AceShowbiz -

Steven Spielberg has found the lead in his adaptation of Roald Dahl's "The BFG". Tony Awards and BAFTA winner Mark Rylance is cast as the benevolent giant a.k.a. the titular character.

"The BFG", short of Big Friendly Giant, tells about a young girl named Sophie who discovers that giants not only exist, but that there are a great many of them who like to guzzle and swallomp nice little chiddlers. But not the Big Friendly Giant. He and Sophie cook up an ingenious plot to free the world of troggle-humping forever.

"As I witnessed on stage, Mark Rylance is a transformational actor," said Spielberg. "I am excited and thrilled that Mark will be making this journey with us to Giant Country. Everything about his career so far is about making the courageous choice and I'm honored he has chosen 'The BFG' as his next big screen performance."

Meanwhile, Dahl's grandson and managing director of the author's estate Luke Kelly approved Rylance in the casting. "The thought of watching him transform into 'the only nice and jumbly Giant in Giant Country' is, as The BFG himself might say, absolutely phizz-whizzing," he said.

Spielberg is directing the film using the script from his "E.T." co-writer Melissa Mathison. Shooting is scheduled to begin in early 2015. It will be released in theaters on July 1, 2016 to coincide the 100th anniversary of the author's birth.