Julian Fellowes is to create a TV epic about the demise of the Titanic to mark the centenary of the ship’s sinking.

OSCAR-winning Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes is to create a TV epic about the demise of the Titanic to mark the centenary of the ship’s sinking.

Mr Fellowes, who lives at West Stafford, near Dorchester, has been lined up for the ITV project which will begin filming in spring and will be screened around the world next year.

Fellowes – who won an Academy Award for his work on Gosford Park – will delve into the ‘unique perspectives’ of the passengers on the ‘unsinkable’ ship which was holed by an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912.

James Cameron’s 1997 film about the ill-fated voyage imagined the lives of the ship’s occupants and was one of the most successful movies of all time. It landed 11 Oscars including best director and best film.

ITV Studios has confirmed that it has given the go-head for the film, which will be screened as either two 90-minute films or four one-hour episodes in different countries.

The series – being made in Hungary – will be screened by ABC in the USA and Channel Seven in Australia.