The project at hand is called GODS AND KINGS, a film that will tell the life story of Moses (including the Exodus from Egypt, the Ten Plagues, the Burning Bush, and the escape through the Red Sea), and according to Deadline, Warner Bros is courting Spielberg to direct off a Michael Green and Stuart Hazeldine script (Hazeldine is also behind Alex Proyas’ upcoming PARADISE LOST).
Despite the image I used above, the film will not be a remake of Cecile B. DeMille’s 1956 epic THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, a picture that also covered much of the same ground. GODS AND KINGS is instead based on the Book of Exodus and other stories from the Bible’s Old Testament, as well as on a treatment originally written by Matti Leshem.
As for The Bearded One (Spielberg that is), while he has reportedly read the Green/Hazeldine script, Deadline is quick to note that the chances of Spielberg signing on are always rather slim due to a number of factors: complex contractual deals, the director’s busy schedule, and the fact that Warner Bros would inevitably have to share the film with DreamWorks. Nevertheless, a discussion between the two parties is expected to happen soon.
Would a Moses epic directed by Spielberg be something you’d wanna see?