Steven Spielberg makes his way to the world of DC with the adaptation of Blackhawk which he will produce and possibly direct, making it his first feature based on characters from the comic book franchise.
This news was announced by Warner Bros. (with whom Spielberg and his Amblin Entertainment are reteaming) a day after Spielberg became the first director to cross the $10-billion threshold in global box office for Ready Player One (which features cameo appearances by Batman, Harley Quinn, Batgirl and more).
“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,” said Warner Bros. pictures group chairman Toby Emmerich.
First published by Quarterly Comics in 1941, Blackhawk is a wartime adventure series focusing on an elite team of World War II-era pilots led by a mysterious man called Blackhawk. The team also known as ‘the Blackhawks’ or ‘the Blackhawk Squadron’ fought Nazis, the Axis powers, as well as super-villains and war machines (such as the memorable shark planes which could operate in water as well as in the air).
Created by Will Eisner along with Chuck Cuidera and Bob Powell, the series has also been adapted in the modern era as a part of The New 52 and have introduced a well-known DC heroine, Lady Blackhawk who joined the series in the late 1950s. The title was acquired by DC Comics in 1957.
“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,” Spielberg added.
The screenplay of the film will be written by frequent Spielberg collaborator, David Koepp (screenwriter for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). Spielberg will co-produce the film with Kristie Macosko Krieger under the Amblin Entertainment banner, while Sue Kroll will be the executive producer under her Kroll Entertainment.
The timing for the production of Blackhawk is unknown as Spielberg has two projects in his kitty that includes the fifth Indiana Jones movie and West Side Story.
