Summary

  • Steven Spielberg will adapt the novel The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store with A24.
  • The movie is in early development, but Spielberg is expected just to produce and not direct.
  • A24's collaboration with Spielberg signifies continued growth and mainstream success for the indie studio.

Steven Spielberg is set to team up with A24 to adapt the book The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. Released in 2023, the James McBride novel was a New York Times Bestseller and received critical acclaim. It is a historical fiction drama that tells the story of a number of Black and Jewish residents of the Chicken Hill neighborhood in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. It is predominantly set in the 1920s and 1930s.

As per Deadline, Spielberg is now set to adapt The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store with A24. The popular indie distributor will team up with Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment to develop the film. According to inside sources, the project is in very early development but, as of now, there are plans to have Spielberg produce and not direct.

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The development of this film is huge news for A24. Since their founding in 2012, the distributor has shot to fame and mainstream popularity. Two of their movies, Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All at Once, have gone on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. 2024 has already been successful for the distributor, as they have set records with the Alex Garland movie Civil War. Pairing up with a Hollywood talent as big as Spielberg is huge news for A24, as it represents the distributor’s continued growth and rise to fame.

At the time of writing, Civil War has made $104.4 million at the worldwide box office.

Spielberg’s involvement in The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is also indicative of how active the septuagenarian remains in the film industry. In addition to this just-announced project with A24, Spielberg will return to his Close Encounters of the Third Kind roots and direct an original sci-fi movie. Few details about this Spielberg sci-fi movie have been revealed, but it is thought to be centered around UFOs. As a director, Spielberg is also set for several other films, including an untitled project starring Maestro lead Bradley Cooper.

While it seems that A24 could not get Spielberg to direct The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, this fact is unsurprising given how packed his upcoming schedule is. In addition to his full slate of directing work, Spielberg is also set to produce and executive produce a number of projects. Just this year alone, this includes the high-profile films Twisters and Transformers: One. He is also slated to produce Jurassic World 4 in 2025 and another Adventures of Tintin movie. With Spielberg’s status in Hollywood and busy schedule, his involvement at all is a feat for A24.

Source: Deadline