The first trailer for the latest adaptation of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations has been released.

The classic story follows an orphan named Pip, who ascends the social ladder with the help of a mysterious benefactor, escaped convict Abel Magwitch, a wealthy spinster named Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter Estella.

The book, which was originally published as a serialisation, has been adapted dozens of times for the cinema and television. However, as with several of Dickens' novels, it seems studios can't resist another attempt.

This most recent adaptation is directed by Mike Newell, best known for Four Weddings and a Funeral and most recently Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Newell is no stranger to the tricky task of transporting characters from book to film, having directed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005 and a cinematic adaptation of Love in the Time of Cholera, a novel written by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, in 2007.

Ralph Fiennes takes on the role of Magwitch, with Bonham Carter, who has a penchant for quirky characters, being a perfect fit for Miss Havisham.

Jeremy Irvine, who last hit the cinema screen as the star of Steven Spielberg's War horse, will play Pip as an adult, and the role of young Pip will be played by Irvine's own baby brother, Toby.

Although there are few authors as widely loved as Dickens, the concern remains that audiences may tire of repeated adaptations, especially with UK audiences having seen a BBC version, starring Ray Winstone and Gillian Anderson, just last year.

However, the devotion of Dickens' fans cannot be questioned, and any adaptation fatigue is likely to be tempered by an interest in how Newell has treated some of their favourite characters.

Great Expectations will be released at the end of November.