Just a few weeks removed from the theatrical release of Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg is back on the horse, having committed to produce and direct a film adaptation of DC Comics’ Blackhawk, one of the longest-tenured comic characters.
Per Variety, the film, to be Spielberg’s first based on characters from a comic universe, will be a collaborative production between Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros., which was the lead studio for Ready Player One. Regular Spielberg collaborator David Koepp (Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) has been tabbed to write the film’s screenplay, while Spielberg will executive produce alongside Kristie Macosko Krieger and Sue Kroll.
For those unaware — to be fair, Blackhawk isn’t necessarily one of DC’s signature characters these days — is the leader of a team of ace pilots of various nationalities, assembled originally in August 1941 (more specifically, in Military Comics No. 1) and originally pitted against villains from the Axis powers, like most comic characters of the era. The Blackhawks are easily identifiable by their blue uniforms, complete with a black hawk emblazoned on the chest.
The character was actually created by Quality Comics before being purchased by DC in 1957. Many Blackhawk adventures culminated with battles against monstrous, fantastical war machines like the War Wheel. At the very least, that could make for some truly epic on-screen battles, considering the wealth of CG tech available today. Both Spielberg and Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich have expressed happiness with the finished Ready Player One and excitement for the prospects of Blackhawk.
However, it may be a while before we see any progress, as Spielberg is currently at work on the fifth Indiana Jones movie, with a new adaptation of West Side Story next in the pipeline — not to mention a potential biopic of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein. At 71 years old, Spielberg doesn’t appear to be anywhere near finished with his illustrious career, but we still hope everything goes smoothly because a Spielberg DC movie would be something to behold. Spielberg’s other recent directorial credits include The Post and The BFG.
