Eastwood to direct WWII drama for Spielberg

[BGanzo]

That's what the world needs another WWII film...

[Americanbeauty]

AmericanBeauty, I think it will be quite awhile before we hear anything substantive about Flags of Our Fathers. We don't even know whether it will be Clint's next film, or whether he'll do somethng else first. I suspect it will probably be his next film, especially because Spielberg is so busy and has a lot of projects planned, but he might want to do that music-themed project he was talking about, or the Niel Armstrong biopic, or something else entirely. I think it's pretty useless to be speculating about it this early because we just don't know anything at all about it yet and as we don't know anything about the characters, most of us can't pick actors for the various roles because it wouldn't be an informed decision. I'm sure that when things begin moving, it will be posted here, and we'll all know about it

Good morning !

I know, I know ... it was a little bit premature from my part   ... but I thought you guys might know something ... you always seem to know the latest news, so ... I just gave it a shot .
But to tell you the truth I kind of expected you'd answer that   !!
I know people have been speculating about the movie since June/July, so maybe we'll get some real, good news soon. Well, I hope we will  

And yeah I heard about the Neil Armstrong biopic ... sounds great ...

[KC]

There's a tidbit about this project in today's New York Daily News ...

[Eastwood's] next movie, "Flags of Our ­Fathers," may be the most ambitious he has ever made. The film, which will be produced by Steven Spielberg, is being adapted from the best seller about the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima and the men who famously raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi.

Eastwood said it hasn't been cast yet and that he probably won't start shooting before late summer.

"It's going to [be] difficult," he said. "It's very different from the last few pictures. But if we do our jobs, it could be special."

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/261518p-223857c.html

Thanks to Ben Shockley for posting this story in the Million Dollar Baby thread.  

[Perry]

Hi Guys:
                   Very nice article today in the Daily News and it basically confirmed 'Flags For Our Fathers' will be  his next movie. Eastwood actually acknowledged that Flags will be a very tough movie to do. Considering how great the book was it certainly will be a major challenge. What is interesting is casting for the movie. Does he go for unknowns or major casting?

                     p

[mgk]

Hi Perry -

I merged your last post about this subject into this thread where this movie is being discussed.

Thanks.

[AKA23]

I think it's a bit sad that this is going to be Eastwood's next film. I was hoping he might do another one in between that he may have acted in. I guess GBH's suggestion of Clint teaming with Russell Crowe for his next film didn't come to fruition after all, unless Clint is going to cast Crowe in this one, but I would somehow doubt it.

[movie_guy]

I really think that Clint Eastwood's talent is in picking people who act well - and avoiding the hyped-up folks.  Thankfully (VERY thankfully!!!), we'll SURELY not see Leonardo DiCaprio (VERY shallow acting skills), Alec Baldwin (unfitting of a Marine, I'd be offended to see the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on him), or some of the overpriced (and over-hyped) actors in it.  My guess is that (given Steven Spielberg's style with Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan) we'll see a real-live movie about honor, sacrifice, and the bond of Marines that battle doesn't break.

As a former Marine, myself, I am very glad to see this news, after being SO let down by Windtalkers and confused by The Thin Red Line.  If everyone knew the history those stories were based on, the movies would make sense.  Windtalkers left out some of the best parts of the stories (but still managed to throw in so much gore and BAD ACTING (I never knew Nicholas Cage was SUCH a BAD ACTOR!) it was distracting from the historical and heroic marks the true story deserved).  The Thin Red Line was long and well-shot, but it seemed to have been cut up so bad to fit in a movie theater that it became hard to comprehend - and that was a shame; it was well-acted, and the cinematography was SUPERB.

Then there's the whole Pearl Harbor movie debacle - I watched it, found the love story entertaining, but, historically, it was SO far from the truth that it was really a cheap shot to those who were there.  For great TRUE stories, all you gotta do is read Gordon Prange's Dec 7, 1941: The Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor.  All of the TRUE stories in there were more fascinating than the rather silly love affairs that were in the movie; and I would have rather seen some of those richer tales told.

But, hey, I'm into history and avoid reality shows like the plague.  Maybe I'm just out of step with the rest of the world.

If Mr Eastwood reads this, I hope he drops me a line.  I know a couple people he can contact to get some GOOD info on that battle, and a couple of books he's just GOT to read.  Best to prepare, Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa by Joseph H Alexander.

Regardless, I'll watch it; but since Mr Eastwood and Mr Spielberg are on it, I will have NO reservations about its quality; I'm sure I will enjoy it, and I'm sure you will, too.

Semper Fi,
R Graham
Corporal, USMC
1981-1985

[Brendan]

Thankfully (VERY thankfully!!!), we'll SURELY not see... Alec Baldwin (unfitting of a Marine, I'd be offended to see the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on him),

This goes with my theory that Alec Baldwin is very under-appreciated.

