Like most A-list directors, Steven Spielberg has a habit of attaching himself to projects he’ll likely never get around to making (fun fact: Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming “Interstellar” started life as a Spielberg project ) so when the legendary filmmaker began circling a Tom Hanks-starring Cold War thriller, we didn’t really give it much stock despite the shared history between the two. While we questioned whether the untitled film would “survive the development process,” DreamWorks has decided to directly challenge our cynicism and you’re going to want to sit down for this.
THR reports that despite the film having a draft by Matt Charman that seems to have already interested two of the biggest names working in the industry, the studio has seen fit to bring aboard an obscure pair of screenwriters by the names of Joel and Ethan Coen to write a new draft. Yes dear readers, those Coens and not the one that Bill Murray thought wrote “Garfield.”
To recap, Spielberg will direct Hanks in an as-of-yet untitled true story that follows Hanks as “James Donovan, an attorney who was thrust into the center of the Cold War when he negotiated with the KGB for the release of downed U–2 spy plane pilot Gary Powers.” To top it all off, the Coens will write the new draft. The duo seem to enjoy the process of writing for other filmmakers later, having also lent their powers to Angelina Jolie‘s upcoming awards season contender “Unbroken.”
If all goes right then the plan is to start shooting the film this September on-location in Europe. Start your sacrifices to the cinema gods now folks, and we may just may see a film with the highest pedigree imaginable.
