- Film about the 1980s rivalry between Pepsi and Coca-Cola is in the works
- Industry heavy hitters have been brought on board to direct and produce
- Film will focus on the two soft drink giants in the 1980s
We’ll raise a glass to this – industry heavy hitters Judd Apatow and Steven Spielberg have been brought on board the Cola Wars film that is currently being developed.
True story
Deadline broke the news that Apatow is in line to direct the film, while Spielberg will produce through his Amblin Entertainment company.
It was revealed – again by Deadline – back in April that Sony had bought the project as a pitch, and the film is now in the early stages of development. A script is being written currently by Jason Shuman and Ben Queen.
The plot of the movie will centre on the true story of how Pepsi sought to topple Coca-Cola from its perch as the number one-selling cola in the 1980s. This led to the Cola Wars as the brands tried numerous stunts and innovations to try and convince customers to drink their brand of brown fizzy liquid.
This included things like a Pepsi advert starring Michael Jackson – then the biggest pop star in the world – going wrong in filming and the singer getting his hair set on fire. Then there was the debacle over ‘New Coke’ when Coca-Cola launched a new recipe for its drink – which led to a huge backlash from customers and a swift return to the ‘old’ flavour.
Not slowing down
Spielberg, despite being in his late 70s, is showing no signs of slowing down. As well has producing this film, he is also set to direct a new movie based on an original UFO story in what has been called an ‘event film’ to be released in May 2026.
