When last we heard from Todd Haynes (save a quick trip to HBO’s “Enlightened”), he had brought James M. Cain’s “Mildred Pierce” to the small screen via mini-series. Kate Winslet stormed the awards circuit winning every trophy in sight (much like Michael Douglas seems poised to do this year for “Behind the Candelabra”) and the event was in general a nice fit in Haynes’s oeuvre of female-centric drama. He’s set for another as he transitions back to the big screen with “Carol,” Screen Daily reports.

The film will be based on Patricia Highsmith’s novella “The Price of Salt,” about a relationship between a 20-something department store worker in 1950s New York and a wife trapped in a loveless marriage. Mia Wasikowska and Cate Blanchett have been tapped for the two roles.

The film brings Haynes and Blanchett together again for the first time since 2007’s “I’m Not Here.,” the experimental Bob Dylan biopic that brought Blanchett an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Phyllis Nagy, who previously wrote the teleplay for HBO’s “Mrs. Harris,” will adapt Highsmith’s novella.

Speaking with Screen Daily, producer Elizabeth Karlsen mentioned the project’s place in a film market seemingly bereft of major female roles, making Haynes’s involvement all the more special. “A recent report from the USC Annenberg School revealed the lack of major speaking parts for women in 2012,” she told the outlet. “As a female producer, that report has only renewed my passion and inspiration for this film because there are very few of these roles out there for the likes of Cate and Mia.”

What’s your favorite Todd Haynes film to date? Tell us in the poll below. (And yeah, we’ll go ahead and include “Mildred Pierce” in the bunch.)