Larry/Lana

The Wachowskis, the Chicago-born brotherly directing-writing-producing team behind the smash hit Matrix trilogy as well as films like V for Vendetta and Speed Racer, are now officially "Andy and Lana Wachowski" (pictured below).

That's according to a press release for the start of shooting on the film version of David Mitchell's time-leaping bestseller Cloud Atlas.

The Wachowskis - now brother-and-sister? - are teaming up with German filmmaker Tom Tykwer to share directing duties on the adaptation, which will co-star Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant and Susan Sarandon.

Described as "an epic story of humankind" the film will shoot using two full units simultaneously in Scotland, Spain and Germany.