Following in the footsteps of Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick, Christopher Nolan is prepping an epic war movie titled “Dunkirk” about the WWII evacuation of Dunkirk, France. Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance are in talks to star in the action-thriller, Warner Bros. announced Monday.
The large-scale film will be shot on a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film photography for maximum image quality and high-impact immersion. Shooting will begin in May using many of the real locations of the true-life events, which form the background for the story.
The ensemble cast will be headed by yet-to-be cast unknowns, though Hardy, Branagh and Rylance will co-star, likely as high-ranking military officers.
Nolan wrote the script and he’ll also produce the film with his longtime producing partner Emma Thomas. He has already visited Dunkirk to scout locations for the re-creation of Operation Dynamo, the British military operation that saved the lives of 330,000 Allied soldiers who were surrounded by German forces.
“We are thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with Christopher Nolan, a singular filmmaker who has created some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films of all time. ‘Dunkirk’ is a gripping and powerful story and we are excited to see Chris, Emma and their cast realize it on the big screen,” said Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production at Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. will release “Dunkirk” worldwide on July 21, 2017. The film will be released theatrically on IMAX, 70mm, 35mm and all other screens.