Steven Spielberg's nostalgia streak keeps growing, since following his critically beloved West Side Story remake, he's looking to bring Bullitt back 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 and Warner Bros. are planning to revive the Bullitt legacy 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 drama The Fabelmans, which is expected to hit theaters this November. That film will be based on Spielberg's childhood in Arizona, with Venom's Michelle Williams in the lead role.
Deadline reports the new Bullitt film will be executive produced by Steve McQueen's son and granddaughter, Chad and Molly McQueen, respectively. Spielberg apparently planned to make this immediately after West 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 on The Post.
This announcement should come as no surprise to Spielberg devotees. His career has always been shaped by nostalgia, from the 1930s serial influences of Indiana Jones, to the childlike wonder of Jurassic Park. It could be stated that the current nostalgia-based landscape of filmmaking was entirely devised by Spielberg, which of course reached an apex with Ready 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. Even Spielberg's West 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 like Bullitt.
But on the other hand, perhaps we shouldn't be so cynical. Spielberg is the most iconic director of all time, and has given us classic after classic. If he wants Bullitt as 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.
The untitled Bullitt reboot is currently in development with Warner Bros. Pictures.
Source: Deadline