Johnny Depp will produce and possibly star in a movie about Theodor Geisel, better known as kids' book author and illustrator Dr Seuss.
Geisel's inspired, loopy, addictively rhyming stories have formed the inspiration for several movies (a bit of a mixed bunch, to be fair), including The Cat In The Hat and The Grinch .
Depp is producing with his Infinitum Nihil production company in collaboration with Universal's Illumination Entertainment, which is best known for animated flicks like Despicable Me and upcoming Seuss adap The Lorax .
As well as the colourful characters that fans love, Geisel became known for political cartoons and propaganda that he created during World War 2.
Depp's no stranger to playing literary figures, having starred as Peter Pan creator JM Barrie in Finding Neverland and Hunter S Thompson in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas .
He also knows a thing or two about creating eccentric characters. In Treatment writer Keith Bunin is currently working on the script.
You'll next catch Depp in The Rum Diary and Martin Scorsese's Hugo , before he appears in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows next year. There's also the ongoing business of The Lone Ranger , which could possibly cause a schedule clash with Seuss .
The Rum Diary opens 4 November 2011.
