Steven Spielberg has lined up his next project. It will tackle UFOs and fittingly, he has enlisted Indiana Jones 4 writer David Koepp to pen the script.

Variety had a recent report with loads of exciting news. From Martin Scorsese's Leonardo DiCaprio-led Frank Sinatra biopic to details about Clint Eastwood's Juror No. 2, the report had lots of nuggets. The report included that Spielberg's UFO project will be based on “his own original idea.” So, that rules it out of being based on an existing IP.

David Koepp is an experienced screenwriter with a career spanning decades. His first collaboration with Spielberg came in 1993 when he co-wrote Jurassic Park with Michael Crichton. They would later reunite with Spielberg when he co-wrote War of the Worlds with Josh Friedman.

He has also worked with other acclaimed filmmakers including Brian De Palma, Sam Raimi, and Jon Favreau. Recently, Koepp's credits include Kimi and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which he co-wrote with Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and James Mangold.

Coming up before his UFO project, Koepp will return to the Jurassic Park franchise. He will write the forthcoming fourth Jurassic World film for Gareth Edwards.

Indiana Jones 4 (aka Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) dealt with aliens. Spielberg is familiar with the subject matter, as evident by his past filmography that includes E.T. It remains to be seen if the upcoming collaboration between the two will handle the subject matter in the same way.

Steven Spielberg's career

Steven Spielberg with Ready Player One poster and Ready Player Two book cover.

Steven Spielberg is a legend of the industry. He made a name for himself in the seventies directing films like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Spielberg also directed the first four Indiana Jones films beginning with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981.

Throughout the eighties and nineties, Spielberg's work included The Color Purple, Hook, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan.

Into the 2000s, Spielberg hasn't slowed down. He's directed the likes of A.I. Artificial Intelligence Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, War of the Worlds, and The Adventures of Tintin.

Over the past decade or so, Spielberg has shifted his attention largely over to dramas. Those films include Lincoln, Bridge of Spies, The Post, and The Fablemans. His other recent credits include adaptations of The BFG, Ready Player One, and West Side Story.

As a director, Spielberg has received countless awards. He has several Oscar nominations and won Best Picture and Best Director for Schindler's List in 1994. Just a half-decade later, Spielberg took home Best Director for Saving Private Ryan as well. His latest films have still received nominations, however, he hasn't won an Oscar since 1999.

To his credit, Spielberg's last film, The Fablemans, did land seven total nominations. These nominations included Best Picture and Best Director for Spielberg.