Steven Spielberg To Direct The Film Adaptation of DC Comics' BLACKHAWK!
In a surprise announcement, director Stephen Spielberg is looking to direct a feature film adaptation of the DC Comics property Blackhawk for Warner Bros. This bit of news came completely out of nowhere, but I love that he's going to be developing comic book movie and this is the perfect property for him to take on. He will be producing the film through his Amblin Entertainment, and it's being set up for him to direct.
Blackhawk was first introduced in 1941 by Quality Comics before the property was acquired by DC Comics in 1957. In the comics, Blackhawk was the leader of the Blackhawk Squadron, an elite group of pilots that fought in World War II.
The screenplay for the film is being written by David Koepp, who has collaborated with Spielberg on films such as Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Toby Emmerich, chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group had this to say in a statement:
"We are so proud to be the studio behind Steven Spielberg’s latest hit, and are thrilled to be working with him again on this new action adventure. We can’t wait to see what new ground he will break in introducing ‘Blackhawk’ to movie audiences worldwide."
Spielberg added:
"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.'"
It will be awhile before we see this Blackhawk movie because Spielberg won't be able to get to it until after he's done with Indiana Jones 5 and West Side Story.
Blackhawk was created by Will Eisner, Bob Powell and Chuck Cuidera and here are the details from DC:
Blackhawk is an ace pilot, fighting for the Allies with his fabled Blackhawk Squadron. One of the Quality Comics heroes, Blackhawk has been around since the war, and had several reboots and retcons since then.
The original Golden Age hero was Blackhawk, an American fighting for Poland during the invasion. After his brother and sister (a doctor and nurse) were killed in a bombing by the German commander Von Tepp, Blackhawk gathered pilots from other occupied countries to form the Blackhawk Squadron. These adventures lasted until well after the war.
I love what Spielberg has done with WWII films in the past, so I can't wait to see him take this on!
Source: Variety