Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks partner Stacey Snider have acquired the rights to Michael Morpurgo's novel War Horse (Scholastic, $16.99, 9780439796637/0439796636). Variety reported that the story, which "recounts the extraordinary friendship between a boy and a horse who are separated but whose fates continue to be intertwined over the course of WWI," was originally published in 1982 and was a runner-up for the Whitbread Award.
"From the moment I read (the book), I knew this was a film I wanted DreamWorks to make," said Spielberg. "Its heart and its message provide a story that can be felt in every country."