"Pacific" (Band of Brothers "sequel") a go?

Hiro11 · 04-07-07, 06:00 PM

The long rumored BoB "sequel" in the WW2 Pacific Theater is looking more and more like a go with both Hanks and Spielberg. If this happens, it will be the most expensive production in TV history.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/band...366530195.html

Quote:

Australia poised to score $150m deal for epic war series

April 8, 2007

THE multimillion dollar sequel to Steven Spielberg's acclaimed World War II series, Band Of Brothers, is bound for Australia. Production of the sequel, titled The Pacific, is expected to be confirmed this month.

With a budget of more than $150 million, the 10-part series is the most expensive ever made in Australia.

While the producers - Home Box Office, Tom Hanks's Playtone and Spielberg's DreamWorks - have not made an official comment about The Pacific, they have set up a production office in Melbourne and commenced casting.

The cameras are expected to start rolling in August, with locations to include Far North Queensland, Melbourne and the Northern Territory.

The sequel to Band Of Brothers focuses on the US involvement in the war in the Pacific and is anticipated to be based in Australia for close to a year.

It will employ about 280 Australian actors, including almost 20 male leads and at least 250 in supporting roles or as extras.

Producers have chosen to base the series at Melbourne's Central City Studios over Sydney's Fox Studios or Warner Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast.

AusFilm chief executive officer Mark Woods said a production as big as The Pacific would be a significant boost to the Australian film business.

"A production of the size and scale of The Pacific shooting in Australia would transform the local film industry," he said. "It is a huge production. If it does end up based here, it would be very exciting."

Australia has lobbied heavily for The Pacific to be based here.

No official go-ahead but that sounds pretty firm...

Geofferson · 04-07-07, 06:17 PM

Excellent news...

I've been waiting a long while to hear an update on this...

Jim · 04-07-07, 06:38 PM

I was just thinking of this yesterday or today and assuming it was pretty much dead. Good news!

JPRaup · 04-07-07, 06:45 PM

Awesome, I can't wait!

Band of Brothers is some of the best television I have ever seen

lucasorion · 04-07-07, 07:06 PM

Band of Brothers is the best thing I've ever seen, tv or cinema.

DeputyDave · 04-07-07, 07:26 PM

Wow, very cool. I never heard this was even being talked about. Funny, I just rewatched the entire series last week.

RandyC · 04-07-07, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucasorion

Band of Brothers is the best thing I've ever seen, tv or cinema.

+1

I am happy to read positive news about Pacific.

Hiro11 · 04-07-07, 08:33 PM

Sorry, it's obviously called "The Pacific" at this point.

Also, I have to agree, BoB is great. IMO, the worst part of the series is the first half of the first episode. It turned me off so much when it was first aired on HBO that I missed the next few episodes. I happened to catch about the fifth episode and was completely blown away. Rewatching the whole series on DVD...it's just incredible.

birdseye · 04-07-07, 09:22 PM

Great news - I was starting to think this wasn't going to happen.

Shady12 · 04-07-07, 09:27 PM

I was blown away by BoB, yeah, probably my favorite thing on TV ever. So this is great news.

B.A. · 04-07-07, 09:30 PM

It will be interesting to see who will be this series' Damian Lewis.

Brent_MN · 04-07-07, 11:46 PM

will David Schwimmer make an appearance?!

Sanitarium · 04-08-07, 12:09 AM

I wonder what they're basing the story on? Band of Brothers was based on the book by Stephen Ambrose so I wonder if they're using a book again.

Deftones · 04-08-07, 12:18 AM

Sweet. Can't wait.

Hopefully the shooting won't mess up my honeymoon plans when I'm down there in Oct./Nov.

Mordred · 04-08-07, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucasorion

Band of Brothers is the best thing I've ever seen, tv or cinema.

TV for sure, and cinema it's at least up there in the top 5.

The Pacific should be awesome as well. I've been waiting on this one for years, glad it's finally getting the go ahead.

bdshort · 04-08-07, 03:47 AM

Wow, I was thinking this was dead in the water. Glad to hear they're about to roll! Add another person who thinks that Band of Brothers is the greatest thing that ever came to television.

Chew · 04-09-07, 07:41 AM

I remember hearing about this 3-4 years ago and thought they were just spending all this time on pre-production and scripts.

Tommy_Harn · 04-09-07, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B.A.

It will be interesting to see who will be this series' Damian Lewis.

Might it be Damian Lewis? Wasn't Winters headed to the Pacific at the end of BoB?

Jim · 04-09-07, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tommy_Harn

Might it be Damian Lewis? Wasn't Winters headed to the Pacific at the end of BoB?

