Deadline is reporting that Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners has purchased the Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Spectre) spec project 1917, a World War I film which Mendes co-scripted and intends to direct. While there is no logline yet, it is known that Paramount, Sony and New Regency were all hotly pursuing the project before Amblin swooped in to close the deal.
Mendes previously worked with Spielberg’s DreamWorks on his first two films Road to Perdition (2002) and American Beauty (1999), the latter for which he won a Best Director Oscar, as well as his fourth film Revolutionary Road.
“I couldn’t be happier to be back working with Amblin and Steven Spielberg again, alongside Donna Langley and all at Universal,” said Mendes. “I’ve been working on this script for over a year, so it’s very exciting to start making the movie itself a reality.”
“Our company has been a home for Sam since his first film,” said Spielberg. “I am so happy to have him back here in his old room spinning new stories – especially this hugely daring and ambitious new movie.”
1917 was co-written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns (Penny Dreadful), and will be produced by Mendes and Peppa Harris for Neal Street Productions.
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