Peter Jackson's "Dambusters"

[Kitty]

Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kyt]

Fry resumes work on Dambusters screenplay - New Zealand's source for entertainment news, gossip & music, movie & book reviews on Stuff.co.nz

British writer and comedian Stephen Fry is back at work on a third draft of his screenplay for Peter Jackson's remake of The Dambusters after being delayed by the United States writers' strike.

Fry also had interviewed squadron members of the famous raid and production staff had visited locations in Britain and Germany where the World War 2 events took place.

Jackson is producing the remake of the classic war movie, to be directed by special effects expert Christian Rivers, and has commissioned Fry to write the script.

Fry revealed details of his scriptwriting on his internet blog and podcast.

He said he spent time last year "zooming around England meeting old survivors of the original raid and people connected with survivors" as research for a second draft of the script.

The British raid on German dams in 1943, using a specially developed "bouncing bomb", was portrayed in the original film.

Fry told a British newspaper that the remake would be able to tell more about the raids because state secrets had been revealed since the 1954 film was made.

"There were things that we can bring to the screenplay that were not available for the original version ... for example, the actual nature of the bomb itself.

"And also the nature of the danger and the death, the appalling destruction of so many lives during the raid. It was too close. It was only 10 years after the raid that they made the film," he said.

"Having met some of the survivors who are still with us - there are not many left, as you can imagine - and having been in a Lancaster bomber and tried to move around in one, my admiration for these people just cannot be overstated."

[spidge]

I am really looking forward to this!

[Kyt]

Filming to start on Dambusters remake in 2009 - Horncastle News

SHOOTING is likely to start early next year on a blockbuster remake of the classic 1955 Dambusters movie.
A spokesperson for Peter Jackson, the hugely successful director of the Lord of the Rings films, told a New Zealand newspaper that filming was likely to start early next year.

Plans for Mr Jackson’s film about the famous World War Two bombing raid were announced in September 2006 and it was thought shooting would start in April this year.

Mr Jackson is producing the film with Sir David Frost and the script has been written by Stephen Fry but no cast members have yet been revealed although James McAvoy has been tipped to play Wing Commander Guy Gibson.

Last year Mr Jackson, Sir David, Mr Fry and King Kong director Christian Rivers visited the area while scouting locations for the project.

[spidge]

I don't know about eveyone else but I can't wait.

[Pathfinder]

I can't wait either

Hopefully it will be a good film AND will be accurate!!

[Kyt]

For people concerned with whether Jackson will get the details correct......

Moon gives light to Peter Jackson film - Entertainment news, gossip & music, movie & book reviews on Stuff.co.nz

With a trademark eye for detail, film-maker Peter Jackson has hired an astronomer to ensure the moon's position in his movie Dambusters is spot-on.

A full moon was key to the May 1943 Dambusters raids, in which Allied planes bombed German dams at night.

Former Carter Observatory senior astronomer Brian Carter, not related to the founding Carter family, was asked to research the moon's position over Germany at the time.

"Somebody just rang up. I didn't realise it was for Peter Jackson until later."

Mr Carter has since been made redundant from the observatory and has set up a paid service providing information about celestial events.

Computer software allows him to find where the moon was at any time, anywhere on the globe.

"We can see its position, how bright it was, that sort of thing."

He was impressed by the lengths Jackson had gone to.

"I think these days film-makers like to get things as right as possible. In the past there have been a few bloopers."

The attack took place on May 16, 1943, a date chosen for the full moon, and because the dams' water levels were high.

The moon's dim glow gave just enough light for flight crews to perform the precise task of dropping unique bouncing bombs on the dams, but also exposed them to anti-aircraft fire, meaning they had to hug the ground. A deadly mix of German guns and accidents from low-level flying meant that of the 19 Lancaster bombers and 133 crew taking part, eight planes and 56 men were lost.

Jackson is known as a director who likes to put the stamp of authenticity on his films. For his remake of King Kong he created a mini 1930s New York set in the Lower Hutt suburb of Seaview.

A spokesman for Jackson said Dambusters was still in pre-production. Filming was expected to start next year.

[Antipodean Andy]

Now that's what we like to hear! Well done, Peter Jackson!

[Kyt]

Dambuster's dog gets new name for film remake

Film producers in America have axed the real name of a controversial character in the remake of The Dam Busters movie.

The name of Wing Commander Guy Gibson's pet labrador, Nigger, has been branded as "unacceptable" by Hollywood's money men.

Instead, the filmmakers are being forced to stray from historical accuracy and settle for the more politically correct Nidge.

Sir David Frost, who owns the rights to the film, said it will cause a huge problem.

He said: "We've been told that the word is simply unacceptable in America nowadays.

"This causes a huge problem because we want the film to be as historically correct as possible."

It was suggested that scriptwriters name the dog Digger, but Sir David said that wouldn't happen.

"I think we have reached a compromise in which we'll call him Nidge.

"Gibson did sometimes call his dog this, so there would be a historical precedent."

The film is to be directed by Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame, with scriptwriter Stephen Fry providing the words.

It will depict the lives of the men of 617 Squadron, based at RAF Scampton, near Lincoln, in particular its leader Gibson.

The squadron carried out an attack on the Ruhr dams in Germany during the Second World War in an attempt to hit the Nazi war effort

[Kitty]

*Bangs head against wall repeatedly*