Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel The BFG will be hitting the big screen.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Steven Spielberg will direct the film adaptation of the novel for DreamWorks.
The book, which was published back in 1982, tells the story of a big, friendly giant that becomes friends with an orphan girl who tries to stop children-gobbling giants.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial screenwriter, Melissa Mathison put together the screenplay notes Entertainment Weekly.
The producers for the film include Kathleen Kennedy, who actually got the screen rights in 2010 to DreamWorks, and her husband Frank Marshall. The executive producers are Michael Siegel and John Madden notes Entertainment Weekly.
This will be the first movie Spielberg has directed since 2012’s critically acclaimed Lincoln.
Production for the film will begin in early 2015 with a release date in 2016 notes The Hollywood Reporter.
In the meantime, Spielberg will be working on a Cold War thriller starring Tom Hanks. Shooting for the film will begin in the fall according to The Wrap.
Spielberg is no stranger to back-to-back shooting of films. Back in 1993, Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List were both released.