Steven Spielberg developing new movie about Steve McQueen's Bullitt character

Steven Spielberg is ready to take on another Steve... McQueen to be exact.

On Friday, Warner Bros. and Amblin confirmed that Spielberg is developing a new film centered on the character Frank Bullitt, as originated by Steve McQueen in 1968's Bullitt. It is not a remake, but rather an entirely new story built around the Bullitt character.

The film is still in development, with no deals done as of yet. Amblin says it will definitely not be Spielberg's next film, and he's currently in post-production on The Fablemans, a semi-autobiographical project loosely based on his childhood growing up in Arizona.

Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce alongside Spielberg, with Josh Singer (First Man) attached to write. Steve McQueen's son, Chad, and granddaughter, Molly, are also on board to executive produce.

The original Bullitt was produced by McQueen's production company, Solar Productions, and released by Warner Bros, who still hold the rights, and will be the home studio for this new project.

Dan MacMedan/WireImage; Moviestore/Shutterstock

In Bullitt, McQueen starred as the title character, Frank Bullitt, a San Francisco cop on the hunt for a mob boss who orchestrated a hit on Bullitt's key witness in a case against organized crime. Directed by Peter Yates (Breaking Away), the film is best known for its iconic climactic car chase through the streets of San Francisco, often held up as one of the best chase scenes in cinema history alongside The French Connection.

Jacqueline Bisset, who played McQueen's girlfriend Cathy in the original movie, spoke about the film's legacy at the Turner Classic Movies film festival in 2021. "I didn't actually think my role was necessary in that film," she told TCM host Eddie Muller. "If Cathy hadn't been there, I don't think it would've made much difference. But I was representing the female in his life and the feminine side of his existence rather than being a fully-fleshed character."

EW asked Bisset if she thought a new take on the film and character might give her character more to do, to which she frankly replied, "No, I don't think so. It's a man's story."

But the final answer on that will lie with Spielberg and Singer. Many questions — including who could fill McQueen's shoes and whether the film will be set in the 1960s — remain.

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