Sometimes with all the things going on in the world of movies, tv, comics, games and all things geek (See what I did there?) we sometimes miss out on a few bits of news here and there. Case in point is the recent news that Steven Spielberg is sailing away to 17th century Jamaica for a new adventure. USA Today reports that DreamWorks has bought the rights to Michael Crichton’s posthumous novel, Pirate Latitudes, and has hired screenwriter David Koepp to adapt it.
Spielberg is producing, but plans on directing, though nothing has been scheduled until the script is completed. While it’s unfortunate that Crighton can’t be around to work with long time collaborator Spielberg, according to the article, the timelessness of this deal is pure coincidence, according to DreamWorks’ co-chair and CEO Stacey Snider.
“Anything that Michael wrote, Steven would be keenly interested to read. But without Michael knowing it, or even me knowing it, it turns out Steven always wanted to direct his own pirate film.” Mmm, I guess Hook doesn’t count, right?
Spielberg, of course, is already gung ho for the project. “Michael wrote a real page-turner that already seems suited for the big screen. Michael and I have had almost two decades of solid collaborations. Whenever I made a film from a Michael Crichton book or screenplay, I knew I was in good hands. Michael felt the same, and we like to think he still does.”
Pirate Latitudes the novel hits store shelves on November 24 and Spielberg plans of making it his next film. So, expect to see his big screen version sometime in 2011.
