MUMBAI: Steven Spielberg’s War Horse will hit theaters this Christmas.

Produced by Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, the film will be released by Reliance Entertainment in India on 28 December, 2011.

War Horse stars Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irvine, Benedict Cumberbatch and Toby Kebbell.

War Horse, is an odyssey of friendship, discovery and courage. It’s a tale of a young boy named Albert and his farm horse Joey. The story takes place at the outbreak of WWI. Joey is sold to the British cavalry by Albert’s father and dispatched to the front lines; Joey begins an extraordinary journey against the backdrop of the Great War. Despite the obstacles he faces at every step of his journey, he touches and changes each life he encounters along the way. Albert, unable to forget his friend, leaves home for the battlefields of France to find.

First published as a novel in 1982, War Horse became a family classic of love and loyalty. The story went on to be adapted into an international theatrical hit – which is where Spielberg first encountered it. “I thought the story was absolutely fascinating, and I was simply transported,” Spielberg recalls.

“In my mind it was a very honest story, I saw it as a movie for families, the journey of a boy and a horse who were once so close, whose destinies drive them far apart. I hope this story will bring people together through this shared experience, its heart and its message can be felt in every country,” he added.

Spielberg said, “To me, this is a story about belief, hope, and tenacity – the tenacity of a boy and a horse driven by devotion.”