The adaptation by French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, Amélie) of Reif Larsen’s 2009 novel The Selected Works Of T.S. Spivet is set to be shot in Canada in spring 2012.

French producer Gaumont is to release the whimsical English-language feature in 2013, after Jeunet and long-time writing partner Guillaume Laurant adapt the novel about a child prodigy in Montana who gets a call from The Smithsonian indicating he’s to receive a prestigious prize.

Canada was chosen as a location for the big-budget 3D picture, in which the 12-year-old protagonist makes a cross-country trek from Montana to Washington, D.C. to accept his prize, only to discover a secret family history on the journey.

No word on casting.

Production credits on the literary adaptation are shared by Françis Boespflug, Frédéric Brillion and Gilles Legrand.