As if the prospect of director Steven Spielberg reteaming with his Saving Private Ryan/Catch Me if You Can/The Terminal star Tom Hanks for a cold-war drama wasn't already a juicy prospect itself, recent reports are revealing that the Coen Brothers are now writing the movie's script.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy award-winning brothers have just signed on to rewrite Matt Charman's script centered on James Donovan, an attorney who was thrust into the heart of the Cold War when he negotiated with the KGB for the release of Gary Powers, a downed U-2 spy plane pilot.
Since it was announced that Tom Hanks was attached to the project back in April, it has been suspected that this would be Spielberg's next project following his Oscar-winning 2012 release Lincoln.
Although Spielberg also recently signed on to direct an adaptation of Roland Dahl's The BFG, the reported September starting date for production in Europe would suggest that this is a project that the legendary filmmaker is more centered on at this time. Plus, Spielberg is supposed to start shooting the Dahl adaptation in early 2015, so it is possible that he could shoot this thriller before his commitment to that movie.
Spielberg is also attached to direct Robocalypse for Fox, Montezuma and a religious period drama for the Weinstein Company.
While typically known for directing their screenplays, the Coen brothers have been branching out of late as screenwriters for hire, having also penned a rewrite of Gambit and Angelina Jolie's Unbroken. They have also recently revealed that their directorial effort, their long-in-the-making Hail Caesar with George Clooney.
This is will be the fourth time Spielberg and Hanks have worked together and the second time that Hanks has worked under a Coen brothers script, having starred in their remake of The Ladykillers.