Julia Roberts is to star in a film based on the Batkid story.

The Oscar-winning actress will also produce and help develop the big-screen remake of the documentary Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around The World, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Scott Miles as Batkid
Scott as Batkid (AP Photo/Bay Area News Group, Gary Reyes)

The TV show focuses on the real-life events of November 15, 2013, when the city of San Francisco partnered with the Make-a-Wish foundation to fulfil leukaemia survivor Miles Scott’s dream to be Batkid.

US President Barack Obama even filmed a message of support to the superhero, while more than 20,000 people lined the streets to watch Miles, in full costume, rescuing a damsel in distress, stopping the Riddler from carrying out a bank robbery and chasing down the Penguin with help from his full-sized equivalent.

Filmmaker Dana Nachman, who directed the documentary and will be an executive producer on the film, said: “It’s thrilling to me that Ms Roberts and her team watched our film and were so moved by it that they want to dedicate their time and creative capital to make sure the widest audience possible will know and love Miles’ story and the spirit of this intimate special event that went global, as much as we do.”

Miles, who is from Tulelake in rural northern California, is in remission from life-threatening lymphoblastic leukaemia, with which he was diagnosed at 18 months.

Miles Scott
(Eric Risberg/AP/Press Association Images)

Julia, who won the Academy Award for her performance in Erin Brockovich, is tipped to portray Miles’ mother.

The 47-year-old actress was last seen in August: Osage County alongside Meryl Streep and Juliette Lewis. She also starred in Ryan Murphy’s TV drama, The Normal Heart.

The documentary premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival on January 24.