The British entertainment Website Empire Online is reporting that Spyglass Entertainment has given the final go-ahead for the production of a film based on the late Douglas Adam's science fiction comedy classic, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.  Unfortunately director Jay Roach, who has been trying to get the film made for six years, will be unable to direct the film due to commitments he has already made to direct the next Austin Powers film and the new comedy, Meet The Fockers.  Fledgling director Garth Jennings will helm the Hitchhikers Guide from a script by Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run).

The wacky and absurd Hitchhikers Guide and its sequels, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, and The Restaurant At the End of the Universe have developed a cult following, which is always a good thing for pop culture retailers.  The film version of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy should spur interest in Adams' novels and create a larger audience for the works of the gifted humorist.