Steven Spielberg In Talks To Grab 'Grapes Of Wrath' Rights, Will Produce New Film

It looks like John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" has become Steven Spielberg's dirt. According to Deadline.com, Spielberg and DreamWorks are negotiating with the Steinbeck estate to acquire the film rights to the author's 1939 novel. "The Grapes of Wrath" was previously made into a film by John Ford in 1940, with Henry Fonda starring as Tom Joad. Per Deadline.com, Spielberg wouldn't direct this new version of "The Grapes of Wrath," but merely produce the film.

That Spielberg would have an interest in "The Grapes of Wrath" is far from surprising. The director has often cited Ford, who won the Best Director Oscar for "The Grapes of Wrath," as one of his favorites. In a video interview for the 2011 film "Cowboys & Aliens," which Spielberg produced, the 66-year-old recalled the first time he ever met Ford: "He said, 'So they tell me you want to be a picture maker,'" Spielberg remembered. Watch the full story in the video below:

For more on "The Grapes of Wrath," head to Deadline.com.

[via Deadline.com]