Steven Spielberg to direct Moses epic Gods And Kings

Steven Spielberg is currently in post-production on his Lincoln biopic and the director confirmed a few weeks ago that his next movie will be the robots vs. humans sci-fi Robopocalypse.

Spielberg is a well known multitasker, so it’s no surprise to hear he’s already planning his 2013 schedule. There has been talk over recent months that he may take on the Moses biopic Gods and Kings for Warner Bros, and now it’s looking like a done deal.

From Deadline:

Steven Spielberg is near to etching in stone with Warner Bros on that biopic portraying the Jewish leader as the warrior to beat all warriors. With a working title of Gods And Kings, what’s envisioned is “a movie like a Braveheart-ish version of the Moses story,” an insider tells us. “Him coming down the river, being adopted, leaving his home, forming an army, and getting the Ten Commandments.” And despite the awesome screen possibilities of the parting of the Red Sea, the movie isn’t being contemplated in 3D.

Instead Warner Bros wants Spielberg to direct it with the gritty reality of Saving Private Ryan, which is considered a masterpiece redefining battle movies. ”There have been glossy versions of the Moses story but this would be a real warrior story,” an insider tells us.

Getting Spielberg on-board any project is always tricky as he’s always got multiple films in development, but the director and Warner Bros. are expected to solidify a deal later this month and production could start sometime in March or April of 2013.

Biblical films seem to be popular with a few directors recently. Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) is currently in pre-production on his big screen adaptation of the Noah’s Ark story.