EXCLUSIVE: Even as he juggles an award season campaign for
West Side Story and post-production on his semi-autobiographical pic
The Fablemans, Steven Spielberg looks to be getting that future dance card in order as sources tell Deadline he is attached to direct a new original story revolving centered on Frank
Bullitt, the iconic character played by Steve McQueen in the 1968 thriller,
Bullitt. Spielberg will also produce the pic along with Kristie Macosko Krieger with
Josh Singer on board to pen the script. Sources do add that with no script and deals still being finalized, this would likely not be the next project he directs.
In the film, Frank Bullitt is a no-nonsense San Francisco cop on the hunt for the mob kingpin that killed his witness. Considered one of McQueen’s more iconic roles, the film delivers one the most famous chase scenes in cinema history.
Sources were clear this is not a remake of that film but a new original idea centered on the character. Steve McQueen’s kids, Chad and Molly McQueen will exec produce.
Insiders say Spielberg had been toying with the idea to direct a film based on the character for some time and came close last year to making it his follow-up to West Side Story but but had to negotiate with the McQueen estate for the rights to the character before he would attach as a director. With the negotiations taking longer then expected, Spielberg shifted his focus to directing The Fablemans, the film which is loosely based on the director’s childhood growing up in Arizona, and moved off of this film. Once filming wrapped on Fablemans, he circled back to the Frank Bullitt project and recently tapped Singer to pen the script.
Spielberg is already having a good start to the year with
West Side Story recently landing six Oscars which included a best director and best picture nominations. As for
The Fablemans, that pic bows this Thanksgiving.
