Exclusive: Tom Hiddleston On War Horse

If it feels like forever since Steven Spielberg graced the big screen, there's a double return from Señor S to look forward to. October brings The Adventures Of Tintin and trotting in a few months later is his adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel War Horse.

For its May issue **Empire **sat down with one of the stars of the latter, Tom Hiddleston, to chat about War Horse. "Steven told me, 'I don't want to make Saving Private Joey,'" says Hiddleston of the director's determination to stay true to the spirit of Morpurgo's book. As Hiddleston explains, there's good news too for fans of the breathtaking National Theatre stage version. "[Steven had] seen the stage play and he wanted to retain the magic and heartbeat of that."

Considering the sheer horror of the Great War battlefields, you'd imagine Spielberg faced an equal challenge adapting the family-friendly War Horse in a way that doesn't give wee'uns shellshock - and you'd be right. "It's a moving, powerful story you can take children to see, but it is still very upsetting," explains Hiddleston. "People die, and it is war. Nine million horses were killed in the First World War. I can't even imagine that."

Joining Hiddleston on the cast are Benedict Cumberbatch and Patrick Kennedy (pictured here), as well as Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, David Thewlis and Eddie Marsan.** War Horse** is out on January 13, 2012.

For more in the meantime, pick up the latest issue of **Empire, on newstands from Thursday, March 31.