Briefly: Well, this is a nice surprise. THR reports that Steven Spielberg has quietly lined up his next directorial outing, a real feat considering the heat the film already has on it. The outlet shares that Spielberg will next helm an adaptation of American Sniper,  the true life tale of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle that Bradley Cooper has long been developing as producer and star. While the film was already compelling enough when Cooper signed on back in May of last year, with Kyle’s career distinction of  recording more career sniper kills in United States military history than anyone else (160 confirmed kills out of 255 claimed kills), the story toook a decidely tragic turn when Kyle was shot and killed at a shooting range by a fellow veteran back in Februrary of this year.

The Toronto International Film Festival has so far issued few surprises – after all, most of us were surely expecting that Cloud Atlas would divide, Argo would be solid, The Place Beyond the Pines would enthrall, and that Thanks for Sharing would play like Shame-lite – but there has been one film whose praise has surprised many, most of all this writer. The pieces of David O. Russell‘s Silver Linings Playbook are all good – the director, the source material, the cast (including Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro) – but the film’s first trailer just hinted at a film that was light and amusing. Apparently, though, the film is much more than that, and a number of critics are already throwing “awards-worthy” praise all over it. That said, it seems like the casting of Cooper (swapped out for Russell’s frequent star, Mark Wahlberg) was an unexpectedly solid choice, and neither Russell nor Cooper seem ready to let that magic go.

Looks like Bradley Cooper isn’t wasting much time getting his first project for his brand new production company going. THR reports that the actor is currently “setting up” a big screen adaptation of American Sniper through his company. Cooper will produce the film through his new production shingle at Warner Bros., 22nd & Indiana, which he just set up this past March. Cooper will also “likely” star in the film to boot. The film will center on the real life story of Chris Kyle, a U.S. Navy SEAL who is the owner of one hell of a distinction – he’s recorded more career sniper kills in United States military history than anyone else. In fact, Kyle smashed the previous record (109) with his official count, which is 160 confirmed kills out of 255 claimed kills. His work earned him the succinct nickname of “The Devil” by Iraqi insurgents, who even went so far as to place a bounty on his head. Kyle’s life is also cinematically colorful, with his path to the SEALs marked by a childhood of hunting, a brief period of rodeo-riding, and a fittingly legendary tale of how he ended up signing up for the Navy (he was trying to sign up for the Marines, but the Marine recruiter was out to lunch). There’s also a weird little story about Kyle claiming to have knocked out, of all people, Jesse Ventura. Jason Dean Hall (Paranoia, Spread) is set to adapt the script, which comes from Kyle’s biography,