Legendary director Steven Spielberg has been lined up to direct a film based on the DC comics group Blackhawks, a group of World War II-era pilots, for some time now. Now writer David Koepp, who is writing the script for the Blackhawk film, gave an update on where the project stands.
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“We have a script that’s very good and we all think it’s very good,” Koepp told Collider. “There were a lot of management changes at Warner Bros, so I think we’ve just been kind of waiting for that to settle down, and for them to decide what they want to do with their DC Universe.”
Koepp also touched on Spielberg’s potential involvement.
“Obviously, I hope [Spielberg] does it or if he doesn’t direct it, I hope he produces it [and] someone great directs,” said Koepp. “Because it would be a great deal of fun. I’m very fond of the script and I hope it comes together. But again, that’s one of those movies that’s gonna need $200 million, so trying to get those whales off the beach is a big process.”
For those unaware, The Blackhawks were a group of World War II-era ace pilots who fight tyranny and oppression, and who debuted in an issue of Military Comics in August 1941. Due to the group being set in a specific era, Koepp said that there were never any plans to set a Blackhawk film in the same universe of other DC projects like Wonder Woman or Aquaman, specifically because it wouldn’t make much sense.
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The history of a Blackhawks film stretches pretty far back, with Spielberg expressing interest in directing a film based on the group since the early 1980s. However, the project was eventually canceled, and Spielberg went on to direct Raiders of the Lost Ark instead. In 2018, the Blackhawk project was revived, and Spielberg was attached as the director and producer.
While production was reportedly set to start following the completion of Spielberg’s West Side Story, it’s now unclear if the legendary filmmaker will be involved.