The Downslope: Stanley Kubrick's American Civil War screenplay to be made into a movie

An original screenplay about the American Civil War written by the legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick is to be turned into a feature film 16 years after his death.

Penned by Kubrick in 1956, The Downslope will be brought to the screen by Marc Forster, whose credits include World War Z and Finding Neverland.

The Downslope follows a series of Civil War battles in the Shenandoah Valley between Union General George Armstrong Custer and Confederate Colonel John Singleton Mosby, known as the Gray Ghost for his stealth and elusiveness, Variety reported.

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The Mosby’s Rangers cavalrymen continually outsmarted the much larger enemy forces in a sequence of raids, which enraged Custer and created a cycle of revenge between the two men.

Kubrick, who went on to direct 2001: A Space Odyssey, wrote the script following the release of his allegorical war film Fear and Desire and prior to directing his World War I drama Paths of Glory.

Kubrick developed the project with Shelby Foote, a Civil War historian. The director spent years developing and writing the story and drew up maps and notes indicating how he planned to shoot the project.

The new film, which Forster will direct and produce, has the full support and encouragement of the Kubrick family.

Lauren Selig, co-producer, said: “We’ve been given the unique privilege to produce a Stanley Kubrick script no one has had the opportunity to make. The first instalment of the planned trilogy, written by Kubrick, is an engrossing story illustrating a crucial moment in history toward the end of the American Civil War.”