EXCLUSIVE: Bill Hader has joined the case Steven Spielberg directed The BFG and will star as one of the giants in the tale about a little girl who leads a friendly giant and the Queen of England on an adventure to stop other mean giants from gobbling up others. The project is being co-financed by Walden Media and is co-producing with DreamWorks Studios. The project will shoot in Vancouver.

The adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1982 kids novel of the same name was completed by Melissa Mathison, who last teamed with Spielberg on E.T. the Extra-terrestial, the classic sci-fi film that bowed the same year Dahl’s book did. DreamWorks acquired rights to the The BFG in 2010. Tony winner Mark Rylance has been set to star as the Big Friendly Giant and newcomer Ruby Barnhill is the little girl.

Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Sam Mercer will produce while Kathleen Kennedy (who brought in the project), John Madden and Michael Siegel are executive producers, and Kristie Macosko Krieger and Adam Somner are co-producing.

Hader, one of the best things that ever happened to Saturday Night Live, is repped by UTA and Naomi Odenkirk from Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment and law firm Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson. The actor does voice work as well, and next can be heard in the upcoming Pixar Animation film Inside Out which will be released this summer by Disney. He also appears with Amy Schumer in the Universal comedy Trainwreck which she wrote for director Judd Apatow (who produced along with Barry Mendel).