It’s been almost a year since renowned author Michael Crichton passed away. In that time frame, his family discovered the completed, but never published 300+ page book called Pirate Latitudes. Before the book is even released on November 24, 2009, it’s naturally already being developed into a movie, and who better to develop the work of Crichton than a one Steven Spielberg and writer David Koepp.

Spielberg and Crichton worked together on multiple projects, such as creating E.R. and the movie Twister. Of the work they did together, nothing stands out more than the Crichton book that Koepp adapted to script form and Spielberg directed that went on to change movies forever: Jurassic Park. Fittingly enough, as it turns out, Mr. Spielberg had always wanted to do a pirate movie, and now there’s one here looking at him.

At this moment, Spielberg is only developing and producing the project, but there is the chance that he’ll direct it, as well. Considering the material, the fallen friend, the story behind it all, it doesn’t sound like something he might direct…it sounds like a project that he simply HAS to direct. Only time will tell for sure.