BILLY ELLIOT Scribe Lee Hall Set to Adapt 'War Horse' for DreamWorks

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that DreamWorks Studios has acquired film rights to Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel War Horse, which they will present on the big screen. Billy Elliot scribe and lyricist Lee Hall will create the screenplay adaptation.

Producing the project are Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Revel Guest.

The book is a child's fictional tale that tells the story of a friendship between a young boy and his horse.  The two become separated during WWI, but continue to cross in and out of each other's lives as they fight for survival. A runner-up for the Whitbread Award in the U.K., the book has also been made into a play adapted by Nick Stafford. The play, also called War Horse, was staged at the Olivier Theatre, National Theatre in London. The production opened in October 2007 and was met with critical acclaim - its use of life-size puppets of horses from the Handspring Puppet Company won an Olivier Award, Evening Standard Theatre Award and London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for design. A radio adaption of the book was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in November 2008. It featured Timothy Spall starring as the voice of Joey, Brenda Blethyn as Mother and Bob Hoskins as Sergeant Thunder. 

Says Spielberg in The Hollywood Reporter, "From the moment I read Michael Morpurgo's novel 'War Horse,' I knew this was a film I wanted DreamWorks to make. Its heart and its message provide a story that can be felt in every country."

Other projects in the DreamWorks pipeline are the young-adult series Wicked, adapted by Aaron and Matthew Benay; and The 39 Clues, being adapted by Jeff Nathanson. There is no word as to whether or not Spielberg will be directing War Horse, in addition to producing.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride