‘Midway’: Release date, cast, plot and everything you need to know about Roland Emmerich's upcoming WWII film
The historical Battle of Midway is all set to get its second movie version and from none other than renowned German filmmaker Roland Emmerich. The director and screenwriter, known for his high grossing Hollywood films like 'The Patriot', 'Independence Day' and 'White House Down', will helm the project, which will be the second movie to be based on the Battle of Midway. It had previously inspired a 1976 movie, also called 'Midway', that relied heavily on stock footage from World War II documentaries. A first-look poster of the film is out, and it looks like a promising, realistic retelling of the war, with a star-studded cast, Emmerich's track record, and a big budget. Here is all you need to know about 'Midway':
Release Date
The film is slated to release on November 8, 2019.
Cast
'Midway' boasts a star-studded cast with Woody Harrelson as Admiral Chester Nimitz, Jake Weber as Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance, Luke Evans as Commander Wade McClusky, and Mandy Moore as Anne Best. The cast also includes Patrick Wilson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, and Darren Criss. Nick Jonas will be joining the cast as Aviation Machinist Mate Bruno Gaido.
Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film is written by Wes Tooke and produced by Emmerich's Centropolis Entertainment, Harald Kloser, Mark Gordon, and Dong Yu. Emmerich said that the first time he had the idea to work on 'Midway' was 20 years ago. "I had a deal at Sony, but the movie didn't come together because the studio was owned by Japanese, so they were not very inclined to do a movie where they felt like the big losers of a battle," he said. "I always wanted to tell them that I will not show the Japanese as losers. Decision-makers started this war. The Navy did not start the war," he added.
Plot
The film recounts the story of the Battle of Midway, told by the US leaders and the sailors who fought it. The battle was a turning point in the Pacific Theater of World War II, turning the tide against the Axis powers in the war. The Battle of Midway began 77 years ago on June 4, 1942, and continued until June 7. The battle, which was the first step for the US in a three-year campaign to win the war against Japan, represented the first great American victory of the War in the Pacific.
"I always wanted to start my movie with Pearl Harbor because you can only understand Midway when you show Pearl Harbor. 'Midway' is more or less a movie about the six months in-between Pearl Harbor and the battle," said director Emmerich.
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There has been a slew of movies made on the events of World War II, by some of Hollywood's most remarkable directors. Here are a few noted war films, based on true events that took place during the second world war:
'Dunkirk' (2017)
'Allied' (2016)
'Hacksaw Ridge' (2016)
'The Pianist' (2002)
'Schindler's List' (1993)