Lincoln actually won’t be Spielberg’s next film, however. That honor goes to Spielberg’s part of the Tintin trilogy which he will be filming this fall. Spielberg, however, is quite good at filming back to back films (anyone remember the one-two punch of Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List in 1993?) and he’s said that he’s planning a start date for Lincoln of early next year. Spielberg has a strong script by Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner ready to go.

The director had been prepping the Aaron Sorkin scripted The Trial of the Chicago Seven, but the writer’s strike put a hold on rewrites he needed. Spielberg had already enlisted Sacha Baron Cohen and had already talked to other high profile A-list actors (reportedly including Will Smith) about starring in the drama about the trial of anti-Vietnam war protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, but the rewrites put everything behind schedule. Apparently, Spielberg no longer feels he can make that project work at this time.

I’d much rather have the Lincoln project come together anyway. It sounds much more like something I’d want to see than the other film. I’m thinking that if he can get it shot early next year they can have it out just in time for Oscar season in 2009.

We thought Spielberg was busy editing “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and planning “Lincoln” (which is already casting – see Sally Field Signs On To Spielberg’s “Lincolnâ€Â?), “Interstellar” and the three announced Tintin movies with Peter Jackson (see Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson Teaming Up), but it looks like we were wrong.

In his recent interview with Vanity Fair, Spielberg says that he’s developing “The Trial of the Chicago Seven” (or “Chicago 7″ as it is called in the article) alongside “Lincoln” and that it might actually be ready before “Lincoln” (he insinuates it’s because of the strike which has sidelined the screenwriter of “Lincoln”).

Some substance is given to the statement by the UK’s Sunday Times who reported that Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) has been “persuaded by Steven Spielberg� to play Abbie Hoffman in that very film.

“The Trial of the Chicago Seven” was written by Aaron Sorkin and is based on the true story of seven defendants charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Abby Hoffman was a self-identified Jewish communo-anarchist. Hoffman became a symbol of youth rebellion and radical activism during the 1970’s. He later committed suicide in 1989. According to reports, Cohen will be getting around $6 million for the film.

Some other big name stars are apparently being considered for parts in the film as well. The author of the Vanity Fair article got a glimpse of the headshots for the actors being considered for parts. Among them, Will Smith, Taye Diggs, Adam Arkin, Kevin Spacey, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (as William Kunstler).