With Robopocalypse still on hold and someone else now officially directing Jurassic Park 4, a lot of people have been wondering what Steven Spielberg’s next project might be. For better or worse, it looks like it won’t be a summer popcorn flick, but instead will find him returning to the backdrop of war for the third time in a row. It’s another biographical story, but unlike Lincoln, this one revolves around an American with a little bit less historical significance. The movie is called American Sniper and it focuses on Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, a man who has apparently recorded the highest number of sniper kills ever for an American. Bradley Cooper is attached to star.

According to THR, Spielberg has officially signed on to direct American Sniper for Warner Brothers. Based on Chris Kyle’s own book American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, the script is being written by Jason Dean Hall, who previously wrote the Ashton Kutcher flick Spread. Bradley Cooper will also produce, along with Spielberg, Andrew Lazar (Jonah Hex, Get Smart) and Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon).

Kyle served during many major battles in the Iraq War before leaving the U.S. Navy in 2009. He was killed earlier this year at a shooting range by a fellow vet suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s unclear whether or not the movie will touch on the controversial events surrounding his death, but it seems like it would be hard to avoid completely. Either way, this is the first time Spielberg will tackle a modern war movie and it clearly sounds like it could be another Oscar contender for him. The movie is expected to start shooting in early 2014. Are you looking forward to American Sniper?