Don't think anyone has posted this yet (I don't see an obvious thread)...filming has already started and features a real Lancaster! Stephen Fry's on board the Dam Busters remake - Yahoo! Movies UK
Have you seen Fry driving across America? Great series! I wish the film producers good luck...I hope its not one Lancaster and 4000 TB of CGI effects!
Cheers for the new news Musso. I do remember that Martin Bull first talked about it but no filming was happening at that time ;-)) Also, who is Stephen Fry? A good friend of mine in Corpus is Tom Fry-but no relation I suppose? ;-))
Here's the original thread which goes back to 2006..... http://www.ww2f.com/wwii-films-tv/15797-peter-jackson-remake-dambusters.html This movie has become something of a long-running 'Loch Ness Monster' of aviation forums, with various sightings and rumours..... AFAIK, the latest 'gen' can be summed up as follows : - - A script has been written by Stephen Fry - Various visits ( and possibly some initial filming ) have been made by film personnel to see Lancaster NX611 at East Kirkby - Full-scale 'mock-up' Lancasters are rumoured to have been built in New Zealand ( but no photos have been seen ) - Some film work is rumoured to have started at the Dam Busters old wartime base, RAF Scampton ( but no photos etc.....) - Actor Mark McAvoy has reportedly been considered for the part of Gibson - Every time this movie is even whispered about, controversy over the name of Gibson's dog is instantly ignited And that is all I know .......
Fry writing the script. That is Quite Interesting, (loved the show) I always found Fry to my liking. Clever and cultured shows, and the one where he tells about his bipolarity made a deep impression. It would seem as if there is hope for the film. Having a Kiwi directing it and Fry doing the script I translate that into having the balls and character to tell the story right. With all the interest from historians and Airheads in Britain and Commonwealth I doubt that any "Hollywooding" will happen to the story. After all this is one of the events that the Americans cannot claim to be part of their winning the war.
Yes, the article has stated that filming has begun and that Fry wants to pay homage to the original and also keep things historically correct. I for one will be very interested in the final project and hope it lives up to its name.
He looks (and sounds) awfully familiar too. Pretty sure he was on 'Bones' and elsewhere. Ah, yes, you all know him (even if you don't think you do). Take a look at his filmography: Stephen Fry (I) Rather impressive if you ask me!
Hi Tex, thanks for the link. Glad to see this movie is in very capable hands. Thankfully hollywood doesnt have its paws on this project.
Hope they are really doing it. For instance the Mannerheim film has been postponed forever it seems when several investors took their money away due to the "bad times"...
Peter Jackson seems to be doing this right. 10 fiberglass Lancasters and having the last surviving pilot from Operation Chastise, Les Munro, onboard as technical adviser are both good signs. Although in the RCAF, Dambuster Joe McCarthy was American: Joe McCarthy - The RCAF's American Dambuster Nice picture of one of the mockup Lancs here: Takeoff looms for Dambusters | Stuff.co.nz
Well, it looks as if takeoff has been aborted..... Guy Adams - The Dambusters remake has gone back into its hangar, says Peter Jackson
Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson wants bouncing bombs to leap out at audiences in his hi-tech remake of the classic 1954 film World War Two film The Dam Busters. It has taken longer to arrange and plan than the original mission, which saw Lancaster bombers from 617 Squadron breach the Mohne and Eder and damage the Sorpe dams in an attempt to cripple German industrial output. "I think a World War Two bombing raid in 3D would be neat," said Mr Jackson. The director is currently shooting experimental three-dimensional aerial footage in New Zealand. Providing the trials go well, the plan is to remake The Dam Busters, as the first war film to be shot using the new technology. Christian Rivers, who was responsible for the animation in Mr Jackson's version of King Kong, is assisting him on the £24 million project. The director said he wants his film to be "as authentic as possible and as close to the spirit of the original as possible". Current production work includes the use of 10 replica Lancasters that are made from fibre glass and ordered from China. The director and his team made secret visits to key UK locations last year – including the coast of Reculver where the bouncing bombs that breached the dams were tested