20th Century Fox Animation has optioned and is developing William Joyce's illustrated children's book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Oscar winner Chris Wedge is attached to direct, with New York-based Blue Sky Studios producing. Joyce & Jim V. Hart are adapting the screenplay and expanding the book's original premise for the screen.

Described as an epic adventure centering on ancient elfin magic, the book follows a troop of brave bugs who march off to save a garden, where they encounter an evil spider queen and must summon the mythical Leaf Men to save the day.

Joyce and Hart are executive producing. Joyce, who illustrated the book, also is taking on production design duties.

Wedge most recently directed Fox's Robots, which Joyce production designed based on his story.

Wedge's first film for Fox, Ice Age, was nominated for an Oscar in 2003 and earned about $400 million worldwide at the boxoffice. Wedge also won an Oscar in 1999 for his short film Bunny.