Spielberg takes on Blackhawk

LOS ANGELES • Is Steven Spielberg (above) the superhero Warner Bros needs?

The Time Warner Inc film unit has recruited the auteur, often credited with creating the summer blockbuster, to produce and possibly direct his first DC Comics film.

Blackhawk, based on a comic book series from the 1940s, is about a squadron of World War II-era pilots battling foes flying fantastical war machines.

Hiring Spielberg, fresh from the moderately successful screen adaptation of the video game saga Ready Player One, could be a major boost for the studio. Though last year's Wonder Woman was a critical and box-office winner, Warner Bros has struggled to get a consistent string of hits from its superheroes that match the bonanza Walt Disney Co has generated from its Marvel Entertainment unit.

Spielberg also has a number of films teed up, including the fifth instalment of Indiana Jones and a remake of West Side Story.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 19, 2018, with the headline Spielberg takes on Blackhawk. Subscribe