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War Horse MOVIE Anticipation Thread (News, Interviews, Images, Posters, etc)


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Steven Spielberg has selected his next directing job: World War I epic "War Horse."

Disney and DreamWorks will release the film Aug. 10, 2011.

"War Horse" is based on Michael Morpurgo's novel of the same name, as well as a stage adaptation. Spielberg is producing with Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Revel Guest. Scribes Lee Hall and Richard Curtis are penning the adapted script.

Set against the sweeping backdrop of the Great War, storyline charts the extraordinary friendship between a boy and a horse who are separated but whose fates continue to intertwine over the course of WWI.

The Great War was a natural topic for Spielberg to take on. He's already explored World War II in a number of projects, including directing "Saving Private Ryan." He exec produced HBO's "Band of Brothers," and more recently, the pay cabler's "The Pacific."

Spielberg's process is to develop several projects at a time before deciding which one he'll direct next. In this case, he also was weighing "Robopocalypse" and biopic "Gershwin."

The director is next in theaters with 3D family pic "The Adventures of Tin-Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn," which unspools Dec. 23.

Spielberg and DreamWorks co-chair-CEO Stacey Snider acquired the rights to Morpurgo's "War Horse" last fall.

At that time, Spielberg said he knew from the minute he read the book that he wanted DreamWorks to make the film. "Its heart and its message provide a story that can be felt in every country," he said.

"War Horse" was first published in 1982 when it was a runner-up for the prestigious Whitbread Award. Morpurgo is the best-selling author of more than 120 books for children including "Kensuke's Kingdom" and "Private Peaceful."

The hit stage adaptation of "War Horse," written by Nick Stafford and directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, was first produced at London's National Theater in 2007. It has since played successful repeat engagements in the West End.

DreamWorks also has optioned the rights to the stage play. Spielberg saw the play in London in March.

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That's excellent news, IMHO. There aren't enough movies about The Great War. I know of The Blue Max and Joyeux Noel, though I've seen neither.

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Given the end of that sentence, it looks like the author didn't realized it was next year.

But I do hope this indeed happens. Sounds like great material for a JW score.

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But I do hope this indeed happens. Sounds like great material for a JW score.

Me too! Two classic JW scores in 2011! (or maybe three :beerchug: )

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I take this less lightly than one of Spielberg's billions of other possible projects. This article says "he will direct it," not "he's eyeing it" or something similar. Then again, Lincoln and Harvey were also claimed to have been absolute. But still, I am actually willing to believe that this will be his next project after Tintin, although I refuse to get my hopes set ridiculously high. And that'd be great, I think that both Spielberg and John Williams could make this a project worth viewing/hearing.

But I can't believe ranks of JWFan let one slip by! Here's an article about Robopocalypse:

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/03/12/steven-spielberg-may-direct-robopocalypse-adaptation-from-cloverfield-screenwriter/

Trailer for the play in London:

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Could be an interesting JW score .Because in the end, it's all that matters

Sadly, there was a time when a Spielberg film mattered just as much.

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How many freaking projects does Spielberg have in the pipelines! Sheesh!

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I'll believe Spielberg is doing a new movie when I'm actually sitting in the theatre watching it.

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How many films has Spielberg toyed with? Too many to count. How many has he recently committed to directing? Three, including War Horse. There's a good chance that this'll be the one.

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this is the one. Not a bad choice, much more interesting than Tintin and Lincoln.

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Could be an interesting JW score .Because in the end, it's all that matters

Sadly, there was a time when a Spielberg film mattered just as much.

Wow. That seems harsh. He is still my favorite director and I can't think of anyone else that comes close to matching his output. But I'll believe this when I see a photo of him behind a camera.

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Wow. That seems harsh. He is still my favorite director and I can't think of anyone else that comes close to matching his output. But I'll believe this when I see a photo of him behind a camera.

All good and well, but he's semi-retired now (the last years were nothing but VARIETY blurbs about possible involvements).

When he's making a movie, it's a technically proficient one, but it's not like Bunuel or Visconti making their grand last stand at the camera. Like HIDALGO, this should give a composer some good opportunities to shine, though...

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This film was already one of the several Spielberg was considering, so it's not exactly something unexpected.

The project surely has potential and seems to contain some Spielberg-ian elements in it, we'll see how the Man will tackle it.

However, it's not so strange he chose on a family-friendly subject, as this will be his first film as a director under the new DreamWorks/Disney banner. I guess he needs to pay a little fee to the Mouse House in the end.

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Could be an interesting JW score .Because in the end, it's all that matters

Sadly, there was a time when a Spielberg film mattered just as much.

Sad as it is, I'm inclined to agree with you, Mark. I will still see every new Spielberg film as a matter of course(even though I couldn't give a rat's one for "Tintin"), but my days of champing at the bit for a new movie by Stevie-boy are well and truly over.

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Spielberg's process is to develop several projects at a time before deciding which one he'll direct next. In this case, he also was weighing "Robopocalypse" and biopic "Gershwin."

Robopocalypse?

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Spielberg's process is to develop several projects at a time before deciding which one he'll direct next. In this case, he also was weighing "Robopocalypse" and biopic "Gershwin."

Robopocalypse?

