Steven Spielberg Developing Movie Based on the Character from 1968’s ‘Bullitt’
‘The Post’s Josh Singer is on board to write the script.
Steve McQueen in 1968's 'Bullitt.'
Steven Spielberg dipped into the past to Oscar-nominated effect last year with ‘West Side Story’, and he’s looking to it again for a potential future film. The blockbuster filmmaker is developing a new, original story based around Frank Bullitt, the character famously brought to screens by Steve McQueen in the 1968 thriller, 'Bullitt.'
In Peter Yates’ 1968 movie, the story finds ambitious Senator Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross (Vic Tayback) with the help of testimony from the criminal's hothead brother Johnny (Pat Renella). The witness is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt (McQueen). When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses.
The result is widely regarded as one of the most iconic car chases in movie history, barreling through the streets of San Francisco and jumping its many hills, all scored with Lalo Schifrin’s memorable music.
To be clear, this won’t be a remake of ‘Bullitt’ itself, but instead a new movie featuring the character. But what will it be exactly? No one can say yet, since it’s at a very early stage.
All we know for now is that Spielberg has been considering the idea of making movie featuring the character for a while now and came close last year to locking it down to follow ‘West Side Story’, but rights negotiations with McQueen’s estate to use the character weren’t finalized in time, so he switched tracks to shoot drama ‘The Fabelmans’, which is loosely based on his life.
Steven Spielberg on the set of 'The Post.'
With the McQueen family on board (son Chad and granddaughter Molly McQueen are executive producers on the potential new movie), Spielberg has the greenlight to make a deal with Warner Bros. and move ahead with developing the movie with an eye to directing it.
He’s hired ‘Spotlight’ writer Josh Singer, with whom he worked on ‘The Post’ to write the script, but without a finished screenplay, it’s unlikely that Spielberg would make this movie next.
An even bigger challenge might be finding someone to fill Steve McQueen’s black turtleneck and Ford Mustang – can anyone replicate the actor’s cool style?
Spielberg’s certainly having a good year so far with plenty of awards success for ‘West Side Story’, even if the movie has struggled at the box office, earning just $70 million worldwide so far.
Still, he has the aforementioned ‘Fabelmans’ headed to theaters for Thanksgiving. That film, inspired by his own upbringing in Arizona, features Paul Dano as a version of his father, Michelle Williams as his mother, and Seth Rogen as the character of his favorite uncle.
Gabriel LaBelle is the young actor with the imposing task of playing the character based on Spielberg himself, and the cast also includes Julia Butters, Judd Hirsch, Oakes Fegley and David Lynch. It’ll be in theaters on November 23.
Steve McQueen in 1968's 'Bullitt.'
Bullitt
