Spielberg To Direct The Rivals

Steven Spielberg may be scheduling in The Rivals for one of his upcoming projects but fear not, while pop stars will be involved, they're a far cry from the likes of Girls Aloud and One True Voice. The film is, in fact, a drama about the rivalry between 19th century stage stars, Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse. The two actresses were the Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart (or possibly the Biggie and Tupac) of 19th century theatre and competed on stage as well as in social circles and romantically. More youthful than Bernhardt, Italian-born Duse became a threat to the older actress and, as the rivalry escalated, both actresses would play the same part on the same night with critics rushing between them in order to compare. Spielberg has apparently made a personal bid for the project, with a mind to direct this catfight drama at an unspecified point in the future.