Are there any new aviation movies on the horizon?

[a29pilot]

Look, I'm sick and tired of this Twlight/Dark Knight generation. Anyone know of any upcoming aviation movies? Did Red Tails kill the genre?

[fritzthefox]

Peter Jackson keeps threatening to make a Dambusters movie, but it appears to be no closer to fruition than it was several years ago. There is talk of a Top Gun sequel pimping the F-35.

[AviaS199]

Denzel Washington stars in a new film coming out next month called "Flight." He plays an airline pilot who saves an airliner from crashing. But the investigators discover he is struggling with substance abuse. Might be interesting, from a flawed-hero perpective.

[GARY HILTON]

Need a good movie about some of the early movers and shakers....Has there been a flick about Roscoe Turner? Fact or fiction, a flick of Martin Cadins' antics would beat any Star Wars movie. There are are lot of aviation greats and some not so famous that would make good movie subjects...Be nice to see some real heros on film.

[Russ Matthews]

In the past couple of years I've seen reports of two major WWII aviation related films in development. One is a big screen treatment of Midway from "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific" writer/producer Bruce McKenna ...

http://www.deadline.com/2010/08/warner-bros-plots-3d-battle-of-midway-pic-with-the-pacifics-bruce-c-mckenna/

The other is a sprawling take on the Battle of Britain from UK producer Graham King ("The Aviator") and "Chinatown" screenwriter Robert Towne.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/04/idUS18107329920111004

And let's not forget the aerial gladitorial action adventure, "War Birds" described in a Hollywood Reporter article from almost 3 years ago (though probably now more properly relegated to the pages of "Things That Will Never Happen" Magazine.)

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33458&hilit=+movie

[CoastieJohn]

Back in 2009, I worked with an aircraft salvager who was working with Steven Spielburg's production company to do a movie based on his salvaging exploits around the world. He was under contract to do his bio with them. Don't know where it's at now.

There is a book that will come out next year about a Greenland B-17 survial story mixed with current, related MIA recovery ops up there. I recently reviewed the draft manuscript. IMO....it will be a great historical read and page turner. I hope it turns into a movie down the road.

[Mike]

Don't forget this one..........

http://pixar.wikia.com/Planes

[AHancock51]

Battle of Britain, Dambusters, and wasn't John Woo working on one about the Flying Tigers?

[Russ Matthews]

Back in 2009, I worked with an aircraft salvager who was working with Steven Spielburg's production company to do a movie based on his salvaging exploits around the world. He was under contract to do his bio with them. Don't know where it's at now.

"Air Pirates," a fictionalized adventure about real life salvor Gary Larkins was announced way back in July, 1999 and seems to have completely disappeared from Dreamworks' development slate.

I did manage to find the text an early (July 12, 1999) article from Daily Variety centered on the attachment of a somewhat unexpected choice of director (Spielberg was apparently only involved as a producer).

************************

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - "Elizabeth'" director Shekhar Kapur will take flight with "Air Pirates," an action-adventure based on the true exploits of airplane salvage expert Gary Larkin.

In the DreamWorks picture, Larkin's search for fortune grows deadly when he's commissioned by a woman to uncover the truth behind her husband's disappearance during a secret World War II mission. The film will be set in the present but include several flashbacks.

While "Pirates" represents a definite change of genre from "Elizabeth," Kapur showed in his 1994 Hindi guerrilla drama "Bandit Queen" that he could handle action scenes and personalize an epic story.

Lahore-born Kapur is perhaps the most prominent director to cross over from Bollywood to Hollywood; he made the transition via the British-produced "Elizabeth," which nabbed seven Oscar nominations (including best film) and grossed $30 million in the U.S.

Since then, he's become involved with a number of U.S. features, including Warner Bros.' drama "Steinbeck's Point of View." He is also attached to direct the Nelson Mandela biopic "Long Walk to Freedom." Kapur's other credits include Hindi films "Mr. India" and "Masoom."

[Russ Matthews]

.. wasn't John Woo working on one about the Flying Tigers?

He was. In fact, Tom Cruise was said to be developing an AVG themed movie project at the same time (October 2010), but nothing seems to have come of either one ...

http://www.deadline.com/2010/10/new-regency-and-tom-cruise-reengaging-in-wwii-dogfight-with-rival-john-woo-pic/

[SaxMan]

A buddy of mine gave me an old Warbirds Classics copy from 2006 that said a movie called "Thunder Over Reno" was in production. I don't recall it ever coming out. Did this movie ever get completed?

[Mike]

A buddy of mine gave me an old Warbirds Classics copy from 2006 that said a movie called "Thunder Over Reno" was in production. I don't recall it ever coming out. Did this movie ever get completed?

It did, and was released straight to (undistributed) DVD. It was dire, sadly.

[RandolphB]

A buddy of mine gave me an old Warbirds Classics copy from 2006 that said a movie called "Thunder Over Reno" was in production. I don't recall it ever coming out. Did this movie ever get completed?

It did come out in very limited release. I think it was because some of the noted aircraft and pilots involved were killed either just before or after it came out. It went to DVD. Lots of people into air racing seem to hate it- I have not yet seen it. I don't care so much about story lines, as long as it has some good aerial shots.....but that's just me.

http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1947533849/

[CoastieJohn]

Back in 2009, I worked with an aircraft salvager who was working with Steven Spielburg's production company to do a movie based on his salvaging exploits around the world. He was under contract to do his bio with them. Don't know where it's at now.

"Air Pirates," a fictionalized adventure about real life salvor Gary Larkins was announced way back in July, 1999 and seems to have completely disappeared from Dreamworks' development slate.

I did manage to find the text an early (July 12, 1999) article from Daily Variety centered on the attachment of a somewhat unexpected choice of director (Spielberg was apparently only involved as a producer).

************************

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - "Elizabeth'" director Shekhar Kapur will take flight with "Air Pirates," an action-adventure based on the true exploits of airplane salvage expert Gary Larkin.

In the DreamWorks picture, Larkin's search for fortune grows deadly when he's commissioned by a woman to uncover the truth behind her husband's disappearance during a secret World War II mission. The film will be set in the present but include several flashbacks.

While "Pirates" represents a definite change of genre from "Elizabeth," Kapur showed in his 1994 Hindi guerrilla drama "Bandit Queen" that he could handle action scenes and personalize an epic story.

Lahore-born Kapur is perhaps the most prominent director to cross over from Bollywood to Hollywood; he made the transition via the British-produced "Elizabeth," which nabbed seven Oscar nominations (including best film) and grossed $30 million in the U.S.

Since then, he's become involved with a number of U.S. features, including Warner Bros.' drama "Steinbeck's Point of View." He is also attached to direct the Nelson Mandela biopic "Long Walk to Freedom." Kapur's other credits include Hindi films "Mr. India" and "Masoom."

I didn't want to throw his name out there. He was still working on the movie project as of 2009. That article is from 1999. Air Pirates was his group's name. In my govt work with him he operated under another. Again...I have no idea where his movie project is at today. He's an interesting guy to listen to. He showed me one of his album of pics from over the years and some of the stories that went with them. Very interesting. I could see why his adventures could be an interesting movie if done right.