Kids' book adapted for Disney

John Cleese is writing a film based on Roald Dahl's children's book The Twits.

Disney has signed a deal to produce the movie, telling the story of the two nastiest people in the world.

The film will make heavy use of computer-generated special effects to bring to life the trained animals the couple use to execute their elaborate heists.

Producer John Williams told Hollywood trade bible Variety: "We are aiming at a return to the wicked fun of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Ruthless People, and the whole body of work represented by John Cleese."

Cleese added: "When my daughter Camilla was about with, it was absolutely our favourite book."

He added that the illustrated book was "great on character, but short on plot, so [co-writer Kirk De Micco] and I worked up a scenario that we thought was funny, and happily so did Disney."

Published: 5 Feb 2003