Variety is reporting that Steven Spielberg is seriously considering directing a movie about fictional secret agent Matt Helm, created by author Donald Hamilton. The film was developed for several years by DreamWorks before the studio left it behind at Paramount Pictures, which owns the rights.
Spielberg’s representatives told the trade that he is attached to produce, but it’s unclear if he’s going to direct. Spielberg is reportedly excited about the project again after the rewrite that Paul Attanasio delivered last week.
As Spielberg and Stacey Snider near the closing of their financing through Reliance and their new deal with Disney, they would like nothing more than to have those partners be part of Spielberg’s next picture. But Paramount isn’t obligated to make that deal, and it’s unclear whether the studio will step up to Spielberg’s traditionally rich deal terms.
Matt Helm is based on a series of 27 novels about a government agent whose mission is to take down enemy agents. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are producing.
