Steven Spielberg’s nostalgia streak keeps growing, since following his critically belovedWest Side Storyremake, he’s looking to bringBullittback to theaters. The iconic 1968 Steve McQueen film follows no-nonsense cop Frank Bullitt on a tense manhunt for a mob kingpin. The film is best remembered for one of the most famous car chases in film history.
Spielberg andWarner Bros.are planning to revive theBullittlegacy with film that’s distinctly not a remake of the original, but rather a new story involving the Bullitt character. This is his second film currently in the works, following his semi-autobiographical dramaThe Fabelmans, which is expected to hit theaters this November. That film will be based on Spielberg’s childhood in Arizona, withVenom’s Michelle Williams in the lead role.
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Deadline reports the newBullittfilm will be executive produced by Steve McQueen’s son and granddaughter, Chad and Molly McQueen, respectively. Spielberg apparently planned to make this immediately afterWest Side Story, but negotiations with the McQueen estate took longer than expected. The script will be written by Josh Singer, who previously worked with Spielberg onThe Post.
This announcement should come as no surprise to Spielberg devotees. His career has always been shaped by nostalgia, from the 1930s serial influences ofIndiana Jones, to the childlike wonder ofJurassic Park. It could be stated that the current nostalgia-based landscape of filmmaking was entirely devised by Spielberg, which of course reached anapex withReady Player One.
Though perhaps this isn’t entirely in Spielberg’s favor. There’s no doubt that audiences are feeling nostalgia bloat and are itching for something more fresh. EvenSpielberg’sWest Side Story, which many critics called his best film in years, was largely ignored by audiences. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine why current audiences would get excited for a Baby Boomer favorite likeBullitt.
But on the other hand, perhaps we shouldn’t be so cynical.Spielberg is the most iconic directorof all time, and has given us classic after classic. If he wantsBullittas one of his last projects, why not? We should just be grateful the old master still has time for more. Usually directors are long retired by now, but Spielberg wants to work as long as possible, and fans should appreciate that for the rare gift it is.
