Steven Spielberg’s decision about what movie he wants to make next has turned into quite a saga. Although he’s filmed The Adventures Of Tintin: Secret Of The Unicorn, that won’t be released until the end of next year, meaning we haven’t had a film from the director since Indiana Jones 4.
Since then he’s been attached to numerous projects, including getting close to making Harvey with Robert Downey Jr (it fell apart shortly before shooting was due to begin), reports he was going to go secret agent with a Matt Helm movie, as well as a Gershwin biopic and a sci-fi flick called Robopocalypse, along with various other films he was said to be mulling over.
However a few months ago he bought the rights to British children’s author, Michael Morpurgo’s book War Horse, with Variety reporting that he’s now officially chosen this as his next movie. Not only that that but he’s already got a release date – August 10th, 2011 – which means that despite having filmed Tintin last year, the massive post-production schedule on the motion capture movie means War Horse will make it to cinemas first.
Morpurgo’s book tells the dramatic tale of a boy and his horse, who are separated when the animal is sold off to go to war in 1914. However their fates are intertwined and while the horse faces increasing horrors, seeing the front line from both the British and German sides, he is eventually reunited with his former owner, who by that point is old enough to have joined the war effort himself. It is an incredibly moving book with a strong view on the inate tragedy of war for everything and everyone involved. With its mix of drama and both human and animal action, it could make an incredibly thought provoking and beautiful film.
Interest in the Morpurgo’s novel has undoubtedly been raised in the last couple of years following the National Theatre’s immensely successful production or War Horse (pictured), which recreated the story on stage using incredibly innovative puppetry.
Screenwriters Lee Hall and Richard Curtis are working on the script, with production due to start later this year.