Steven Spielberg is set to direct a biopic of the life of Moses, which will portray the biblical leader in a gritty style described as a mix of Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan, reports Deadline.

Tentatively titled Gods and Kings, the film will show the Jewish hero as the ultimate, invincible warrior. "[It's] a Braveheart-ish version of the Moses story," a source close to the project told Deadline. "Him coming down the river, being adopted, leaving his home, forming an army, and getting the Ten Commandments. There have been glossy versions of the Moses story but this would be a real warrior story."

Spielberg has experienced a relatively disappointing awards season so far. His epic first world war film War Horse picked up a best picture nomination for the Oscars on Tuesday but was shut out of the other major categories, while animated adventure Tintin managed only one nod, for best music. The director is said to be looking for a "big film" to shoot next, and Gods and Kings has the right credentials.

The most famous Hollywood retelling of the Moses story is the 1956 Cecil B DeMille epic The Ten Commandments, which starred Charlton Heston in the lead role and was one of the highest grossing films of its era. It received seven Academy Award nominations including best picture, and won the Oscar for best visual effects, thanks largely to its famous parting of the Red Sea scene.

Spielberg is said to be in final negotiations with Warner Brothers to direct Gods and Kings, and the studio is aiming to shoot in March or April next year. He is currently in post-production on the Abraham Lincoln biopic Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, which will be released for Christmas this year, and then aims to shoot the science fiction film Robopocalypse this summer for a July 2013 release date.