and witnessed in action by their inventor Barnes Wallis. The original film starred real-life war hero Richard Todd as bomber ace Wing Commander Guy Gibson and was a major inspiration for Jackson who saw it as a child. He even had a poster advertising the film on his bedroom wall. Todd, who was suffering from cancer, died peacefully in his sleep last week aged 90. Jackson said: “There’s that wonderful mentality of the British during the war, that heads-down, persevering, keep-on-plugging-away mentality, which is the true spirit of Dam Busters.” It took intervention from Tenterden-born Sir David Frost – who owns the rights to Paul Brickhill’s 1951 book on the history of the raid – to get Mr Jackson involved, however. Stephen Fry has been involved in writing the screenplay after Mr Jackson bought him on board. “I yield to none in my admiration for him as a film-maker,” said Mr Fry. “I had no idea he would be interested in this story.” Operation Chastise was the official name for the attacks on German dams made of thick concrete, on the night of 16-17 May, 1943. The Mohne and Eder dams were breached in the attacks, causing a catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley where much German industry was based, while the Sorpe dam sustained only minor damage. The first formation arrived over Mohne lake and Gibson's aircraft – aircraft codename G for George - bombed first. Flt Lt John Hopgood - M for Mother - attacked second. Hopgood's aircraft was hit by flak as it made its low-level run and was then caught in the blast of its own bomb and crashed shortly after, when a wing disintegrated. Further casualties were sustained as Gibson heroically flew his aircraft across the gunners aim to draw their fire The Eder Valley was heavily fogged but not defended. The tricky topography of the surrounding hills made the approach difficult and the first aircraft, The final bomb of the formation, from Australian Flt Lt Les Knight's aircraft breached the dam. The massive earthen Sorpe sustained only minor damage in the raid. Of the 133 aircrew who took part in the attacks a total of 53 died – a huge casualty rate by Bomber Command standards. A total of 34 decorations were awarded including a Victoria Cross for Gibson. Although hailed as great success at the time for setting back Hilter’s war machine, the raid has subsequently been questioned. Large numbers of civilians died and a prisoner of war camp holding Russian troops was devastated. It is still among the most famous actions of the conflict, however, and as well as the film and remake it has spawned numerous books, video games, clips shown in Pink Floyd’s The Wall movie and even an advertisement for Carling Black Label beer which has a German soldier saving the bouncing bombs goalkeeper–style. Jackson has pledged to be as historically accurate as possible and has been helped by the recent release of previously classified information. He said: “So much was still secret, especially the testing at Reculver when Michael Anderson’s original version came out. “They weren’t even allowed to show the bomb itself and had to create a fictionalised bomb for the film.” The Reculver location couldn1t be used at the time, because the area was still restricted and a site near Skegness in Lincolnshire was used for the testing of the bombs in the first film. Last year Herne Bay unveiled a statue to inventor Barnes Wallis on the seafront as a permanent reminder of the part he and the area played in the Dam Busters story. Rings director to remake Dam Busters classic film So they are still experimenting with 3D technology and when they get what they want to achieve with it they will start filming. I really want this film to come out as I think Pete Jackson will do it justice, but it seems to be in some sort of development hell in my opinion, it's fulll steam ahead with the project one month then cold turkey the next.
The 2002 documentary, History Raiders: The Dambusters, made for the History Channel, can now be found in its entirety on Youtube. http://dambustersblog.com/2009/04/14/history-channel-documentary/ Fred Sutherland interview: http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/features/dambusters/
Many interviews to be found here. http://www.history.co.uk/explore-history/ww2/bombing-offensive/video.html?bctid=68642885001&The-Dambusters:-617-Squadron Kenneth Lucas, Ray Grayston, Beck Parsons interviews and many others. Les Munro Interview. http://www.history.co.uk/explore-history/ww2/bombing-offensive/video.html?bctid=68679007001&The-Dambusters:-Munros-raid
Definitely one I will catch in 3-D! I wish my late father in law were around to catch this! JeffinMNUSA
