#Michelle Williams to Star in Steven Spielberg Directed Movie About His Childhood

Steven Spielberg has settled on his next project, and it is going to be a personal one. The iconic filmmaker is set to direct a movie that will be based on his own childhood. While it isn’t being billed as autobiographical, the untitled feature will take inspiration from Spielberg’s early life growing up in Arizona. What’s more, Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn, Venom) is being eyed to tackle a particularly important role in the movie, which is coming together fast.

According to multiple reports, Steven Spielberg will direct and co-wrote the upcoming movie for his company Amblin. Michelle Williams, meanwhile, is in talks to star in a role that is inspired by Spielberg’s mom. She won’t be playing a version of the filmmaker’s actual mother, rather a character that is inspired by her. Other roles that have yet to be cast include children at multiple ages who will presumably give us a window into what it was like for Spielberg growing up before he became one of the most influential and successful directors in history.

Given the personal nature of the story at hand, Steven Spielberg will be co-writing the screenplay with Tony Kushner (Lincoln, Munich). This is a relative rarity for the 74-year-old, whose last screenplay credit came on 2001’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Spielberg had previously been set to direct Indiana Jones 5, which will see Harrison Ford returning to the role. The project has been in development for years, with several stops and starts along the way. Ultimately, Spielberg decided not to helm the fifth entry in the franchise, with James Mangold (Logan, 3:10 to Yuma) taking over. This is what the filmmaker opted to do instead.

Steven Spielberg is the director behind such classics as Jaws, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List and many more. His movies have, aside from having a lasting influence on Hollywood, have grossed more than $10 billion at the box office combined. His most recent directorial effort was 2018’s Ready Player One, which represented a return to summer blockbusters for him. Spielberg’s next movie will be his remake of West Side Story, which was delayed given the movie theater closures last year. The Disney/Fox merger also muddied things up a bit. It is scheduled to hit theaters this December and is expected to be a major awards season contender.

As for Michelle Williams, she continues to be one of the most in-demand stars in the business. She has been nominated for four Oscars over the years for her work in Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine, My Week With Marilyn and Manchester by the Sea. Williams has also proven to be a draw at the box office, having played a major part in movies such as Venom and The Greatest Showman. Williams is set to reprise her role as Anney Weying in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Williams most recently starred in the FX miniseries Fosse/Verdon. This news was previously reported by Deadline.