DreamWorks has picked up screen rights to The 39 Clues, a multiplatform adventure series set to launch in the fall by Scholastic Media. Steven Spielberg is eyeing the project as a directing vehicle.

According to Variety, Spielberg is expected to set a screenwriter in the next few weeks.

The 39 Clues which launches Sept. 9, is envisioned as a 10-book series to be released over two years. It's described as a multimedia adventure that will include a set of collectible cards and an online game that will serve as a portal as young readers try to solve a mystery for a grand prize of $10,000. The contest will run for two years.

The focus of The 39 Clues is the most powerful family in the world, the Cahills, who count Napoleon and Houdini among their relatives. Readers will be challenged to discover the source of the family's powers, revealed through 39 clubs that are hidden around the world and scattered throughout history.