The official trailer for an upcoming movie based on Lyme Regis' famous fossil hunter, Mary Anning, has been released today.

The trailer for 'Ammonite' has been posted on YouTube, showing Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet as the working class palaeontologist Anning and Saoirse Ronan as Charlotte Murchison, a privileged young woman sent to convalesce by the sea.

Directed by Francis Lee, best known for his acclaimed debut 'God's Own Country', the movie will explore the themes of class and same sex relationships with the two women developing an intense bond.

Speaking of his interest in Mary Anning to film magazine Empire, Lee said: "The image of her struck me very strongly. Totally working-class woman, born on the bones of her arse, yet somehow she managed to rise to be the leading palaeontologist of the century.

"I'm very fascinated by deep, intimate, human relationships. One of the things I really look for in stories is to be able to explore a romantic relationship between two people of the same gender where the main issues aren't around the difficulties of sexuality."

Areas of Lyme Regis were transformed into an 1840s set for the filming of 'Ammonite' last March and residents will recognise many backdrops in the official trailer, including the historic Cobb harbour and the fossil shop at Bell Cliff, which has been renamed Anning's Fossils since filming took place.

Kate Winslet can be heard talking in a thick West Country accent, which she was reportedly given lessons on at Lyme Regis Museum.

'Ammonite' was initially expected to be released earlier this year but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was selected for screenings at the prestigious Cannes, Telluride and Toronto film festivals this year and will now be released on November 13.