The 'Lincoln' scribe is tapped to pen the screenplay for the true-story drama of a Jewish boy who's kidnapped to be raised as a Catholic.
- Apr 18, 2014
AceShowbiz - Steven Spielberg is looking to make a true-story movie based on David Kertzer's novel titled "The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara". THR learns that the director will reunite with screenwriter Tony Kushner for the adaptation developed by Dreamworks in conjunction with The Weinstein Co.
The story is set in Bologna in the 1850s. It tells the story of a 6-year-old Jewish boy who was forcefully removed from his parents' home. He was sent to a monastery where Jews were converted into Catholics after the family's Catholic serving girl claimed she had secretly baptized him when he was an infant.
Kushner was signed on to write screenplay for the project in 2008, but he switched his focus in getting "Lincoln" script done when Spielberg decided to go with the Abraham Lincoln biopic first. The historical flick got various coveted prizes including Golden Globe and Academy Awards.
Though "Edgardo Mortara" is set as a directing vehicle for Spielberg, it's unclear if the religious drama will be his next project since the filmmaker is also pursuing sci-fi tentpole "Robopocalypse" and Aztec drama "Montezuma".
