The BFG, written by Roald Dahl, inspired Steven Spielberg’s 2016 film The BFG.
Dahl published The BFG in 1982, the same year as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The story follows Sophie, an orphan who is carried away by the Big Friendly Giant. Unlike the other giants, who eat children, the BFG is gentle and collects dreams to deliver to sleeping people.
Spielberg’s adaptation stars Ruby Barnhill as Sophie and Mark Rylance as the BFG. The screenplay was written by Melissa Mathison, who also wrote E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. That connection helped give the film a similar focus on a child forming an extraordinary friendship with a mysterious outsider.
The title is an initialism for “Big Friendly Giant,” although the giant’s speech is filled with Dahl’s invented vocabulary, including “whizzpopping.” The film should not be confused with other Dahl adaptations such as Matilda or The Witches. The BFG was released in 2016 and was produced by Walt Disney Pictures.