Spielberg adapts War Horse

A boy befriends a beast. There’s war. Must be a Spielberg film.

Having just reneged on his plans to helm a remake of Harvey (thanks to rumoured bust-ups with Robert Downey Jr), Steven Spielberg has turned his attention to adapting Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 novel War Horse .

“From the moment I read it, I knew this was a film I wanted DreamWorks to make,” the director said. “Its heart and its message provide a story that can be felt in every country.”

Working alongside producing partners Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Revel Guest, War Horse will be the first project developed under the newly independent DreamWorks Pictures.

Billy Elliot scripter Lee Hall has been hired to adapt the book, which is a war tale told from the point of view of a young farm horse sent off to the Western Front in 1914.

Fan of the ‘boy’s beast friend’ book? Want a film? Chat it out below...

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.