Steven Spielberg has tried his hand at various types of films throughout his career, but a superhero film isn’t one of them. That could be about to change.
After teaming up with Warner Bros. on Ready Player One, the director is now looking to team up with them again through DC Films, as Spielberg and his production company Amblin Entertainment are going to take on Blackhawk, an adaptation of the World War II-centric comics team. Spielberg will produce, with an eye to direct.
The Blackhawks first appeared in a DC comic in 1941. They’re a small team of WWII-era pilots of diverse nationalities who fight tyranny. Considering Spielberg’s politically charged output recently (Bridge Of Spies, The Post), which have also ruminated on what it means to be American, this seems like a great fit to match his recent thematic interests.
David Koepp, a frequent collaborator with Spielberg on films such as Jurassic Park and War Of The Worlds, will write the screenplay for Blackhawk. In a statement, Spielberg expressed his enthusiasm on re-teaming with Warner Bros.:
“It was wonderful working with the team at Warner Bros. to bring Ready Player One to the screen. They bring a blend of passion and professionalism to everything they do and have a tremendous history in this genre. I am excited to reunite with them on Blackhawk“.
This is obviously incredibly exciting news, and following on the heels of yesterday’s announcement of newcomer Cathy Yan signing on to helm the Birds Of Prey adaptation, things are suddenly looking up for DC – though it’s unclear if Blackhawk will be connected specifically to the DCEU (or whether the DCEU is even still a thing).
While Spielberg potentially helming a superhero movie will have fans licking their lips, Blackhawk will not be his next movie. It might not even be one of his next two films. The director is spending this year prepping Indiana Jones 5, which shoots in 2019, as well as a West Side Story remake, and he still intends for those to be his next two films.
So Blackhawk likely won’t begin filming until 2020 at the earliest unless plans change. Spielberg does have a habit of attaching himself to projects that he eventually doesn’t direct, so we’ll cross our fingers for now and hold the celebrations, but his involvement on a producer level and his willingness to re-team with WB makes this seem like a good bet to happen.
#Peace.Love.Blackhawk
