Polanski working on The Ghost from jail

Roman Polanski is attempting to finish his film The Ghost from his Zurich jail cell while he awaits a decision on extradition to the United States.

Polanski, who was arrested Sept. 26 in connection with a 30-year old conviction for sexual assault of an underaged girl, was editing The Ghost when he was jailed.

Robert Harris, author of the novel The Ghost and screenwriter for the film, said the director istrying to make his wishes known to the creative crew of the film so it can be finished.

Harris, who spoke at the Cheltenham Literature Festival,said Polanski cannot make phone calls but has been able to communicate with fellow filmmakers.

"It is a nightmare looming that the director might be in jail at the time [of the film's release]," Harris told the Guardian newspaper.

The Ghost stars Pierce Brosnan as the British prime minister and Ewan McGregor as a ghostwriter hired to inject some life into an autobiography of the previous prime minister, now deceased. As McGregor investigates the book, he begins to suspect that his subject's death may not be as accidental as it appeared.

Polanski has recently met with Alexandre Desplate, the composer for The Ghost.

Polanski was arrested in Switzerland at the request of American authorities and faces several weeks in jail while Swissofficials decide whether he can be sent back to the U.S.

On Wednesday, the Swiss legislature upheld the decision to arrest the director, who had previously travelled freely in Europe.