The Hollywood Reporter brings word today that Steven Spielberg has signed on to produce and potentially direct an adaptation of DC Comics property Blackhawk, the WWII action-adventure hero who first sprung onto the tiles in 1941.
On script duties is David Koepp, a frequent Spielberg collaborator whose work spans Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with the full force of Amblin Entertainment ready to produce alongside Warner Bros.
Spielberg, meanwhile, has agreed to develop and produce Blackhawk, though WB is said to be angling it as a potential directing vehicle. Should a deal place, it would mark the filmmaker’s first major foray into the world of DC Comics, and there is perhaps no character better suited to Spielberg than Blackhawk, whose WWII roots ought to whisk the illustrious director back to his days on Band of Brothers – albeit with an added superhero twist.
The mysterious titular character who first appeared in Military Comics #1 led the Blackhawks, a squadron of World War II-era pilots which Blackhawk formed from occupied countries after his brother and sister were killed in a bombing by the Germans army.
In a statement, Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich welcomed Spielberg with open arms, writing that:
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 has already chosen Indiana Jones 5 as his next project (and his follow-up to Ready Player One, no less), with production expected to enter full swing in April of 2019 ahead of the sequel’s blockbuster launch on July 10th, 2020. And yes, it’s looking increasingly likely that it’ll spell the end of Harrison Ford’s tenure as Indy.
Still no word on when Blackhawk may take flight, but it’s very early days. And besides, news of Steven Spielberg’s involvement is enough to pique our curiosity from the off.