Steven Spielberg is set to defy gravity for Paramount Pictures. The helmer is attached to direct an untitled sci-fi film for the studio that delves into Caltech physicist Kip Thorne's theories of gravity fields.

Although the project is considered embryonic -- there is no screenplay yet and would likely be three to four years away from fruition -- Thorne wrote a treatment with the help of producer and science nut Lynda Obst, prompting Spielberg's involvement.

Obst ("How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days") will produce the film through her Paramount-based shingle.

Based on real science, the film will explore the mind-bending territory of black holes and gravity waves and touch on some of the hypotheses that Albert Einstein chased but never could prove. Thorne, a longtime friend of Obst's, is one of the world's leading experts on relativity.

It is unclear how Thorne's scientific theories will evolve into a film-ready narrative, but the concept has been described as in the vein of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Spielberg, who directed last year's sci-fi summer tentpole "War of the Worlds" for Paramount, also is developing and producing "When Worlds Collide" for the studio. Although he has not picked his next directing project, there are at least two leading candidates: "Indiana Jones 4" for Paramount and an untitled Abraham Lincoln biopic for DreamWorks.

Paramount's Ben Cosgrove will shepherd for the studio.

Spielberg is repped by CAA and attorneys Bruce Ramer and Harold Brown.