The film's theme of reconciliation between a dying father and his son had special significance for Burton, as his father had died in 2000 and his mother in 2002, a month before he signed on to direct. Zanuck took over after completing Planet of the Apes (2001) and brought Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney on board. Spielberg considered Jack Nicholson for the role of Edward Bloom, but eventually dropped the project to focus on Catch Me If You Can (2002). August began adapting the novel while producers negotiated with Steven Spielberg who planned to direct after finishing Minority Report (2002). Screenwriter John August read a manuscript of the novel six months before it was published and convinced Columbia Pictures to acquire the rights. The film tells the story of a frustrated son who tries to distinguish fact from fiction in the life of his father, a teller of tall tales. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Marion Cotillard, Steve Buscemi, and Danny DeVito. Big Fish is a 2003 American fantasy drama film directed by Tim Burton, and based on the 1998 novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace.
