DreamWorks is in talks with the estate of author John Steinbeck to make a new movie on his depression era classic 'The Grapes of Wrath' with Steven Spielberg producing.
The novel was turned into a classic 1940 film by John Ford where Henry Fonda played protagonist Tom Joad. The film was nominated for seven Oscars and won Ford a best director trophy.
There were murmurs that Spielberg, fresh off directing historical drama "Lincoln", was interested in revisiting the classic as a director but DreamWorks said that the filmmaker is only interested in producing the picture, the Deadline reported.
Spielberg is next committed to direct Jason Hall's adaptation of 'American Sniper' with Bradley Cooper starring.
Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is celebrating its 75th anniversary next year. 'The Grapes Of Wrath' is about a poor family of tenant farmers forced to move off its land in Oklahoma because of drought and hopeless economic conditions.
Spurred by the promise of high wages for farm workers, the Joads head to California, but are beaten down by poverty and hunger in the Great Depression.
Deadline said Robert Redford was also chasing the rights to make a miniseries on the novel but Spielberg managed to finally win the rights.