As a former Marine, myself, I am very glad to see this news, after being SO let down by Windtalkers and confused by The Thin Red Line.  If everyone knew the history those stories were based on, the movies would make sense.  Windtalkers left out some of the best parts of the stories (but still managed to throw in so much gore and BAD ACTING (I never knew Nicholas Cage was SUCH a BAD ACTOR!) it was distracting from the historical and heroic marks the true story deserved).

Nicolas Cage is a hit and miss actor. And the film was directed by John Woo, enough said.

Then there's the whole Pearl Harbor movie debacle -

It was directed by Michael Bay, enough said.

[KC]

Thanks for your opinion, movie_guy. Please don't change the topic title.  

Oh, and welcome to the Eastwood Web Board!  

[movie_guy]

Thanks!

Sorry for drifting from the topic title by comparing to other WWII movies - which I know some people don't like.  I guess I was trying to point out that Mr Eastwood and Mr Spielberg would do an excellent job on such a movie and wandered a little from there.

My apologies for going off-topic.

[movie_guy]

This goes with my theory that Alec Baldwin is very under-appreciated. Nicolas Cage is a hit and miss actor. And the film was directed by John Woo, enough said.It was directed by Michael Bay, enough said.

Brendan: I agree a lot with what you say about Nicholas Cage - he's done some great work, and some really poor work. Hit-or-miss is hitting the nail on the head.

That Mr Eastwood will be directing this movie instead of someone whose style is that of John Woo or Michael Bay is really very good news, and I think Mr Eastwood will bring some hope to the war-movie genre.  I think he will film a war story without showing the explicit red gore and blue language, while keeping the story on-track and on-budget.  I'm sure Mr Eastwood will deliver on substance and rely only on judicious use of digital SFX.

Again, I do think we'll all like it, and it would be very, VERY good if Mr Eastwood could at least make a cameo appearance - if not a major role.

Best wishes!

[skunker]

Hey folks,
 Clint Eastwood was in today's paper and is getting ready to cast his next film (Flags of our Fathers). For more info: http://www.upcomingepics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137

[Matt]

Skunker, your link at the bottom of that forum page doesn't bring us to an article. As you were posting it, I was just typing up this post. (There's a new feature on our board software that tells you when you go to post your message that someone else has posted while you were typing. Pretty cool.)

There was a paragraph about this in the IMDb news for today:

Eastwood: "Only Young Actors Need Apply"

Million Dollar Baby star and director Clint Eastwood has dashed the hopes of thousands of twenty-something actors, after announcing he won't be casting anyone over the age of 26 in his new movie. The Oscar-winning director is determined to maintain historical authenticity when he casts World War Two epic Flags Of Our Fathers, about the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, early next year. Eastwood, 75, explains, "The average age of most of these fellows at that stage was 19, so in casting, I'll try to be very accurate about that. The oldest amongst them was 26, in fact, they call him the old man, so if he's old at 26, well..."

http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/#1

[Brendan]

Clint.. I'm all ready, just give me a call and I'll be there! 

[KC]

The site Skunker is attempting to link to, by way of a post of his on a forum on the "War of the Worlds Movie" webpage, does not provide sources for the "news" it offers. When quoting material here or making statements about items in the news, please make sure you have a source that credits the originator of the material. For instance, at the bottom of the page on the IMDb that Matt is quoting, it says "Articles Copyright World Entertainment News Network." A link isn't enough if it only takes you to an unattributed quote.

Also, please provide direct links to the material, not a link to another post of yours somewhere else.

Here is the link Skunker posted on the other site, corrected so it will work. It appears to be the same item Matt quoted, but without any credit for the World Entertainment News Network.
http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/eastwood.%20.only%20young%20actors%20need%20apply.

[AKA23]

It's interesting to read that Eastwood will only be casting people 26 and younger in this new film. I guess that puts to rest the idea of Clint doing a film with Russell Crowe, since he's way over 26. That's too bad. I would have liked to have seen that. I just don't see that many good actors under the age of 26 working today, so I suppose that may mean that Clint is going to have to cast this film with largely unknowns. I wonder how that is going to turn out. 

[movie_guy]

Hmmm...  I hadn't read the book, but bought it a few days ago and have been reading it.  It's a pretty well-written book that is obviously WELL researched and tells the story of the flag raisers, almost exclusively (well, so far, anyway - I'm into it only a couple chapters).  It seems it is less of a war book and more of a story of some regular guys who ended up in that situation, on Mount Suribachi. It delves into these guys' lives when they were children, what it was like for them as young men, and how they ended up in the USMC, and follows all 6 of them through their lives - so it's like a biography of six guys and the circumstances that brought them together on Iwo Jima, and how they all ended up raising the flag in the photo with which people around the world are familiar:

http://www.goodolddogs.com/lwojimaflag3.JPG

Please see the page at http://www.goodolddogs.com/raisedflag2.html for more info on the events at Iwo Jima.

