Universal Pictures has acquired the screen rights to David Wroblewski novel “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle,” which will be adapted into a feature film. Playtone’s Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman and Harpo Films partners Oprah Winfrey and Kate Forte will mark their first collaboration on this film.

Sawtelle was published in September and has been at or near the top of the bestseller lists for 30 weeks. Oprah’s Book Club gave it a good boost when it was selected to their title list.

The story pivots around a mute teenager who lives on a farm in Wisconsin with a family that’s raised a coveted breed of dog for generations. Sawtelle’s father dies mysteriously after his uncle comes to stay with the family. Edgar’s widowed mother is now sleeping with his uncle. Edgar’s father comes back as a ghost to tell him that his uncle killed him. Antagonized by the revelation, Edgar tries to kill his uncle, but mistakenly kills the dog’s vet, which sends the youth fleeing into the woods with three of his dogs.