The Pacific surprised pretty much nobody when it beat out its only competition, Return to Cranford to win the Best Miniseries prize at last night's Emmy Awards. But if you thought that Band of Brothers follow-up would be the last we saw of World War II, or even the Pacific Theater of World War II, well you clearly have underestimated the Greatest Generation once again. Deadline reports that The Pacific co-executive producer Bruce C. McKenna has pitched to Warner Bros. the 3D film The Battle of Midway, about the two-day battle in 1942 that was considered the turning point of the war.
They've moving fast on the pitch and setting aside a ton of money to make it-- McKenna will be turning in a draft 8 weeks from now, and they're expecting the film to cost $200 million, which is somewhat insane for anything in these tough times, but especially for a historical epic. Then again, The Pacific reportedly cost $200 million as well, so maybe McKenna just can't write for anything cheaper.
While it's true that Saving Private Ryan was a financial hit and that the added 3D means the film could make extra money, it seems really risky to spend such a huge amount on a historical story, when audiences seem to prove over and over again they're looking for explosions and aliens and nothing too deep (unless it comes from Christopher Nolan). Do McKenna's credentials from The Pacific mean he has what it takes to make World War II appeal to new audiences? Or should John Ford's 1942 film The Battle of Midway-- using actual battle footage, no less!-- be allowed to stand as the voice of authority on this particular event?
