in the forthcoming Benjamin Millepied adaptation of "Carmen," as well as "God's Creatures" for A24, which are both in post-production.

Producers include End Cue's Andrew Kortschak ("Cop Car," "The Art of Self-Defense") and Lisa Ciuffetti ("The Clovehitch Killer," "The Art of Self-Defense") alongside Andrea Roa ("It Comes at Night").

End Cue's Kortschak said: "Working with Oliver, Ben, Paul and Josh is an immense privilege. We are all struck by Ben's beautiful and resonant short story, exploring love, loss and memory. We are beyond excited to adapt this story for the screen with this incredible team."