The next Dr. Seuss property to be shipped off for a cinematic treatment will be The Lorax. The movie is expected to be another computer animated 3D movie, and will be produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment. This movie will be the fourth Dr. Seuss adaptation: the first being Ron Howard’s live-action adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey; the second being The Cat in the Hat with Mike Myers; and the third switching over to computer animation with Horton Hears A Who! again with Carrey and Steve Carell. Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Seuss’s (Theodor Geisel) widow Audrey Geisel will be among the film’s executive producers.

Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio are currently writing the script, as well as co-directing the movie along with Chris Renaud. All three men worked together in one aspect or another — whether it was storyboard art or writing — on Horton.

The Lorax is fitting to some of today’s environmental issues, telling the story of a man who comes to a forest and begins to cut all the trees down and build up factories and industry, while a little creature called the Lorax begs and pleads the man to stop. Eventually, the last of the trees is harvested, leaving the land desolate and lifeless.

The movie doesn’t have any announced cast yet, but the goal is to release The Lorax on March 2, 2012.

[Source: Variety]