Roger Ebert Getting Documentary Treatment

Roger Ebert’s life story is headed to the big screen. The preeminent film critic announced through his Twitter account Friday that his 2011 memoir, “Life Itself,” has been optioned for a documentary film by documentarian Steve James and screenwriter/director Steven Zaillian.

Martin Scorsese is in line as executive producer of the film. Ebert’s book touched on his long career as a critic, as well as his health problems in recent years. Ebert lost his speaking voice to throat cancer, but has continued his writing career in a stunningly prolific fashion.

James is best known as the director of the 1994 documentary “Hoop Dreams”- a film vocally championed at the time by Ebert and his then-cohost Gene Siskel.