Steven Spielberg revealed that one of the main attraction of the BFG was the fact the central character is a girl.
Steven Spielberg
Spielberg is back in the director's chair this summer as he brings a new and live-action adaptation of Roald Dahl's The BFG to the big screen.
This is the first feature film for Spielberg since the success of Bridge of Spies and it seems him reunite with Oscar-winner Mark Rylance.
But the director admits that it was the fact that this story is driven by a strong female character that was its major appeal.
Speaking to Collider, the director said: "What really appealed to me was the fact that the protagonist was a girl, not a boy, and it's a very strong girl. And the protagonist was going to allow us, at a certain point, to believe that four feet tall can completely outrank 25-feet of giant.
"I got very excited that this was going to be a little girl's story, and that her courage and values was going to, in a way, turn the cowardly lion into the brave hero, at the end, which is what she turns The BFG into.
"I saw all kinds of The Wizard of Oz comparisons, when I was first reading the book. I said, 'Here's a real chance to do a story about Dorothy and the cowardly lion.'"
The BFG will introduce us to the acting talents of Ruby Barnhill, who will take on the central role of Sophie. This movie will mark her big screen debut.
But she is surrounded by experienced actors as Rylance, Rebecca Hall, Penelope Wilton, Rafe Spall, Jemaine Clement, Bill Hader, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson are all set to star.
The movie also sees Spielberg reunite with screenwriter Melissa Mathison, who penned the script for E.T.
The BFG premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, where it was met with some great reviews. It is set to be one of the must-see family films of summer 2016.
The BFG is released 22nd July.
Tagged in Stephen Spielberg