The always prodigious Steven Spielberg just released his first musical, “West Side Story,” in December, is already done shooting his next film (“Meet The Fabelman”), and already has many future projects brewing. One of those potential films may allow the filmmaker to tackle crime in San Francisco during the swinging 1960s, placing Spielberg directly in the cop action genre.
Deadline reports that Spielberg and Warner Bros. are teaming up for a new film that will bring back Steven McQueen’s iconic San Francisco detective, Frank Bullitt, for a project that has the blessing of the McQueen Estate. The outlet is quick to point out that Speilberg’s film will not be a reboot of the fantastic 1968 film “Bullitt,” and the new adventure will have a script penned by Josh Singer (“Spotlight”). Singer already worked with Spielberg on the Richard Nixon-era journalism drama “The Post,” making this collaboration a reunion.
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“Bullitt” is known for its practical stunts with one of cinematic history’s most iconic car chases. It’ll be interesting to see if Spielberg will employ similar classic stunt drivers or opt for digital effects instead. Given the film isn’t a reboot, it’s possible the new story from Singer could take place before or after the events of the 1960s installment.
If you’re unfamiliar with the original, here is the synopsis to “Bullitt”:
Senator Walter Chalmers is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross with the help of testimony from the criminal’s hothead brother Johnny, who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt. When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses. This thriller includes one of the most famous car chases ever filmed.
This new Bullitt movie comes off the heels of news that Shane Black (“The Nice Guys”) and Robert Donwey Jr. are reuniting for a feature film at Amazon focusing on the hard-boiled character Parker, made famous in the 1967 Lee Marvin thriller “Point Blank.” Could a new string of “Dirty Harry” movies focusing on the grizzled trigger-happy San Francisco detective played initially by Clint Eastwood be on the horizon too? Time will tell.