The Invention of Hugo Cabret will be the director's first children's film, and his first venture into stereoscopic technology

Martin Scorsese's next film, his debut foray into the field of children's cinema, will also be his first venture in 3D, Variety reports.

The Oscar-winning film-maker will employ the new technology on his previously announced adaptation of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick's bestselling children's book. Its story centres on a 12-year-old boy who lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris.

Scorsese's decision reaffirms the idea that 3D technology is rapidly moving beyond its traditional use in big-budget, special-effects-laden blockbusters. Earlier this week, Werner Herzog announced that he will shoot a 3D documentary about the Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc cave, a site in southern France that contains the earliest known cave paintings, dating back at least 30,000 years.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley were last month reported to be in talks to join the cast of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Baron Cohen would play a station inspector, with Kingsley starring as French film-making legend George Méliès, director of A Trip to the Moon, who has a pivotal role in the story. Young British actor Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) will play the title role, while Kick-Ass's Chloe Moretz will star as an eccentric girl who runs a toy booth in the train station.

According to Variety, shooting will begin in London in June, with the aim of a December 2011 release.