Brian Selznick Book ‘Big Tree,’ Inspired by a Steven Spielberg and Chris Meledandri Idea, Set For Publication in 2023

Big Tree, an illustrated novel by Brian Selznick that began as an original idea from Steven Spielberg with Illumination Entertainment founder and CEO Chris Meledandri, will be published by Scholastic on April 4, 2023.

Meledandri’s Illumination animation studio, which will next release Minions: The Rise of Gru on July 1, will own the film rights for the book.

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Described as a “love letter to the natural world,” Big Tree follows two tiny sycamore seeds, Louise and Merwin, as they try to save the world while searching for a safe place to grow. The announcement calls the story a “fast-paced epic adventure” that takes readers on a journey from the prehistoric age to present day, written in “the spirit of such timeless classics as Charlotte’s Web, The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland.”

Selznick — the best-selling author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which inspired Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning Hugo — said in a statement, “It grew into a narrative I’m very proud of, one that reminds us to stop and listen to the world around us, and to help those who need to be helped. These themes seem to grow more and more urgent with each passing day.”

Said Spielberg: “The tale of the natural world is the greatest story we have to tell, and Brian delivers a brilliant chapter of it in the pages of Big Tree. It was an absolute joy for Chris and me to help grow the seed of this idea and then sit back and watch Brian’s singular talent produce such a wonderful book.”

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