The BFG
Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter: Melissa Mathison
Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Jemaine Clement, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall, Bill Hader
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Rated PG | 117 Minutes
Release Date: July 1, 2016

Roald Dahl created some of the most beloved children’s stories of the 20th century, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Like Walt Disney, Dahl had a knack for fusing the fantastic with the frightening, blending sweetness with sadness in a way that resonated with old and young alike.

Dahl’s The BFG was first published in 1982, the same year Steven Spielberg‘s own seminal tale of friendship, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences around the world. It’s funny how things work out. Three decades later, Spielberg and his E.T. collaborator, the late screenwriter Melissa Mathison, have adapted the Dahl’s timeless adventure for the big screen.

Disney has released the official trailer for The BFG, director Steven Spielberg‘s adaptation of the 1982 Roald Dahl story of the same name, which is set to release later this year fairly close to the 100th anniversary of Dahl’s birth. A teaser trailer for the movie was released back in December of last year, and can viewed right here if you missed it.

The new trailer gives us a much better look at the movie and the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) himself (played by recent Oscar winner Mark Rylance), and perhaps even some BNSFG (Bigger Not So Friendly Giants).

Check out the trailer and a poster and read more about the movie below.

Steven Spielberg and Roald Dahl. Combined these men have created some of the greatest children’s stories ever. From E.T. and Indiana Jones to Matilda and Willy Wonka, these men of film and literature have changed lives for generations of kids. So imagine how mind blowing it was when it was announced that Spielberg was helming one of Dahl’s classics, 1982’s The BFG. Melissa Mathison is penning the screenplay. For those uninformed, BFG stands for “Big Friendly Giant.”

Along with Tony award-winner Mark Rylance (playing the BFG) and newcomer Ruby Barnhill (playing little English girl Sophie) is SNL veteran Bill Hader.

The last time mega-famous filmmaker Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison collaborated on a project (besides Mathison’s uncredited work on the director’s segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie), the result was the record-smashing family fantasy classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Thirty-two years following the release of the film that popularized Reese’s Pieces and airborne bike riding, Spielberg and Mathison are getting together to adapt Roald Dahl‘s 1982 children’s book The BFG for the big screen.