War Horse pulled something from my heart, says Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg has told how he was moved to make a movie version of London theatrical phenomenon War Horse after the play "grabbed me, reached into my heart and pulled something out".

War Horse, based on Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel chronicling a boy's beloved horse Joey who ends up on the Western Front in the First World War, began at the National Theatre in 2007, in collaboration with the Handspring Puppet Company, and continues to play to packed houses in the West End and on Broadway.

Elizabeth Olsen, Stephen Daldry and Ed Westwick were among those who joined Spielberg and Morpurgo on the red carpet for the epic's world premiere in New York last night at Manhattan's Lincoln Center.

Although the play's puppets have been replaced by real horses, Spielberg told the Standard that seeing the play in London had spurred him to make his first film since 2008 (his Tintin film released here last month was made after War Horse).

Spielberg said: "Why did I make War Horse? It's not an intellectual answer. War Horse grabbed me, reached into my heart and pulled something out of it that made me want to make it now, not a year from now or five years from now. I fast-tracked the movie because I was so moved by the book and the play. I just couldn't imagine waiting any longer so I made it very quickly."

Spielberg was alerted to the play by his production partner Kathleen Kennedy who first saw War Horse at the New London Theatre in 2009.

She said: "I was on a family vacation and had both my girls with me. I was so astounded at how moving the play was. Looking around me, all ages were completely riveted on the story and everybody was responding emotionally in much the same way. I don't remember seeing that very often in live theatre."

Unlike War Horse on Broadway whose cast is all-American, Spielberg chose predominantly British actors for the leading roles, including 21-year-old newcomer Jeremy Irvine as Albert Narracott and Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch as officers. Londoner Celine Buckens makes her film debut as Emilie, a French girl whose family takes in Joey.

Robert Emms, 25, who played Albert on stage and David Lyons in the film, said: "I'm so grateful to Steven for taking me from the play. He met us all in London and I was standing at the back of the cast. I thought, 'Damn it, I should be at the front. I'm not going to be in the film, am I?' I definitely didn't imagine that I would make it from the play to the film."

Emily Watson, who plays Albert's said Spielberg had been "very respectful of the play and has acknowledged the debt he has to the National Theatre. But he's cinematic with a capital C and he's brought the power of cinema to the story which he does in an extraordinary way."

But Toby Kebbell, 29, who plays a Geordie officer, admitted: "I haven't seen the play. I didn't have any time to. I was given the role by Steven nine days before we started filming."

War Horse's UK release on January 13 is less than a fortnight before the Oscar nominations are announced.