"Gershwin"? After the box office performances of both "De-Lovely", and "Beneath The Sea", I would advise that Steven Allen Spielberg stay well clear of composer bio-pics. Besides, the ultimate bio-pic has already been done, in the shape the flawless "The Glenn Miller Story".

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Howzabout a bio-pic of Cole Porter, with, as its soundtrack, all the songs from the "Red Hot + Blue" c.d? "Night And Day", by U2 is amazing!

Williams could do a new take on "Anything Goes".

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Could be an interesting JW score .Because in the end, it's all that matters

Sadly, there was a time when a Spielberg film mattered just as much.

Wow. That seems harsh. He is still my favorite director and I can't think of anyone else that comes close to matching his output. But I'll believe this when I see a photo of him behind a camera.

Output, what output?

His last two movies were mistakes.

His next movie always seems to different from day to day, though War Horse has a release date. That does give it weight.

Josh insanely clings to the idea he's still doing Lincoln, that project is as dead as that president.

Perhaps John will live long enough to do a Cohen inspired score.

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I hope it will be more along the lines of Empire of the Sun than The Black Stallion. But probably it will be, well, a different horse ;)

I can already see the teaser trailer: slow-mo horse running accompained by Thomas Newman's The Horse Whisperer. I bet my money on it. :blink:

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I would prefer if spielberg made a movie per year.

Doing 3 in one year every few years must exhaust Williams health a lot. Also the scores suffer a little from self quoation.

;)

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Spielberg has only ever made 2 per year

Yea, scoring 4 films a year is asking too much of Williams these days I think. Unless they were all released 3 months apart. It was the "2 in the summer then 2 in Nov/Dec" that really hurt 2002 and 2005.

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Meh. I'm not familiar with the book, but a "boy and his animal" story doesn't sound nearly as interesting as a Gershwin film. Then again, Spielberg and Williams did pretty well with a "boy and his alien" flick, so we'll see. Hopefully it'll be a good period drama that happens to deal with a boy and his horse.

And I'm not gonna lie--I wouldn't mind one more conclusive Indy film (or two shot back-to-back if they wanted).

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Doing 3 in one year every few years must exhaust Williams health a lot.

;)

Oh yeah, moving that pencil up and down and thinking melodically must really strain the heart. Some of you guys get a little too worried about things. As long as JW doesn't have cancer or some other illness, I don't see why he can't score 10 films in a year. Just look at Morricone.

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Doing 3 in one year every few years must exhaust Williams health a lot.

;)

Oh yeah, moving that pencil up and down and thinking melodically must really strain the heart. Some of you guys get a little too worried about things. As long as JW doesn't have cancer or some other illness, I don't see why he can't score 10 films in a year. Just look at Morricone.

Mental exhaustion, stress, late nights, not to mention the focus and physical strength required to correct and conduct the orchestra.

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And I think any movie about a forgotten war is more fascinating than a biopic.

If it really is just as much (if not moreso) about the war and the period, then sure. But the press release makes it seem so bland. A Gershwin biopic could be great because it wouldn't just be dealing with Gershwin, but with that milieu with which he was so associated--with Tin Pan Alley, and New York in the early 20th century. His music, and his life, and that period, with Spielberg and Williams on the job? Sounds good to me.

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Doing 3 in one year every few years must exhaust Williams health a lot.

:(

Oh yeah, moving that pencil up and down and thinking melodically must really strain the heart. Some of you guys get a little too worried about things. As long as JW doesn't have cancer or some other illness, I don't see why he can't score 10 films in a year. Just look at Morricone.

Mental exhaustion, stress, late nights, not to mention the focus and physical strength required to correct and conduct the orchestra.

The man's been on tour forever. Mental exhaustion I can understand, but he's not gonna keel over mid-conducting.

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Aside from walking a bit slower and moving a little more gingerly after conducting, Williams looked and appeared to be in good health for a man of his age.

It's obvious he's done with Hollywood unless Spielberg comes calling.

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Aside from walking a bit slower and moving a little more gingerly after conducting, Williams looked and appeared to be in good health for a man of his age.

It's obvious he's done with Hollywood unless Spielberg comes calling.

This is a fascinating remark, Mark, and one that begs the question: "Will J.W. ever officially retire, or will he just compose/conduct less and less, and simply fade away?"

I would like to see some sort of "farewell" tour (preferably at The Barbican, and with The L.S.O.), but if he never makes another note of music again, then I'll still die a happy bunny, knowing that I will have all my J.W. c.d.s (all 192 of 'em) to play, and savour.

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"Will J.W. ever officially retire, or will he just compose/conduct less and less, and simply fade away?"

Like a Jedi Master.

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I think as long as he is physically able to, he will continue to tour, work on his concert music and when Steve picks up the phone, score a films.

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With the countless footage Spielberg has shot of the various scoring sessions, you can see him doing it on the E.T. DVD doc, I'm surprised ole Stevie hasn't put together some sort of film honoring his friend.

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I don't see what this adds to Spielberg career.

Is Insterstellar in writing/preproduction hell because they can't do it or because Stevie isn't really interested on it?

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I was disappointed when I heard about this War Horse, friendship between a boy and horse sounds dull as hell. :thumbup:

Another child actor lacking future prosperity... I hope Spielberg pursues towards Lincoln. Great theme for a film and

great opportunity for Williams to compose something noble with full gusto.

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