Canuck director Jeremy Podeswa has been signed to work on his second Steven Spielberg production, the HBO miniseries The Pacific.

The Pacific is a personal project for Spielberg, whose father served in the Asian theatre during the Second World War. The series, which is being co-produced by Tom Hanks, concentrates on the lives of three young Marines, played by James Badge Dale (The Black Donnellys), Val Lauren (24) and Spielberg discovery Joe Mazzello (Jurassic Park).

‘It’s huge. I’m excited about it,’ Podeswa tells Playback Daily. Podeswa previously directed one episode of the Spielberg-produced saga Into the West, and is pleased at this confirmation that he is ‘in Spielberg’s good books.’

The Pacific adds luster to his burgeoning career as a TV director in the United States. Since his breakthrough on American television with recurring directorial work on Six Feet Under, the Toronto-born filmmaker has gone on to helm episodes of Rome, The Tudors, Dexter, John from Cincinnati and The Riches.

Asked whether he prefers television work to film, Podeswa points out that, ‘if I wanted to make a film on the war in Pacific, it would never happen. But here I am, doing it on television.’

His next feature, Fugitive Pieces, will be the opening night gala at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival. ‘I really hope that the film will open doors for more features. I’d love to do more things that I’ve written,’ he adds.