USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage | |
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![]() Official poster | |
Directed by | Mario Van Peebles |
Starring | Nicolas Cage Tom Sizemore Thomas Jane Matt Lanter Brian Presley Cody Walker |
Cinematography | Andrzej Sekuła |
Edited by | Robert A. Ferretti |
Music by | Laurent Eyquem |
Distributed by | Saban Films |
Release date |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage is an upcoming American disaster war horror film directed by Mario Van Peebles and written by Cam Cannon and Richard Rionda Del Castro. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore, Thomas Jane, Matt Lanter, Brian Presley, and Cody Walker. Principal photography began on June 19, 2015 in Mobile, Alabama. The film is set for release on May 30, 2016.
Cast
- Nicolas Cage as Captain Charles McVay[1]
- Tom Sizemore as McWhorter[2]
- Thomas Jane as Lieutenant (JG) Wilbur C. "Chuck" Gwinn[3]
- Matt Lanter as Chief Petty Officer Brian "Bama" Smithwick[4]
- Brian Presley[3] as "Waxman"
- Cody Walker as Lieutenant James West[5]
- Emily Tennant as Clara
- Callard Harris as Lieutenant Kennedy
- Mandela Van Peebles as Theodore
- Weronika Rosati as Louise, McVay's wife
- Yutaka Takeuchi as Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto
- Justin Nesbitt as Lindy
- Matthew Pearson as Duece
Production
Development
The project USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, set in July 1945, is about the Navy ship USS Indianapolis and was first announced in 2011 by Hannibal Classics. Near the end of World War II—when the ship was returning from Tinian after delivering important parts for an atomic bomb—it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.[6][7] 1,196 people were aboard the ship, out of which only 317 survived, almost 300 sank along with the ship, and all others were killed by dehydration, exposure, salt water poisoning, or shark attacks.[6][7] Cam Cannon and Richard Rionda Del Castro, the latter also being engaged as a producer, wrote the script for the film. The focus of the film is on the bravery of the crewmen aboard the USS Indianapolis.[7] On December 17, 2013, Hannibal set Mario Van Peebles to direct the film, while Patriot Pictures would finance and Rionda Del Castro would produce along with Michael Mendelsohn.[6] The studio (Hannibal) had developed the film in five years by consulting the survivors of the disaster, including the US Navy and the US Coast Guard. The US Navy helped with the completion and finalization of the last draft of the script.[1][6] Walt Conti of Edge Innovations would provide the animated sharks, and the production reportedly secured two fully operational WWII-era planes to portray the planes that were involved in the real rescue operations after the disaster.[3] Silo Inc. and Hydroflex were attached to handle digital effects and underwater filming for the film, respectively.[1][1] USS Alabama and USS Drum would both be used along with the Battleship Memorial Park to depict as the USS Indianapolis and the Japanese submarine.[3]
Pre-production
On February 5, 2015, Nicolas Cage was set to play the lead role of Captain Charles McVay in the film.[1] Matt Lanter was set on April 1, 2015 to play a US Navy diver, named Chief Petty Officer Brian "Bama" Smithwick.[4] On May 13, 2015, Variety revealed that Tom Sizemore, Thomas Jane and Brian Presley had also joined the cast of the film, in which Sizemore would play McWhorter, one of the crew on the ship, while Jane was to play the pilot Chuck Gwinn.[3] In May 2015, Saban Films acquired the North American distribution rights to the film.[3] On May 18, 2015, Sizemore's role was confirmed by Variety.[2] On July 15, 2015, Cody Walker was cast in the film to play one of the crewmen aboard the ship.[5]
Filming
Principal photography on the film began on June 19, 2015 in Mobile, Alabama.[8][9] Filming will also take place in San Francisco and Kyoto, Japan.[3] On June 27, 2015, filming was underway in Orange Beach.[10] A World War II-era vintage seaplane PBY Catalina was being used for the filming on June 29, 2015, when it took on water and beached near the Flora-Bama lounge, Orange Beach.[11] There were no injuries during the incident, and the rescue team secured the pilot and co-pilot.[12] Producers had to put the production on hold temporarily to save the plane, but "the salvage company was unable to save the aircraft," which was broken apart, according to the producers.[12][13] The plane was provided by firefighters from Washington and was being piloted by Fred and Jayson Owen.[14] After filming on July 14 in downtown Mobile, Cage met a real Navy veteran named Richard Stephens on a Bienville Square's bench, Stephens was one of the survivors of the ship, so Cage and Stephens had a long talk about the disaster.[15]
Release
The film is scheduled for a May 30, 2016 release, Memorial Day weekend.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e McNary, Dave (February 5, 2015). "Berlin: Nicolas Cage to Star in WWII Drama 'USS Indianapolis' (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Kroll, Justin (May 18, 2015). "Tom Sizemore Joins Nicolas Cage in WWII Movie 'USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage'". variety.com. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g McNary, Dave (May 13, 2015). "Cannes: Nicolas Cage's 'USS Indianapolis' Bought by Saban Films (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Lincoln, Ross A. (April 1, 2015). "Matt Lanter Boards 'USS Indianapolis' With Nicolas Cage; Two More Jump In 'The Lake'". deadline.com. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ a b McNary, Dave (July 15, 2015). "Paul Walker's Brother Cody Walker Starring in Nicolas Cage's 'USS Indianapolis'". variety.com. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- ^ a b c d McNary, Dave (December 17, 2013). "'USS: Indianapolis' Shoot Set for June in Alabama (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Second USS Indianapolis Film to go into Production". nukethefridge.com. August 20, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- ^ "On the Set for 6/22/15: Spielberg's 'The Bfg' Wraps Along with 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Sequel, Woody Harrelson Starts 'Wilson'". ssninsider.com. June 22, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
- ^ "'USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage' Starring Nicolas Cage Open Casting Call". projectcasting.com. June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- ^ Coffaro, Devan (June 27, 2015). "Exclusive: FOX10 tours USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage". fox10tv.com. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ Mullen, John (June 29, 2015). "Vintage plane planned for movie beached at Flora-Bama". gulfcoastnewstoday.com. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ a b c Lowe, Kinsey (July 3, 2015). "'USS Indianapolis' Production Delayed After Vintage Plane Waterlogged". deadline.com. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- ^ Ikenberg, Tamara (July 4, 2015). "WWII – era plane flown in for film "USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage" falls apart during salvage attempt". al.com. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ Anderson, Marc D. (July 1, 2015). "Beached WWII-era seaplane disrupts filming of Nicolas Cage movie in Orange Beach". al.com. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ Ikenberg, Tamara (July 14, 2015). "Nicolas Cage meets a man of courage on the set of 'USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage'". al.com. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
External links
- 2016 films
- American films
- Films directed by Mario Van Peebles
- American thriller films
- Films about sharks
- Films set on beaches
- Films set on islands
- Killer shark films
- Seafaring films
- Films shot in Mobile, Alabama
- Films shot in Alabama
- Films shot in San Francisco, California
- Films shot in Japan
- Films set in the Pacific Ocean
- Films set in 1945
- Films set in Japan
- Films set in Hiroshima
- 2010s thriller films
- American disaster films
- American war films
- Films about seafaring accidents or incidents
- Films about survivors of seafaring accidents or incidents
- Films about submarine warfare
- 2010s war films
- War films based on actual events
- Thriller films based on actual events
- Disaster films based on actual events
- World War II films based on actual events
- Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- United States Navy in World War II films
- United States Navy in films
- Seafaring films based on actual events
- Films with underwater settings
- Submarine films
- Films about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Films about nuclear war and weapons
- Films based on actual events