A while back, Steven Spielberg was interested in directing an adaptation of the unfinished science fiction novel from author Daniel H. Wilson, Robopocalypse. At the time, the director instead chose to take on his next project, War Horse, but it looks like Spielberg is now ready to return for some hostile robot takeover action.

According to sources, Spielberg has now committed to directing Robopocalypse as his next film. The director was so keen on taking this movie on, that he even began developing it and working on storyboards despite the fact that the book was incomplete and that he decided to do War Horse first.

The novel has since been complete and is scheduled for release in June of 2011, and The Cabin in the Woods writer/director and Cloverfield and Lost scribe, Drew Goddard, has been working on the script right along with Wilson as he finished up work on the book. All has now come together, making it a perfect time for Spielberg to step in and make it happen.

To put it loosely, Robopocalypse tells a story of the human race dealing with robots rising up and trying to take over. We’ve seen it play out many times before, but it’s the realism of this story that sets it apart from others. When we first heard that DreamWorks was close to acquiring the rights to make this adaptation back in November of ’09, it was noted that Wilson has an Ph.D in robotics, which should give you a good idea of how accurate this book and movie could end up being.

Here’s what Mark Sourian, who made the announcement, had to say:

Spielberg has been producing like a mad man but hasn’t had something he directed released since 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but that’s all going to change next year. On December 23, 2011, the first of three movies in the Tintin trilogy, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, will be released. Just five days later on December 28, 2011, Spielberg’s War Horse will hit theaters as well.

As for Robopocalypse, the plan is to begin filming at some point in 2012, and release the movie in 2013.

[Source: Deadline]