We first heard rumours about a possible Ridley Scott adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World over a year ago, after legal issues surrounding the Huxley estate had finally been settled and Universal managed to secure the rights. At the time, it was said that Leonardo DiCaprio also wanted to play the lead role in the film, but it was still far too early for any official announcements.

Now, this week, we have an update on the project from The Hollywood Reporter’s Risky Biz Blog, and it sounds like Scott and DiCaprio are both in it for the long haul as producers, although the full extent of their involvement still remains to be seen. The important thing is that the movie has taken its first step toward becoming a reality as writer Farhad Safinia (Apocalypto) has been hired to write the script.

I certainly hope Ridley Scott decides to direct this himself, but he’s got a fair amount of other movies to choose from after Robin Hood including the Alien prequel, The Kind One, The Forever War, and… ahem… Monopoly. Brave New World is science-fiction but it’s a book of ideas first and foremost, and it will need someone who can walk the line between art house and blockbuster. The good news is, Roland Emmerich isn’t being considered for the job (yet).