The name Lewis Carroll may not mean all that much to gamers - but in the days before computers, consoles, and a myriad of other technological distractions, children, adolescents and adults alike would read books. One classic which has widely been read throughout nearly a century and a half is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

In the year 2000, Electronic Arts and American McGee jumped down the rabbit hole, taking a fairly major leap into new and uncertain ground, creating a cult-classic, dark-fantasy interpretation of Carroll's novel. Today, EA and McGee's studio, Spicy Horse Games have announced that they'd like to have another crack at the Alice IP, in the newly announced the Return of American McGee's Alice.

The game is currently in pre-production and isn't due for some time. It will be released on the PC, PS3 and the Xbox 360, and looks as though it will be powered by the Unreal 3 engine, with Spicy Horse Games currently seeking a Senior Unreal Programmer with experience in the Unreal 2/3 engine.

American McGee who was the mastermind behind the first Alice title in 2000, is excited about revisiting the the IP - stating that:

This new project is a dream come true for me and the fans who’ve kept the Alice flame alive. EA gave us creative latitude and support on the original game which resulted in something beautiful and daring. This trip through the looking glass promises to be even more exciting.

Meanwhile, David DeMartini, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA Partners had the following to say about the new adventure McGee would be embarking on:

EA Partners is thrilled to team up with American McGee and Spicy Horse on the next instalment of the Alice franchise. American McGee’s interpretation of Alice was an instant classic, and EA Partners is ready to help him bring his innovative vision for the franchise to even darker, more exciting places.

No real details regarding gameplay, release dates or much else have yet been revealed, but it looks like this title may open EA towards several more niche games in the future. American McGee can be considered to stand on the same ground as Tim Schafer when it comes to creativity and vision - so this title is worth looking out for.