Film director Danny Boyle has chosen his follow up project to his surprise box office and Oscar hit Slumdog Millionaire.

According to trade paper Variety on Thursday, the British millionaire is to direct 127 Hours, a film about Aron Ralston, the American mountaineer who made headlines the world over when he used a knife to sever his own arm after it became trapped under a boulder during a 2003 hike.

No cast has yet been chosen for the project, which would mostly feature just a single actor, Variety said. However, the writing and production team that created Slumdog could reunite for the new movie and production is set to begin next year, the report said.

Ralston became trapped in a remote Utah canyon in May 2003 after going on a hike without informing anyone of his destination. After remaining in place for almost five days he lost hope of anyone finding him and used a dull knife to amputate his lower arm in order to free himself from under the boulder.

He then wrapped a tourniquet around the severed stump and climbed up a 20-metre cliff face before hiking back to his car. A family discovered him and alerted authorities.