Jeremy Irvine Leads Spielber's WAR HORSE Adaptation, Summer 2011

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Steven Spielberg is adapting War Horse into a feature length film. Last year the filmmaker purchased rights to Michael Morpurgo's novel, and has confirmed that he will be directing the project as well. The film is being produced by DreamWorks in association with Reliance and Disney. 

Today, Deadline.com reports that British newby Jeremy Irvine will lead the cast as the young horseman.  Additional casting includes: Emily Watson and David Thewlis (young horseman's parents), Peter Mullan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Niels Arestrup, Celine Buckens, Nicolas Bro, David Kross, Leonard Carow, Rainer Bock, Robert Emma and Patrick Kennedy.

Disney will release the picture on August 11, 2011.

The story is set the outbreak of World War !. Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. He's soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to the trenches to find him and bring him home.

Michael Morpurgo's War Horse was released in 2007. The show was then adapted into a play which is currently running at the New London Theatre. This production is set to transfer to the Lincoln Center Theatre in April, 2011. For more info on the show visit: http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/warhorse