Steven Spielberg has been teasing us for the last few years with projects like ROBOPOCALYPSE and AMERICAN SNIPER, leaving us with cinematic blue balls as he's shelved and/or dropped out of both. Now, the legendary filmmaker is at it again with word from Deadline that he's eyeing a 50-year-old script by blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Kirk Douglas' SPARTACUS) entitled MONTEZUMA, which chronicles the epic tale of the relationship between the Aztec ruler and the Spanish Conquistador Cortés and their ultimate bloody showdown that led to the conquest of Mexico.
Spielberg has apparently hired SCHINDLER'S LIST screenwriter Steven Zaillian to rewrite Trumbo's script, which may be retitled CORTEZ since the story is told from the conquistador's perspective. Javier Bardem is reportedly interested in the role of Cortés, which would no doubt be a huge part for the esteemed actor. The project was originally meant for Kirk Douglas back in 1965, but it ultimately fell through and has remained in limbo ever since. It's to note that Spielberg has already directed a script by Trumbo with 1989's ALWAYS (originally titled "A Man Named Joe").
No word on how far along this is, but it's speculated that it may be too soon to be Spielberg's next as it's just coming together. More as this develops.
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