Who directed the 2011 World War I film War Horse?

Steven Spielberg directed the 2011 World War I film War Horse.

The film is based on Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 children’s novel and follows Joey, a horse separated from his owner Albert after being sold to the British Army. Joey passes through several owners and military settings as the First World War unfolds, giving the story a broad view of the conflict from an animal’s perspective.

Spielberg’s adaptation was released in December 2011 and received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. The stage adaptation of War Horse had already become internationally known for its life-sized horse puppets, but Spielberg’s movie uses live horses and cinematic landscapes. The film’s rural opening and battlefield sequences contrast sharply with the industrial scale and destruction of trench warfare.