The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara

The poster for the film.

In April 2014, it was announced that Steven Spielberg was going to direct a live-action film based off of David Kertzer's 1996 book of the same name for Amblin Entertainment.

Plot

The film were to be based on the true story of Jewish-Italian Edgardo Mortara, who was kidnapped and forced to convert to the Catholic Church; "An Italian Jew becomes the center of an international controversy when he is removed from his parents at the age of seven by authorities of the Papal States and is raised as a Catholic. He goes on to become a priest in the Augustinian order."

Development

Spielberg has been eyeing the project of bringing the book to life since 2008, believe it or not.

In 2014, the film was first announced on Deadline with Spielberg directing for Amblin. Two years later sometime in 2016, it was confirmed that Tony Kushner were to serve as a screenwriter and Mark Rylance was supposed to be portraying Pope Pius IX. in the movie. Marc Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger were slated to produce alongside Spielberg. Oscar Isaac was set to have portrayed Mortara himself, and in early 2017 the film planned to start filming.

Why It Was Cancelled

1. Spielberg was having trouble finding a six-year-old boy to play the film's lead.
2. Due to the favor of directing The Post (2017), plans were over-delayed too many times and Spielberg had enough of it.
3. Marco Bellocchio refused to participate in the film due to a couple of disagreements/agreements.

Results

• The film was permanently cancelled, and The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Montana remains as a book.
• As of 2025, there are no further plans to continue on the films' development.