We reported a couple of weeks ago that Steven Spielberg had dropped out of the “Harvey” remake, and was mulling over his options, including a fifth Indiana Jones film, god forbid, his Lincoln biopic, Jonathan Nolan’s “Interstellar” and the adventure film “The 39 Clues.” Now, there’s one more to add to the list.
The bearded one is set to produce an adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s World War One children’s novel “War Horse,” alongside frequent collaborators Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall. The script will come from “Billy Elliot” writer Lee Hall. The book follows Albert, a young boy, and Joey, his horse, who are separated at the outbreak of the war. Joey is sold to the cavalry, and ends up on both sides of the conflict, until Albert travels to France to rescue him. A stage adaptation, by playwright Nick Stafford, and starring Luke Treadaway (“Brothers of the Head,” “Clash of the Titans”) premiered at the National Theatre in London to huge acclaim and success, before transferring to the West End, where it’s still running, and reducing audiences to floods of tears. It’s likely to transfer to Broadway sometime in 2011.
Will it work as a movie? The play relies on hugely complex puppetry, which gives a certain amount of creative license, but it’s possible that, with a realistic-looking horse, it could be almost too harrowing for audiences. If anyone can pull it off, however, it’s Lee Hall. Spielberg tells Variety that “From the moment I read the book, I knew this was a film I wanted Dreamworks to make. Its heart and its message provide a story that can be felt in every country.” The studio won’t confirm if Spielberg is considering directing, but it certainly seems like a possibility – the material seems right up his alley, and we’d rather see this than “Indiana Jones and the Colostomy Bag of Terror.” If not – Joe Wright? Jean-Jacques Annaud? The guy who did “Hotel for Dogs?”