Steven Spielberg Near Commitment To Direct Moses Epic For Warner Bros
EXCLUSIVE: Steven Spielberg is near to etching in stone with Warner Bros on that biopic portraying the Jewish leader as the warrior to beat all warriors. With a working title of Gods And Kings, what’s envisioned is “a movie like a Braveheart-ish version of the Moses story,” an insider tells us. “Him coming down the river, being adopted, leaving his home, forming an army, and getting the Ten Commandments.” And despite the awesome screen possibilities of the parting of the Red Sea, the movie isn’t being contemplated in 3D. Back in 1956, Paramount released The Ten Commandments in VistaVision to give moviegoers a more spectacular experience of scenes like that. But this film is as far from a remake of the Cecile B. DeMille-directed epic as you can get even though they cover similar ground. Instead Warner Bros wants Spielberg to direct it with the gritty reality of Saving Private Ryan, which is considered a masterpiece redefining battle movies. ”There have been glossy versions of the Moses story but this would be a real warrior story,” an insider tells us.
The studio has wanted Spielberg on the project since last September when he first read the script. (See previous, Warner Bros Goes To The Mountaintop For Moses Epic.) Getting Spielberg seemed a long shot because his deals are always complex and his dance card is always full. Talks intensified, and now insiders tell us the dialogue should consummate by the end of the month. Warner Bros wants to start production sometime in March or April of 2013.
Producer Matti Lesham came to the studio with a treatment that was bought for development. The film is being produced by Dan Lin and Lesham. The two writers are Stuart Hazeldine (the upcoming epic Paradise Lost for Legendary/Warner Bros and inspired by the John Milton poem) and Michael Green (co-writer of Warner Bros’ Green Lantern and the upcoming ABC midseason series The River for Spielberg”. It’s the first time they’ve scripted together.
Spielberg just finished directing Lincoln and is already working on Robopocalypse: both are DreamWorks pics co-financed by Twentieth Century Fox. Spielberg wants a big film next and this is it: Ten Commandments was one of the most profitable films of its era, grossing $65 million in 1956 — which in today’s dollars is equivalent to close to $1 Billion theatrical. Spielberg helmed another seminal Jewish movie, Schindler’s List which won seven Oscars at the 66th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. He was just overlooked for a Best Director nomination on Tuesday for War Horse even though it received a Best Picture nod.
Meanwhile this marks the second high-profile film Warner Bros is developing on a seminal Jewish hero. Mel Gibson and Joe Eszterhas are collaborating on their pitch to tell the story of Jewish warrior Judah Maccabee, who teamed with his father and four brothers to lead the Jewish revolt against the Greek-Syrian armies that had conquered Judea in the 2nd century B.C. Gibson has the first option to direct, and he will produce the film through his Icon Productions banner.
Already been there, done that. What could be better than “The Ten Commandments”? Sorry, Steve, you are not going top that one.
Moses was not a warrior. He led no one in battle. The first real warrior for the Children of Israel was Sampson, and of course King David.
SAmson – not. It was Joshua.
Um…don’t forget Joshua. Now there was a warrior!
Uh, Joshua, Moses’ right- hand man
How bout Joshua of conquering Canaan and Jericho fame? He preceded Samson
Only a Christian would say Moses was not a warrior. He spent 20 years in Ethiopia
Where he was a general and and a great warrior. Read up on your Jewish history
Well, I don’t know anything about Moses’ Ethiopian military background, but my lack of knowledge doesn’t take away anything from that statement. I’m just going to assume none of that military history is going to be playing out on Spielberg’s movie screen because most people tend to associate Moses with the leading the Jews out of slavery in Egypt, not defeating the Ethiopians.
Either way, Moses was a leader of the people and yet a bystander in his own story. The bulk of the action — parting of the Red Sea, the plagues, the angel of death and passover — were events done by God, not Moses. All of this was done and emphasized so well in the 1956 move, that I don’t know how Spielberg can take it and make it any different by making it into a “warrior” story. Maybe I’m looking at it all too literally, but a good “warrior story” would be Samson, or David and Goliath, or Joshua, like the other posters said. Good luck to Spielberg, either way.
All of Moses’ military background was trumped by him becoming a prophet and leader of Israel. To focus on Moses’ military career prior to that, automatically means it will be a Godless story.
I’m a Christian and I believe that God used Moses as a leader, prophet and warrior. The Isrealites had to conquer Og and Sihon in the book of Numbers under Moses. While I don’t think it details whether he specifically fought, he certainly commanded his men into battle.
The worst idea ever. Go to Lifetime and make it. Nobody cares about these epic pics anymore.
Build it, they will come. For reasons they can’t even fathom.
No one cares about epic pics? Gladiator, Avatar, Titanic, Schindler’s List. In a way one might argue Batman: Dark Knight Returns was an epic. It will depend how its down and how it compares with Cecil B DeMille. God will need to be shown very powerfully with the best special effects along with a compelling personal story.
