After the success of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby this summer, it appears that we may be in for a new wave of big budget adaptations of classic American novels. This week DreamWorks and Steven Spielberg are reportedly in talks with the estate of John Steinbeck to bring a new version of The Grapes of Wrath to the big screen. 2014 will mark the 75th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which would seem like an ideal time to mount a remake. Of course, John Ford’s 1940 adaptation of the book starring Henry Fonda is considered by many to be a cinematic masterpiece, so the idea of a remake could potentially ruffle a few feathers. Then again, this is Steven Spielberg we’re talking about here, and at this point the man can essentially do whatever he likes.

According to Deadline, Spielberg is not looking to direct The Grapes of Wrath remake himself, but he will be on board as a producer. He helped convince the Steinbeck estate to go with a feature film adaptation instead of a mini-series, which Robert Redford was trying to set up at FX. Spielberg’s next project behind the camera is still expected to be American Sniper starring Bradley Cooper.

For those who never read The Grapes of Wrath in high school (yep, that’s me), the tragic story revolves around a poor family of farmers from Oklahoma who move to California to escape a drought and poor economic conditions. However, once there they find that they still cannot avoid the crushing effects of the Great Depression. Are you interested in a new take on The Grapes of Wrath? What other American classics would you like to see updated on the big screen?