Spielberg's Cold War thriller, Dahl adaptation get release dates

[June 17, 2014]  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - DreamWorks film studio has given release dates of 2015 and 2016 for director Steven Spielberg's two next films, Walt Disney Co said in a statement on Monday.

Spielberg's untitled Cold War spy thriller starring Tom Hanks is set to be released on Oct. 16, 2015, and reunites the actor and director who previously collaborated on war film "Saving Private Ryan" and crime drama "Catch Me If You Can."

Spielberg's take on "The BFG," based on British author Roald Dahl's 1982 book, is scheduled for release on July 1, 2016.

The Cold War thriller is based on the story of James Donovan, the attorney who helped negotiate the release of U.S. spy plane pilot Gary Powers whose plane was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960. The latest version of the original script by Matt Charman is by filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen.

"The BFG" is about a friendly giant who adventures with a young girl and the Queen of England to capture evil man-eating giants.

Both films follow Spielberg's 2012 historical film "Lincoln," for which he earned a best director Oscar nomination and for which Daniel Day-Lewis won the Academy Award for his portrayal of the Civil War president.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Diane Craft)

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