No, Steven Spielberg is not working on a new feature film. The director, whose latest film Fabelmans will be released on February 22 in France, has announced a mini-series project on Napoleon.
A first in his career, but that’s not all: he’s adapting a screenplay by Stanley Kubrick, who shot down the idea in the early seventies.
The interested party disclosed the information at the press conference held on February 21 at the Berlin International Film Festival. This biographical film made by Stanley Kubrick from the late sixties is one of the most famous unfinished projects in the history of cinema.
At the time, the director of 2001 and The Shining put together a 180-page screenplay that traces the life of the emperor, from his childhood in Ajaccio to his death on the island of Saint Helena.
While the film is still in development, names such as David Hemmings and Jack Nicholson are being floated for the role of Napoleon, as well as Audrey Hepburn for his wife Josephine. The monstrous cost of the project deterred the MGM studio, which eventually decided to throw in the towel.
“With the help of Christian Kubrick and Ian Harlan, we are creating a major production for HBO based on Stanley Kubrick’s original screenplay for Napoleon.,” Steven Spielberg elaborates, before revealing that it will be a seven-part story.
A few years ago, some directors like Kerry Joji Fukanaga and David Auburn also had a project to adapt the screenplay, to no avail. In anticipation of Steven Spielberg’s miniseries, another Bonaparte biopic directed by Ridley Scott with Joaquin Phoenix is set to see the light of day in 2023.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
