Director Ang Lee is gearing up to start filming the long-anticipated adaptation of Yann Martel's bestselling novel Life Of Pi early next year with the casting of 17-year-old newcomer Suraj Sharma in the title role of a boy who is stranded in a tiny boat for 227 days with a number of zoo animals, including a Bengal tiger, saved from his family's ship before it sinks.

Lee spent months looking over 3,000 auditions to fill the role before finding Sharma, a student in Delhi, India.

Directing from a script by Finding Neverland's David Magee, Lee will start principal photography in January, shooting the entire film in 3D in Taiwan and India.

20th Century Fox has slated a holiday release for Life Of Pi on December 14, 2012.