Steven Spielberg Producing Short Story Adaptation

The pair are currently on board as producers for the adaptation of Colin Barron’s sought-after short story, about a wife who returns seemingly from the dead.

Steven Spielberg arrives on the red carpet at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Trae Patton/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Preview:

Steven Spielberg and Simon Kinberg are producing a short story adaptation.
Colin Barron’s ‘Long Lost’ will now be developed as a movie.
The story follows a wife who was thought dead coming back.

When you hear that Steven Spielberg is attached to a potential movie project, your mind automatically leaps to the idea that he’s found a new film to direct. But hold your horses there –– according to Deadline, his latest acquisition is one he’s only aboard to produce for now.

Spielberg and fellow filmmaker Simon Kinberg have partnered with Universal to grab the rights to Colin Barron’s short story ‘Long Lost’.

What’s the story of ‘Long Lost’?

(L to R) Gabriel LaBelle and co-writer/producer/director Steven Spielberg on the set of 'The Fabelmans.'

The 50-page short story, which Deadline has heard is in the vein of ‘What Lies Beneath’ and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’, tells the story of a recently married woman whose life is upended when her husband’s long lost wife shockingly returns after she was believed to be dead, sparking fears that she’s hatching a sinister plan to reclaim what was once hers.

Barron is also aboard to write the script for the film version, which certainly something that happens in deals such as this from time to time.

But while it is more normal for studios to attach a writer once they have bought the project, in this case Barron is also a working screenwriter whose scripts have landed on the Black List (the industry accounting of popular unproduced screenplays) a record seven times, and has sold the specs ‘Ultra' to Tri-Star Pictures and ‘First Ascent’ to Netflix.

Bannon’s psychological thriller ‘Holdout’ is also at Netflix, with Elizabeth Moss attached to star and direct.

What’s next for Steven Spielberg?

Steven Spielberg on the set of 'The Post.'

Since it’s at such an early stage of development, even if Spielberg did like the resulting script and decide to direct, ‘Long Lost’ would not be his next movie.

Instead, it appears he’s closest to making a new take on classic crime thriller ‘Bullitt’ (the 1968 original starred Steve McQueen and features iconic car chases). Spielberg has a script in hand from Josh Singer, and Bradley Cooper is aboard to star.

As for Kinberg, who last directed 2022 spy action pic ‘The 355’, he’s been busier as a producer of late, working on the likes of ‘A Haunting in Venice’ and the upcoming ‘Deadpool 3’. He also wrote the script for action comedy ‘The Killer’s Game’, which should be in theaters this year, directed by J.J. Perry.

And he has also been spending time working on small screen projects including ‘Invasion’ for Apple TV+, which launched its second season in October and is waiting to see if a third will be ordered.

As for ‘Long Lost’, Spielberg will produce via Amblin, while Kinberg is aboard through his Genre Pictures company.

Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg arrive on the red carpet at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

(L to R) Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg arrive on the red carpet at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Trae Patton/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.