Spielberg to make film about Olympics attack

Steven Spielberg plans to begin work on a movie about the 1972 Munich Olympics, in which Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches after a televised hostage stand-off.

The Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan Oscar winner has already cast Sir Ben Kingsley, but no other actors have been announced, Spielberg’s spokesman, Marvin Levy, said today.

Spielberg will work from a script by Eric Roth, who also penned Forrest Gump and The Insider.

The film, which does not yet have a title, is set to start filming in June, Levy said.

The hostage stand-off ended after 21 hours in an ill-conceived rescue attempt at an airport – 11 Israeli athletes and coaches, five terrorists and one West German police officer were dead. Israeli commandos later hunted down and killed most of those involved in planning and carrying out the attack.

A documentary about the attack, One Day in September, won an Academy Award in 2000.