World War Z director Marc Forster is set to direct The Downslope, based on Stanley Kubrick’s 1956 screenplay portraying historic events from the American Civil War. With its anti-war theme, the story revolves around a series of strategic battles in the Shenandoah Valley between forces led by Union General George Armstrong Custer and Confederate Colonel John Singleton Mosby, two adversaries who went on to become legendary military figures.

The stealthy and elusive Mosby, dubbed “The Gray Ghost,” was revered for his cavalry’s success of frequently outsmarting significantly larger enemy forces in a series of raids, angering Custer and setting off a vengeful feud between the two commanders.

The movie is expected to be the first installment of a trilogy, which will build on the original story by exploring the Western frontier and the nation’s dreams of Manifest Destiny. Forster is also on board to produce these pictures with filmmakers Lauren Selig (Lone Survivor), Barry Levine (Hercules) and Reneé Wolfe (All I See is You).

Commenting on the upcoming project, Forster praised Kubrick’s work, saying: “I am indebted to Stanley Kubrick and his visionary films. It is an honor and a huge responsibility to take on this project, and we’re thankful to his family for their support. This is a powerful work, an epic story, with its psychological landscape of brother pitted against brother, and friend against friend. We believe it will be an incredibly interesting trilogy and a great experience sharing our mutual passion for Kubrick’s vision.”