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Award winning director Lenny Abrahamson admitted he stalled other film projects to work on Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ screen adaption because he loved it so much.

The Oscar nominated film maker also revealed he is already planning to work with the Irish author on the screen adaption of her debut novel, ‘Conversations with Friends’.

Explaining his devotion to the project, he told Irish Daily Mirror: “I just did Normal People, that is coming out at the end of April.

“But then I am going to do Conversations with Friends, her first novel because I enjoyed doing Normal People so much.

“It is for BBC and Hulu in America."

He added: “BBC wanted to do the next novel, and I have film projects ready to go but I felt like I loved this so much I can’t imagine letting anyone else doing it so I said I’d do it.”

RTÉ announced on Monday it will be airing the Element Pictures adaptation of the acclaimed Irish novel this spring.

(Image: lberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

The 12-part relationship drama stars 24-year-old Kildare actor Paul Mescal in his first television role.

Mescal, who was most recently seen on stage in the Gaiety Theatre in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, will play Connell.

He will star alongside British actress Daisy Edgar Jones, who takes on the role of Marianne.

The series follows two young people navigating adulthood in contemporary Ireland, and their complicated relationship from the end of their school days in Sligo to their undergraduate years at Trinity College.

It also stars Sarah Greene (Dublin Murders, Rosie) and Aislín McGuckin (Outlander).

Mayo born Sally Rooney adapted her coming-of-age book with Alice Birch along with Irish playwright Mark O’Rowe.

The series, was filmed in Dublin, Sligo, Sweden and Italy - directed by Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald.