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HBO Developing Third WWII Miniseries with Hanks and Spielberg

posted 12 years ago by van-gramsci
53 replies | jump to latest

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/hbo-developing-third-wwii-m iniseries-413632

They've optioned the book, Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller, as the primary source material.

Thoughts?

Is anyone familiar with Miller's book?

Personally, I think the air war will be an interesting change of pace. Would air-to-air action (especially Bomber Command) be too monotonous though? At least it leaves a lot of room for interesting character development.

He killed my ma. He killed my pa. I'll vote for him.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] frandalf_stormcrow 12 years ago

Or WWI!

[–] AGreenman19 11 years ago

WWI was boring as hell and wouldn't make good television.

[–] natalie0407 10 years ago

Everything is boring in history textbooks. Try listening to WWI segments by Dan Carlin and see if he can change your mind. I also read a few autobiographies (such as that of Robert Graves) and it was still riveting. It depends on the presentation.

[–] Harvestmoonman13 10 years ago

I think a bomber pilot mini-series is a bad idea. As people have said there have been quite a few good movies about the air war, especially bombers and I think it would best be suited for a movie as that kind of combat and story doesn't hold enough variety for a series like this.

I think a tanker series would be very interesting and something that really hasn't been done and could really bring something new.

Some people mentioned Vietnam but Vietnam has tons of great movies with platoon, full metal jacket, etc.

The Korean was is definitely the most deserving. It's known as America's Forgotten War and I'd really like to be reminded about it. It's probably the war that Americans know the least about. The only movie I know of is porkchop hill and the only other bit is MASH which was very colored by the Vietnam war.

[–] joefreitag 8 years ago

The thing about WW1 is that you weren't actually on the primary line all that long per month. A lot of times you were only up there 3-5 days. There were multiple lines of trenches and you cycled through them on the way up and on the way back and then were off the line completely for a while.

You'd have TONS of time for storylines and suspense which can't be covered in a movie.

[–] brightmidnight71 11 years ago

I totally agree. So many stories to tell from both wars. The last decent Vietnam film was We Were Soldiers and that was...melodramatic. Korea hasn't gotten a modern depiction worth a damn at all. I would love to see that. A BOB for Korea.

[–] joekinplaya 11 years ago

Tae Guk Gi is pretty much the only decent modern depiction of the Korean War atm. The rest are kinda... yeah... and even Tae Guk Gi is melodramatic but that's primarily because almost everything from Asia is melodramatic (in terms of film/shows/movies).

Despite it being melodramatic, Tae Guk Gi accurately depicts what fighting the Korean War felt like. They did especially well with how both sides (Communist North and Democracy South) killed their own civilians in counts of millions because they were suspected to conspire with the opposing enemy (this was "proved" by a document signed by civilians when North took over Southern lands. Civilians signed the paper for food as the North would not give them any without their signature. Also, most of the people who signed the document were illiterate therefore were just conned with food causing their own families and friends to kill them like a bunch of livestock).

Of course the movie gets a little too superficial and melodramatic after one of the characters defects to the North side (which happened as well) but the way it happened was so cheesy haha. If you can ignore that part, then this is actually a good piece for you.

[–] kdimmick 12 years ago

Thoughts?

In the past I had always thought that being WAY up there in a bomber would be a safer place but in reality the bomber guys took MUCH higher casualties than the ground forces in WWII.

[–] blackjackxxx 12 years ago

Yeah, I'm a huge aviation fan and a WWII buff in particular. I have to say that the Air War has been done and done very well. Sure, you can make it more graphic. OK, fine. The CGI can be outstanding, although I am certain they would overdo it. Fine. The storyline has been done to near perfection.

Twelve O'clock High. They gonna top that? Nope.

The War Lover. Great flying sequences and a compelling story.

Battle of Britain. Except to make it more graphic, won't come close.

Memphis Belle, Red-Tails, on and on. It has been done very well. I would say move on to Korea or Vietnam, if they wish to make another. I would love to see a mini-series done on the purely Naval aspects of the Pacific War, but that too has been done ( A. LOT.). They could CGI some surface battles that would have me going through the popcorn like a woodchipper.

Push the button, Max

[–] nickm2 12 years ago

While I would certainly like 'Masters of the Air' to become a mini, IF naval action is what you desire, I suggest HBO develop a mini from James Hornfischer's other book, "Neptune's Inferno".

[–] blackjackxxx 12 years ago

If someone was going to mini-series the Naval War ala BOB and the Pacific; you would have to have a focus somewhere. You could focus on an individual ship, but that would come off documentary-like, I think. If you're going to focus on an individual, where do you go? Halsey, Nimitz, Yamamoto, Nagumo. etc, etc. Most of those have been done, or a fictitious facsimile "Winds of War" "Gathering of Eagles" etc.

Push the button, Max

[–] nickm2 12 years ago

Well 'Inferno' sounds like a decent place to start; from our (and our allies') early war disasters in the Java Sea to Savo Island to the nightly battles with the Tokyo Express where the 'Navy' learns how to stand toe to toe with the IJN.

[–] ATG6 (3000) a year ago

Focus on Willis Lee:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Augustus_Lee

He became a Vice Admiral, so he had a long career. Started out at the Naval Academy, and won 7 Olympic medals for shooting. He fought in Mexico in 1914, killing 3 enemy snipers himself. In WW2, he won the Naval Cross for the Battle of Guadalcanal, becoming the only battleship commander to sink an enemy battleship in a one-on-one battle. It was quite possibly the turning point of the battle, and the war in the Pacific.

[–] BertramWilberforceWooster 12 years ago

Hell, watch Winds of War/War and Remembrance.

--
Once upon a time, we had a love affair with fire.
http://athinkersblog.com/

[–] nickm2 12 years ago

The episode in which the Japanese 'pulled victory from the jaws of defeat during a naval battle using their dreaded 'long lance torpedoes' is the ONLY thing I remember from the Mini....

[–] BertramWilberforceWooster 12 years ago

There were the submarine scenes, the battle of Leyte Gulf, Midway, and others that I can't think of at the moment.

--
Once upon a time, we had a love affair with fire.
http://athinkersblog.com/

[–] CGSailor 11 years ago

I agree with Needing a good Surface Navy WW 2 film.

Either or both of Hornfischer's books... Neptune's Inferno (current reading) or Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors (read many times).

The First deals with the naval battles of Guadalcanal, Savo Island, the Slot, etc... the latter deals with the Battle of Samar.

But back to your post where you mentioned "Red Tails"

For me, red tails deserves a place right alongside Michael Bay's "Pearl Harbor"
In the trash bin.
Complete misuse of CGI to cartoonish effect rather than realism, and abhorrently bad in historical detail and accuracy.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] blacklabelkk 12 years ago

Noooooooooooo, I was hoping for something on WWI or anything but what they've already done.... oh well, it will be excellent regardless.

[–] Gum_Bercules 12 years ago

If you like WW1 there is an australian mini series pseudo documenting the great war from the australian perspective. It was made in 1985 with no CGI and on a shoestring budget, but it's still quite well done considering, well worth checking out if you're into the BoB or Pacific mini series styles. The only thing you have to get past are our whacky accents probably.

It's called ANZACS if you want to look it up. (anzac - Australian New Zealand Army Corps)

I reckon it'll be worth your while to give it a go, but I'm an aussie myself so I'm naturally biased to anything that shows us in a good light lol

[–] blacklabelkk 12 years ago

Eh, thanks for the suggestion but I'm not very educated on WWI which is kind of why I wanted them to do it. Anything before the 90's I have trouble getting into and one of the main reasons I love SPR,BoB, and TP was because of the special effects and realism. If it has any of that I might enjoy it but it's an 80's series, so probably not lol, thanks though.

[–] Yuffie_Kisaragi 12 years ago

I'm looking forward to it but... I hope they decide to leave the soap opera style drama out of the new series. In The Pacific, the dramacentric soap opera style episode 3 was utter dreadful.

When I first watched the series, it killed my interest. It's only until recently when I bought the boxset and rewatched the series. So yeah, I hope they learn from their mistakes and make it Band of Brothers but in the air.

[–] myturn21 11 years ago

I'd rather see Spielberg & Hanks do a Korean War miniseries. Been hoping they would. But if they do another WWII series, I'll watch it. It'll be well done.

-----------------
ARRET! C'est ici l'empire de la mort!

[–] wymanv 11 years ago

Ten percent of all US casualties suffered during the Second World War were with the 8th AAF. It seems appropriate to tell the story. I think Korea deserves to be covered in a similar mini-series format but I don't think this group is interested in or would be appropriate to do it.

[–] csteve67 11 years ago

would like to see Spielberg/Hanks (Play Tone):
WWII Generals (Ike, Patton, Mac and Bradley)
WWII Tanks
WWI

"Vive la mort, vive la guerre, vive le sacre mercenaire."

[–] Checkerbreath 11 years ago

If they're doing WWII, i'd rather see the North Africa campaign going into the invasion of italy

[–] Reminisce_PartOne 11 years ago

Ah yeah, hadn't thought about that. Yeah, kind of seems like the fitting third such project.. completing the trilogy of US troops on the ground in WWII. Europe, then Pacific, then Africa/Italy.

I would love to see something in which Henry J. Guarnere is portrayed, preferably as a main character. I've been to and photographed his memorial cross actually.

[–] Chelios24 11 years ago

I worry about this. As a movie, great. But I'm not sure how cinematic air battles would be for ten episodes. The human story is what is important, but when they're not in flight there's less danger and probably less conflict. Runs the risk of getting soap opera-like.

Haven't read the book, though. Maybe it could work.