An actor friend of mine who is living down in London gets a publication every so often telling him when and where all of the auditions are and what is happenening in the acting world. He e-mailed me to tell me that a re-make of 'The Dambusters' is now in pre-production! It is a British project (So Tom Cruise won't be flying AJ-G into battle!...Phew!) I reckon this could be something really special if done properly. What are everyone elses opinions?

Harri

You must have read my mind, with your Tom Cruise line. First thing I was thinking when I started to read your post was that they'd probably cast him as GG. That crackling sound you just heard was Guy Gibson rolling over in his grave.

As to what I think it all comes down to how it's done. Compare Tora, tora, tora to Pearl Harbor. Have the major studios EVER remade a classic war movie into a better one? I don't think so but I can still hope.

Found this article on the web;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai.../09/ixhome.html
Can someone turn this into a 'live link' because I don't know how to!

Dambusters Movie

I know Phantom Major did it already, I just wanted to see if I could.

I don't see where it is????
Ron
LOL It took me years to find that old VHS!!!

I could not find anything on the movie.....
But think that some classic films should be left alone. I agree with Rodger, I've yet to see a "new-fantastic-hi-tech" remake as good as the original classic.... just usually a lot more bells, whistles and hollywoodism thrown in.

Like I said, I could find anything about the remake of DamBusters... but did enjoy reading about the mean sub captain making his men cry...... now that would be an interesting movie.

Hi there

Try this.

All the best

Rowan

Stand by for Colin Firth at his dashing best
Hugh Grant at his fumbeling best
A cameo for Michael Cain ( you're only supposed to blow the bloody dam up)
John Cleese as Wallace

And Jordan....


Cheers
Henk

The bouncing bomb???? :-)

Now THAT is a link! That's a pretty positive article. I agree with Todd, that there'll never be another Dambusters, but this has possibilities.

I'm not familiar with any of the movies they listed by this producer. I hope that what he says here means he will treat the project with respect. I can't remember much of the music from the movie but what I can remember is really very good.

I'm hoping this one will come out.

Boom Boom

you got it Dave.

I know that people always think "Oh no, remake. It won't be as good as the original!" and I for one am a huge fan of the original film but is there a story here that still hasn't been told? The producers of the 1955 version themselves admitted it was "a simplified treatment of highly complicated issues...we have so little time...(for) an uninstructed audience". The film was in reality far from authentic as was, surprisingly, the book by Paul Brickhill.

The fact is that we have Sir David Frost, who I would like to think is as British as they come, at the helm of the project and I can't imagine any Englishman wanting to downplay the bravery and courage of the men who performed the raid.

Let's get behind this, and be glad that it's a British film... Imagine if Holywood does the re-make...

Dashing American pilots ( saying lots of blimey and guv. ) singlehandedly blowing up the dam, and on the way back making a detour via Berlin to steal an Enigma machine... oh wait, they already stole one of those.. :-)

Still, Pamela Anderson would be o.k.

Cheers
Henk

I can hardy wait!! I'm a big fan of the original film but an 'update' would be nice. I agree with everyone that re-doing it in the current Hollywood style a la 'Peal Harbor' would be a shame, but some modern CGI and SFX would make it seem more realistic. Don't get me wrong, I think the original film was fantastic for it's day and the flying sequences some of the best ever (excepting maybe 633 squadron??) but some of the miniature photography by today's standards was a bit, shall we say, 'old school'.

As for cast, I hope they manage to work in Rowan Atkinson somewhere...the thought of 'Mr. Bean goes to Ruhr' is to absurd to ignore... Seriously, I think Ian Holme or even Michael Caine as Barnes Wallis would be good with maybe Robert Lindsay or Rupert Graves for Guy Gibson. What might even be better is a cast of complete unknows...... and of course, Pamela Anderson and Kate Beckensale in a skin tight shiny leather outfit....

Any more updates as to 'when and who'....?

Thank you for that image...

Yes, thanks. As to Pamela Anderson if I wanted to dream about something with that much plastic I'd look into DML action figures.

:-)

...somebody has to play the part of the bouncing bomb.... I think Jordan was suggested earlier. I think they both would qualify as needing "Upkeep".......... (bad pun, laugh here)

Seriously - who would play the leads? What do you think?

I wonder how the PC brigade will cope with the name of Guy Gibson's dog? Or am I being naughty?

I think that issue what brought up in the article that was referenced to. They're not sure what to do with that. Leave in the original name in the world wide prints, and dub it over as Digger, in the US print like the original did? That issue is kind of like the whole thing about swastikas not being included in many kits around the world. I hate and depise the "N word" but the thing is that was the dog's name. Do you ignore history, or white wash it?

I say lose the dog and cast Jordan as the tail-gunner (no pun). Can you picture what the recoil of four .303s would do? :-)

IMHO the simplest thing to do would be to not make any reference to the dog at all. I didn't read the book so I don't know how much of Gibson's relationship to his dog was in it but in the movie, it was a (spoiler warning!!) sad thing when his dog died but really not an important story element. Apologies to all dog lovers everywhere (I'm one too) but 'the dog' character could be dropped from the remake without much affect to the real story of the science, the tactics, the men, their courage and the raid.

".....welcome to the dam raid, you can approach the dam targets a soon as you're dam ready and drop all the dam bombs you want...."

I personally am really looking forward to this movie.It may even drag me out to the pictures instead of waiting till I can curl up on the sofa and watch something in comfort.
All those Merlins at the volume they play films at,,,,WOW.
Thought on Gibsons dog.Im sure there are easy ways around this. For example after he was run over the script could read,," its your dog sir,,hes been run over",but also bear in mind that "nigger" was the code word for the Mohne Dam breach.
Fergawds sake please please please no love story ala Pearl Harbour,Titanic etc.
Anyway,,with the amount of "language" in films nowdays the use of what is considered a "no-no" in our politically correct society when it used in its historical content shouldnt be an issue.Afterall,,the Flintstones are still having a "gay old time" and I dont see anybody having a rant about that corrupting kids minds.
Last point,,as all DVD's have a space on the box listing the number of instances of swearing,,violence,,and my personal favourite,,"mild peril",,(who thought THAT up???),,surely the issue of the word in question could be addressed like that.

Update.
I read in the paper last week that Peter Jackson,(Lord of the Rings/King Kong/,,and err,Bad Taste),,will be directing this and his researchers have been looking over the preserved Lanc in New Zealand

Cool!!! Another movie that Hollywood will bastardize. I cant wait to not see it!