You will not get this from the idiots in hollyfreak nor from this director.
no one cares about epic pictures? then why are ethey the top grossing films of all time? that is just a stupid remark,
Gladiator, Avatar, Titanic, Schindler’s List
Worldwide: $457,640,427 Gladiator
‘Avatar’ Claims Highest Gross of All Time$2.075 billion.
Titanic $1,843,201,268
$96,067,179Schindler’s List
add it is approxiamtely 4 and 1/2 billion dollars from the 4 films you mentioned, and speilberg has taken in almost 5 billion with the combined success of all his major movies, he makes a good film, one that is oscar worthy that recives accoltes and makes money. people should give him the beinifit of the doubt. and for all you bible beliving christian’s, read your bible there are many bible battles under moses, and perhaps god will work through these directors. or at least follw the rules of christ and ‘judge not lest ye be judged’ wait til its out see it, if then it is pure crap, say so. but dont pre-judge..
We seen an epic Moses. If you want to see a warrior flux do an epic life of King David
I thought an Epic of Kind David was done with Richard Gere and it bombed?
Not enough “name recognition” for King David.
bob,bob,bob….
King David was pivital in Jewish history. He has plenty of ‘name recognition’.
Only in christiandom can you find some of the ignorant posts about our holy Patriarchs
Please don’t paint all Christians as ignorant of the Old Testament just because Bob is. We read BOTH books because you can’t understand the new without the old.
Not just meek, but also glowing. He had a glow to his face after the burning bush. Can’t wait to see how that gets treated, SPR style.
Actually, it was when Moses went up the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights in God’s presence to receive the second set of tablets with the 10 commandments on them: Exodus 34
I saw Ten Commandments when I was 9, as a required homework for a report. I walked out of there with my hair standing on end and my little Catholic brain on overload.
I realized who the God of the Bible was. Definitely to be respected.
I hope Speilberg gives God His just due. I won’t go otherwise. God knows the world needs a dose of fear and respect for the Almighty and will this movie produce the hair-raising, mind blowing thing that GOD exists? We shall see.
If God needs somebody to make a movie for people to fear/believe in him. Then there is nothing to fear from god.
Moses was a warrior, but against his own kin. Remember after the 10 Commandments he did not lead his people to the Promised Land till after the generation that worshipped the fatted calf was gone. He was a warrior enough!
The Jews were caused to walk the desert for 40 years because they refused to cross the river Jordan into the promise land.It wasn’t caused by them worshiping the gold calf !
…No where in the old testament scripture do you read Moses was a warrior.
He did murder an Egyptian who was abusing the Jews, but thats when he fled Egypt and eventually became a herder of sheep or goats, before God spoke to him and sent him to Egypt to free Gods children !
Study the bible Mike
Actually, you might remember that when he came back down from the mountain, he found the people of Israel had gone wayward. Moses had all those who sided with him kill all those who did not (the rebellious wayward). This was not just a brutal and instantaneous civil war, but a total slaughter. If this doesn’t say “warrior”, I don’t know what would.
You’re getting your theologies confused; fatted calf–New Testament: Luke 15. Molten calf–Old Testament: Exodus 32 : 4. Thank you very much!
They were not called Jews then. They were call Hebrews or Israelites
The first noteable warrior for the Jews was certainly Moses, and then noteably Joshua. The Jews ethnically cleansed the highlands of Palestine of all of its previous people. Get your Bible straight, or shut up.
No I think you need to study the bible…and I’d tell you to shut up but you won’t and you’ll continue to tell an untruth ! So expect to be corrected with Gods truth !
Moses, as conceived by the co-writer of “Green Lantern” and brought to the screen by the director of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” What could possibly go wrong?
Actually… This sounds rather reasonable. Moses was kind of a superhero… and anybody who is a comic book geek should know that Superman was created by two nice Jewish boys (Jerry Siegel, Joe Schuster) as a Messianic figure that was modeled largely on Moses.
Hahahahahahaha
Bob,
Can’t help it if you are not up on Pop Culture history. Moses placed in a reed boat and sent down the Nile to escape destruction from the forces of Pharoah, Baby Kal-El (a Jewish name meaning “The Perfect God) placed in a pod-like Spacecraft to escape the destruction of Krypton… both Messianic figures.
There were other influences as well (Samson, John Carter of Mars), but Moses was probably the primary influence on the development of the character of Superman. I’m sure someone will say that I am oversimplifying… and yes there is much more to how Supes developed… but there’s Wikipedia for that.
Okay… call me Nuts and totally out of my mind (‘cuz I probably am…), but I think Spielberg needs to cast Gibson as… Moses! The more I think about it… the more I like it… but I’m crazy, right?
Yes, you’re crazy but it’s my kind of crazy.
That could work.
Now THAT would be an epic!
I TOTALLY agree. That would be outstanding.