Spielberg says 'BFG' is closest he's come to 'a love story'

CANNES, France (AP) — Steven Spielberg, a giant in the world of cinema, landed at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday with his gentle Roald Dahl adaptation "The BFG."

The film, about a young orphan (Ruby Barnhill) taken away by a friendly, big-eared giant (recent Oscar winner Mark Rylance), marks a return for Spielberg to the magical kind of fable he has largely moved away from in recent years.

Sitting between his young star and his new favorite actor (Rylance is starring in the director's next two films as well), Spielberg said enchanting fantasies like "The BFG" are just as vital as more realistic tales.

"The BFG," which drew warmly respectful reviews in its Cannes premiere, is largely faithful to Dahl's 1982 classic and was made in concert with the Dahl estate.

The actor is also to co-star in Spielberg's upcoming sci-fi thriller "Ready Player One" and will play Pope Pius IX in the director's "The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara."