War Horse

War Horse is a 2011 war film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. Its screenplay, written by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis, is based on Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel War Horse and its 2007 stage adaptation. Set before and during World War I, it tells of the journey of Joey, a bay Irish Hunter horse raised by British teenager Albert (Jeremy Irvine, in his feature film debut), as he is bought by the British Army, leading him to encounter various people throughout Europe, in the midst of the war and its tragedies. The film's ensemble cast also includes Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch. DreamWorks Pictures acquired the film rights to the novel in December 2009, and Spielberg was announced to direct in May 2010. Having directed several films set during World War II, it was his first to tackle the events of World War I. Shot in England over 63 days, the production used 5,800 extras and 300 horses. Several longtime Spielberg collaborators—including producer Kathleen Kennedy, cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, editor Michael Kahn, production designer Rick Carter and composer John Williams—worked on the film. Produced by DreamWorks Pictures and released worldwide by Touchstone Pictures, War Horse became a box-office success (earning $177 million on a $70 million budget) and was met with positive reviews. The film was named one of the ten best films of 2011 by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review, and was nominated for six Academy Awards (including Best Picture), two Golden Globes and five BAFTAs.