Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock are in negotiations to star in an adaptation of the book, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, with Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry calling the shots.

According to Empire online, via Thompson On Hollywood, Daldry has been attached to the film for some time, but is only now coming to casting and other such things. The flick centres on "an intelligent nine-year-old boy, who describes himself as a vegan scientist artist pacifist." When his father dies during the 9/11 attacks, the young lad searches for a lock for a key his father left behind. If you were brought to tears reading just that line, then that probably means that it will win an Oscar.

Hanks and Bullock aren't completely locked into the roles, and their parts are somewhat unclear; but I'd be surprised if it didn't come together fairly easily for the two superstars.