Steven Spielberg developing original Frank ‘Bullitt’ movie

Los Angeles, Feb. 26 (IANS): Filmmaker Steven Spielberg is developing an original feature film based on the character of Frank Bullitt, the San Francisco cop first played by Steve McQueen in the 1968 thriller ‘Bullitt’.

Josh Singer is set to write the screenplay, with regular Spielberg collaborator Kristie Macosko Krieger on board to produce with the director, reports variety.com.

McQueen’s son Chad McQueen and granddaughter Molly McQueen are executive producing after a lengthy negotiation process with the McQueen estate to secure the rights to the character.

Warner Bros., which released the 1968 ‘Bullitt’, will be the studio for Spielberg’s new film, which is not a remake, but an original story about the character, arguably McQueen’s most iconic role. The 1968 ‘Bullitt,’ based on the 1963 novel ‘Mute Witness’, follows Bullitt’s investigation into the death of a mob informant that he was tasked with protecting.

Directed by Peter Yates, ‘Bullitt’ features one of the most memorable car chases in movie history with McQueen famously doing all of his own driving in a modified Ford Mustang.

The film won the Oscar for editing and was also nominated for sound.

No script is in place for Spielberg’s take on the character, and no deals have been set, so this will not be the filmmaker’s next movie after ‘The Fabelmans’ debuts in November.

Spielberg is on something of a cinema history kick, having just earned two Academy Award nominations for directing and producing his reimagining of the classic musical ‘West Side Story’, which is also nominated for picture, supporting actress, production design, costume design, sound and cinematography.