Steven Spielberg To Direct Chris Kyle Biopic ‘American Sniper’

Steven Spielberg has signed on to direct a biopic about deceased Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle.

A DreamWorks Studios spokesperson said that Spielberg will take on American Sniper as his next project, with Bradley Cooper in the starring role. The film will be a direct adaptation of Kyle’s best-selling book of the same name.

The script was written by Spread scribe Jason hall based on Kyle’s autobiography. It will be a co-production of DreamWorks and Warner Bros.

Other than that, not much is known about the American Sniper film right now, particularly whether or not it will feature, or include reference to, Kyle’s death. He was killed along with a friend earlier this year at a North Texas gun range. An Iraq war veteran is charged with the killings. Kyle was reportedly attempting to help the vet cope with PTSD.

His funeral was held at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and was attended by nearly 7,000 people.

Kyle is considered the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history.

He began his career in 1999, earning a spot on SEAL Team 3, a sniper group. He was called the “Devil of Ramadi” by Iraq insurgents, racking up 160 confirmed kills between four tours.

He then transitioned to the civilian sector, founding a private military contracting company called “Craft.”

At the time of his death, Kyle was working on a follow-up to American Sniper titled American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms.

Are you excited for the Chris Kyle biopic American Sniper?

[Image via: s_bukley, Shutterstock.com]