In a way, it’s surprising it took so long for Hollywood to adapt The BFG, one of Roald Dahl’s most beloved children’s novels, as a live-action movie. The book’s protagonist is as plucky and lovable as that of Matilda (adapted in 1996), and its plot is as wild and surprising as that of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (adapted in 1971 and 2005). Last year, Steven Spielberg announced that he would direct a long-stalled screenplay based on the book—whose title is short for “the Big Friendly Giant”—and today Disney released a teaser trailer for the film.
The Harry Potter-esque theme music suggests that Disney is trying to appeal to fans of that other story about a British orphan swept into a fantastical world. (John Williams composed music for both the Harry Potter series and The BFG) The trailer shows the moment at which Sophie (played by charming newcomer Ruby Barnhill) first sets eyes on the BFG through the window of her orphanage. We don’t see much of Mark Rylance as the gargantuan title character, but we do get a glimpse at the Wolf Hall star’s big, expressive eyes, a trait that will serve him well as the kindhearted colossus. The BFG will hit theaters on July 1, 2016.
