Zhou Xun [Photo/ent.news.cn]

Chinese actress Zhou Xun is to lead a new TV adaptation of "Red Sorghum".

It has been ten years since Zhou starred in a TV series. Her recent appearances have mostly been in movies, including "Cloud Atlas", "The Silent War" and the "Painted Skin" series.

The Red Sorghum TV series is adapted from the novel "Red Sorghum Clan" by China's Nobel-winning writer Mo Yan, who wrote about three generations of a Shandong family between 1923 and 1976. The story details the family's struggles during major events including the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

Director Zhang Yimou created a successful movie adaptation in 1987, which vaulted Zhang to the forefront of the Fifth Generation directors.

The TV series will be directed by Zheng Xiaolong.