Steven Spielberg is entering the world of DC Comics.
After the success of “Ready Player One,” the iconic filmmaker is reteaming with Warner Bros. to take on his first DC Comics property, the World War II-era hero Blackhawk.
Image credit: Wikimedia/DC Comics
Spielberg and his Amblin Entertainment will produce “Blackhawk” for the studio, with the filmmaker eyeing it to direct, Warner Bros. announced Tuesday.
“It was wonderful working with the team at Warner Bros. to bring ‘Ready Player One’ to the screen,” Spielberg said in a statement. “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.'”
First appearing in “Military Comics” No.1, the series follows a squadron of elite pilots of different nationalities led by the eponymous Blackhawk. The long-running series was first published by Quality Comics and later by DC Comics. Co-created by Chuck Cuidera, Bob Powell and Will Eisner, the title was a top seller in the ’40s, outselling most comics but Superman.
Longtime Spielberg collaborator David Koepp, who wrote “Jurassic Park,” “War of the Worlds” and the fifth installment in the “Indiana Jones” series, is penning the script.
Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce the film alongside Spielberg, while former Warner Bros. executive Sue Kroll will executive produce under her newly former production shingle, Kroll & Co. Entertainment.
Although this is not a cape and cowl comic book adaptation, the notion of Spielberg directing a film with World War II aerial dogfights is exciting. No other filmmaker, in my opinion, crafts blockbuster adventure epics like Spielberg; from “Indiana Jones” to “Jurassic Park” to the underrated “The Adventures of Tintin,” Spielberg is a master at immersing audiences in the world of his films.
Outside of 2017’s “Wonder Woman,” DC films have largely been disappointing. Still, Warner Bros. has made an effort to recruit top-tier filmmakers to direct their comic book properties; James Wan is directing “Aquaman,” Matt Reeves is working on a Batman film and Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay recently signed on to helm “New Gods.”
Spielberg is currently working on “Indiana Jones 5,” which is set to start shooting next year in the U.K., and he’s also developing a remake of “West Side Story.” Hopefully, Spielberg finds time in his busy schedule to direct “Blackhawk.”