PRESS ASSOCIATION -- Colin Firth has reportedly expressed a wish to star opposite Carey Mulligan in My Fair Lady.

Shakespeare In Love's John Madden is directing the remake of the 1964 musical - which starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison - scripted by Emma Thompson.

Firth has told producers of the film he wants to play Professor Henry Higgins, who takes on a bet to teach cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle to "talk proper" and ends up falling for her.

The King's Speech star has told producers Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Duncan Kenworthy that he is "keen" to take on the role, The Telegraph's Mandrake column reports.

Kenworthy said: "It's in the planning stages, so it's not the time to talk about casting."

Mulligan and Keira Knightley were both up for the part of Eliza and Knightley is said to have taken singing lessons before the role went to Mulligan.

Hugh Grant has reportedly turned down the part of Henry Higgins and Rupert Everett, who recently played the role in the West End in Pygmalion, the George Bernard Shaw play on which the musical is based, has also been linked to the film.