Spielberg Developing Kubrick’s ‘Napoleon’ as TV Mini-Series
Steven Spielberg has announced he is working with Stanley Kubrick‘s estate on developing the late filmmaker’s project, Napoleon, based on the life of the French Revolutionary leader. Originally written as a screenplay by Kubrick back in 1961, Napoleon fell by the wayside when studios balked at the expense of the project, and Kubrick went on to make Barry Lyndon, which takes place 15 years before the Napoleonic Wars. Now, Spielberg is taking on the project, but to develop it into a television mini-series, rather than a motion picture.
It’s not the first time Spielberg has picked up a Kubrick project and run with it: the director’s 2001 film A.I.: Artificial Intelligence originated with Kubrick, and was taken on by Spielberg to honor his friend following Kubrick’s death in 1999.
Napoleon is also not Spielberg’s only mini-series project on the go; we reported in January that Spielberg and Tom Hanks will be producing a third World War II mini-series for HBO. It was also announced in January that Spielberg would be producing a fourth Jurassic Park movie for a 2014 release. Spielberg’s next directorial effort remains uncertain, however, after his Robopocalypse became indefinitely delayed.
Spielberg was most recently nominated for Best Picture and Best Director Oscars for Lincoln at this year’s Academy Awards. At the end of February, Spielberg was named head of the jury for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, which will run from May 15 through May 26.
via Deadline
My degree was actually earned in the field of history and late 18th/early 19th Century France has long been my favorite setting – particularly Napoleonic France. A few years ago, all of Kubrick’s meticulous research was collected, organized and published by Taschen Books.
Whatever comes of this – and I’m especially keen to see whatever does – it will pale next to the sheer volume of work Kubrick put into it. As someone trained in history, I can only marvel at the dedication and work he put into it. Future Napoleonic scholars owe Kubrick a debt just for doing so much legwork!
http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/community/video/29678.stanley_kubricks_napoleon.htm