Indiana Jones 5, Ready Player One And More

Steven Spielberg likes to stay busy. He’s regularly deep into production on a new directorial effort – often completing two movies within a single year – and at the same time he’s planning his next steps. It seems that at all times he’s both prepping his next massive blockbuster or riveting historical drama. And on top of all of that, Spielberg’s usually incredibly busy producing something that you’re probably watching, and enjoying immensely.

It always feels like a new Steven Spielberg project is right around the corner, and we’ve put together this guide to help you keep track of everything that he has cooking. There are numerous projects that Steven Spielberg has said that he’s directing, and others he seems to just keep tethered to his side, hoping for a window to open up. Here are the films we expect Steven Spielberg to deliver in the next few years, along with all of the information that we know about them.

Ready Player One

A perfect marriage of material and filmmaker, Ready Player One finds Steven Spielberg adapting an incredibly entertaining and pop culture-infused adventure that’s set in a futuristic society where humans engage in a virtual landscape known as the OASIS. Since Ready Player One, adapted from the novel by Ernie Cline, was clearly inspired by Spielberg’s trademark method of storytelling, it’s fitting that he’s helming the big-screen translation. The movie is set to be released in early 2018, featuring a star-studded cast that includes Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Letitia Wright, Hannah John-Kamen, Ben Mendelsohn, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller and more..

Release Date: March 30, 2018

The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara

Steven Spielberg LOVES squeezing historical dramas that could contend for Oscars in between his popcorn blockbusters, so it shouldn’t surprise too many people that the director has become fascinated by the story in The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara. Based on the novel by David Kertzer and adapted by Lincoln and Munich screenwriter Tony Kushner, the film will tell the story of a young Jewish boy who is secretly baptized then forcibly stolen from his parents to be raised Christian in 19th Century Italy. Spielberg already has locked up his newest lucky charm, Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, The BFG, Ready Player One), to play Pope Pius IX – though it’s not entirely clear when production will begin. The film was initially scheduled to start production in early 2017 and be released later in the year, but Spielberg wound up making The Post instead.

Release Date: Unknown

Indiana Jones 5

Steven Spielberg’s long-range plans snapped into focus when he announced that Indiana Jones 5 would be on his production schedule, with Harrison Ford returning for a fifth adventure in the titlular role. We don’t know anything about the plot, but we know that producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will be on hand to help guide Indy’s latest ship, and that David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) has been tasked with writing the script. Can the legendary team rebound from the disappointing fourth installment? We’ll find out in 2020.

Release Date: July 10, 2020

It’s What I Do

Are you starting to see that blockbuster/prestige picture pattern start to emerge yet? While Steven Spielberg’s schedule is a bit of a guessing game at times, we generally have a good idea of what interests him. The director often has multiple projects hovering near his fingertips, and It’s What I Do sounds like perfect material for his style. The movie tells the story of wartime photographer Lynsey Addario, and reports say that Jennifer Lawrence is interested in playing the lead part. With that pedigree, we can see this movie coming together, and sooner rather than later.

Release Date: Unknown

Robopocalypse

Steven Spielberg has had a complicated relationship with Robopocalypse, a sci-fi story based on the novel by Daniel H. Wilson. It’s a project that he’s been developing for nearly a decade, but he doesn’t seem to want to let it go. At times the story has attracted interest from all-star actors like Chris Hemsworth, Anne Hathaway, and Ben Whishaw, and Spielberg says that he hasn’t given up on it, so we’re still saying that it’s in play. Robopocalypse is set during a so-called “New War” between an A.I. and humanity, with a tribe of Native Americans leading the rebellion against technology.

Release Date: Unknown

West Side Story

Steven Spielberg has told many different kinds of stories over the course of his storied career, but never has he before ventured into the world of the musical. That will soon change. While Spielberg has also never been big on remakes, he’s currently attached to helm a brand new adaptation of the legendary and beloved hit West Side Story. First announced in January 2018, there has not yet been much movement on the development front just yet, and it’s unclear where exactly the film will fit into his list of priorities. Just the fact that he’s excited to bring the Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale back to the big screen is cool enough, though.

Release Date: Unknown

George Gershwin Biopic

Of all the developing features mentioned here, the George Gershwin biopic is possibly the one that has spent the longest in development. Steven Spielberg has captured the lives of many great real people over the course of his career, and he has spent years trying to do the same for the man who wrote the brilliant orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris. Back in 2010 Zachary Quinto was rumored for the starring role, but Spielberg could now be looking for someone eight years younger. We’ll have to wait and see if Steven Spielberg can eventually squeeze this one into his busy schedule.

Release Date: Unknown