Steven Spielberg to Direct War Horse Film, Featuring Lee Hall, Richard Curtis Screenplay

Steven Spielberg will direct the film version of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, according to a report in Variety. Lee Hall and Richard Curtis will write the adaptation of the book. The film will reach theaters on August 11, 2011.

Set against the backdrop of World War I, the book follows the friendship between a boy and a horse who are separated but whose fates continue to intertwine over the course of the Great War.

A stage adaptation of War Horse, by Nick Stafford, was a hit for the National Theatre in London and has transferred to the West End. The production, currently playing at the New London Theatre, recently announced an extended booking period through October 22, 2011.