With the next Star Trek movie not starting to shoot for at least another year, Zachary Quinto has some time to play with, and according to Deadline Hollywood, he’s being lined up to play the lead role in a biopic of George Gershwin that Spielberg is thinking of directing for Dreamworks.
The studio recently bought a script by Memoirs Of A Geisha writer, Doug Wright, about the composer, which spans his life from his impoverished chidhood as the son of Russian immigrants to his death at the age of only 38. During his short career he wrote numerous Broadway shows with his brother Ira, including Funny Face, An American In Paris and his most ambitious work, Porgy And Bess.
Quinto is the main person Spielberg is looking at for the role, and he would seem a good choice, as he does look a little bit like Gershwin.
However a possible fly in the ointment is that while filming could start as early as April, the bearded director hasn’t yet officially committed to making the movie. At the moment it’s just one of three films that could his next project. However as he’s said to be itching to get back to work as soon as possible, an announcement is expected imminently. That said, it does look like the Gershwin project will go ahead whether Spielberg directs it or not, as apparently Dreamworks has already supplied Quinto with a dialogue and accent coach to prepare for the role.