Steven Spielberg to develop feature on Steve McQueen's Frank Bullitt character

Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg is all set to develop a feature based on the character of Frank Bullitt, the San Francisco cop played by Steve McQueen in the 1968 thriller Bullitt.

The new film will not be a remake and will have an original story about the character. Josh Singer is set to write the screenplay of the film, while Warner Bros., the studio that released the 1968 film, will be the studio for Spielberg's film.

The 1968 film was based on the 1963 novel Mute Witness, and it followed Bullitt's investigation into the death of a mob informant that he was tasked with protecting. Directed by Peter Yates, the film was popular for featuring one of the most memorable car chases in movie history with McQueen famously doing all of his own driving in a modified Ford Mustang.

Notably, the film won the Oscar for editing and was also nominated for sound.

Spielberg's frequent collaborator Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce the new film along with the director. McQueen's son Chad McQueen and granddaughter Molly McQueen will serve as executive producers.

Meanwhile, Spielberg, whose recent release West Side Story earned seven Academy Award nominations, has The Fabelmans releasing in November this year.