Anyhow, the book is definitely worth reading, and points out how REALLY young these guys were when they were there.  I do highly recommend it!

Hope everyone has a great 2005.

[AKA23]

Thanks for your thoughts, movieguy. It doesn't surprise me that the book seems to focus more on human relationships than the war itself, as that has seemed to be a running theme in Eastwood's work. The real story centers around the characters in the film, and the setting and the details surrounding it are important and help to set the context within which these characters are developed, but they're in the periphery. Please come on back and update us when you've read more of the book, and when you've finished it.

[movie_guy]

AKA23:

Thanks - I'm now about halfway through the book, and I am really enjoying it so far, but am a bit puzzled by the third chapter, which outlines some of the historical aspects of pre-WWII and the first year or 2 of the war, and there are a few things Mr Bradley has written in that are SLIGHTLY on the controversial side of debatable.  There are a couple of faltering moments, where he refers to the song, "The Marine Corps Hymn," but it's actually "The Marines' Hymn," and some other more esoteric details that don't match up with several other things I know or have read - but it's still a good read.  One thing he seems to have omitted is the USMC at Wake Island - a really unmistakeably bad chapter for the US in the war, and I can't help but think (don't know, just speculating) that event was probably cited by USMC brass to the USN as a good reason for keeping ships close by when executing an amphibious assault (the Navy didn't want to risk losing more ships after the attack on Pearl Harbor, so they didn't want to evacuate the Marines on Wake).  As the book DOES point out, though, the Navy's biggest assets were ships, the Army's were tanks, the Army Air Corps's were airplanes, and the Marines' biggest asset was men.  I think by the time the battle for Iwo Jima came around, the Navy recognized Marine manpower to be as vital as any ship in their armada.

The book does go into very good detail how these six men ended up on top of Mt Suribachi, and it looks to me like it could end up being a story with a lot of hope - where average guys were trained to work together and rely on one another as a team, and these 6 men (one Navy Corpsman and 5 Marines) who raised the flag were pretty much EVERYMAN.  The difference is mostly that they were the guys in the photo, and that month of fighting had a lot of heroes we will never get to hear about.  But I feel these 6 men make a fine representation of what can be accomplished by a team of very different people who shed their differences and work together as a team that refuses to give up.

So, folks, this movie could end up being a story as much about YOU AND I and what WE can accomplish TOGETHER as it is a war movie.  If we all look at what makes us all the same instead of what makes us different; together, we will be strong.  Step one: Shave their heads and have them all wear green.   Ha, ha... But you get my drift.

I'll keep reading, and it looks like a fine surprise of a book - I was not expecting it to be like this at all.  And given Mr Eastwood's skill of drama and character study in movies, I can't think of a better subject for him.  I'm all the more convinced this could be one of his best works as a director, as long as he can stay true to the book.  I guess you could say that each guy was no more special than you or I...  And that's what makes it so compelling.  Imagine your order is to get up there and neutralize as meny enemy positions as possible; and it's HARD to climb, bullets zinging around you... but when you get up there, you're feeling tired and exhilarated, and here comes the flag - someone says to put it up, so you help your buddies who survived the climb. 

Oh, and they'll definitely need to keep the actors young.  If they choose the actors correctly, you'll see a little bit of someone you know in all of them, but you won't see yourself as any one of them.  That'll be part of what makes the movie special, if they can capture the real essence of the history - and that these were normal, everyday guys (didn't like war, didn't want to kill, etc., but knew their duty might require it) who just wanted to get through the battle; but when the time came early in the battle, they just wanted to see a big ol' American flag on top of that mountain.  They all had strengths, weaknesses, fears, and families back home who loved them. 

Semper Fi,
--R Graham

[Lin Sunderland]

I found this interview with Clint in the UK Daily Express newspaper Friday December 31. 2004, in the SHOW BITZ column.

' Clint Eastwood has revealed details of the Second World War film that he is making his big project for 2005.'
"It's called Flags Of Our Fathers and is based on a wonderful book that was a bestseller a few yearsback," he tells me."It's a very ambitious project. I'm directing only - not acting in it - and we'll see if I have the stamina to get it done."
"We have a very good script, written by Paul Haggis, the same screenwriter who did my latest film, Million Dollar Baby."
That film, in which Eastwood played a boxing trainer and also directed, is now wowing the critics in America, bringing some of the best reviews of his career and might well earn him another Oscar.
But we shouldn't be surprised that there's life in the old dog yet, he says "I learn something new on each film rather than relying on old tricks that I used 30 years ago.  So until I slip into senility, I hope to continue making films."