He didn't go to the Pacific theater in WWII. He was reactivated for the Korean War as a trainer.

GoldenJCJ · 04-09-07, 12:22 PM

Great news. I agree with those that think BoB is the greatest thing TV has ever produced. I'll be anxiously waiting for The Pacific.

I don't see why any of the actors from BoB would appear. I'd actually prefer that they didn't; WWII was enormous in scope, no sense making it appear smaller by having the same people pop up. We saw how that worked out for the Star Wars Universe.

headrippa · 04-25-07, 08:55 PM

Melbourne to host $150m Spielberg epic

Deftones · 04-25-07, 09:00 PM

Good. Anywhere else and it would've messed up my honeymoon.

Big Worms · 04-25-07, 09:06 PM

This series can not come soon enough.

reubs82 · 04-25-07, 09:45 PM

This is really awesome news. I love the Pacific theater much more than the European theater, and there is some great material out there about it all. Thanks for the good news!

Pistol Pete · 04-26-07, 10:49 AM

So HBO cancels Rome which was too expensive at $100M a season and replaces it with this at $150M? Go figure.

04-07-07, 06:17 PM	#2
Geofferson DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Gracen & Gracen Posts: 31,804	Excellent news... I've been waiting a long while to hear an update on this... __________________ “Are we having fun yet?" Henry Pollard, Party Down

04-07-07, 07:26 PM	#6
DeputyDave DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 8,972	Wow, very cool. I never heard this was even being talked about. Funny, I just rewatched the entire series last week. __________________ DVDSpot, RIP

04-07-07, 08:33 PM	#8
Hiro11 DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago Posts: 5,185	Sorry, it's obviously called "The Pacific" at this point. Also, I have to agree, BoB is great. IMO, the worst part of the series is the first half of the first episode. It turned me off so much when it was first aired on HBO that I missed the next few episodes. I happened to catch about the fifth episode and was completely blown away. Rewatching the whole series on DVD...it's just incredible. __________________ Dad, do you know where your kids are? Sniffing on crystal in cute little cars, getting nailed against dumpsters, behind townie bars. -The Hold Steady

04-07-07, 09:30 PM	#11
B.A. DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: a 'ville Posts: 25,417	It will be interesting to see who will be this series' Damian Lewis. __________________ "The first thing that a pitcher has to understand is that Albert is better than you." ~ Jim Palmer

04-08-07, 12:18 AM	#14
Deftones DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Arizona Posts: 44,530	Sweet. Can't wait. Hopefully the shooting won't mess up my honeymoon plans when I'm down there in Oct./Nov. __________________ John Henson: McDonald's has dumped Kobe Bryant as their spokesperson and have replaced him with Yao Ming. Apparently McDonald's prefers Yao because he is a bigger international star, and he doesn't rape so much. "You are everything that's wrong with this forum".---SleepyW

04-07-07, 06:38 PM	#3
Jim DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,377	I was just thinking of this yesterday or today and assuming it was pretty much dead. Good news!

04-07-07, 06:45 PM	#4
JPRaup Banned Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: NY Posts: 1,722	Awesome, I can't wait! Band of Brothers is some of the best television I have ever seen

04-07-07, 07:06 PM	#5
lucasorion Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 938	Band of Brothers is the best thing I've ever seen, tv or cinema.

04-07-07, 09:22 PM	#9
birdseye Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: MI Posts: 384	Great news - I was starting to think this wasn't going to happen.

04-07-07, 09:27 PM	#10
Shady12 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 309	I was blown away by BoB, yeah, probably my favorite thing on TV ever. So this is great news.

04-07-07, 11:46 PM	#12
Brent_MN DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: MN -> TX -> SoCal Posts: 1,592	will David Schwimmer make an appearance?!

04-08-07, 12:09 AM	#13
Sanitarium Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 523	I wonder what they're basing the story on? Band of Brothers was based on the book by Stephen Ambrose so I wonder if they're using a book again.

04-08-07, 03:47 AM	#16
bdshort DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: The Last Frontier Posts: 3,648	Wow, I was thinking this was dead in the water. Glad to hear they're about to roll! Add another person who thinks that Band of Brothers is the greatest thing that ever came to television.

04-09-07, 07:41 AM	#17
Chew DVD Talk Legend Join Date: May 1999 Location: South of Titletown Posts: 15,770	I remember hearing about this 3-4 years ago and thought they were just spending all this time on pre-production and scripts. __________________ XBL Gamertag: chew1138 PSN Gamertag: chew1138

04-09-07, 12:22 PM	#20
GoldenJCJ DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado Posts: 4,507	Great news. I agree with those that think BoB is the greatest thing TV has ever produced. I'll be anxiously waiting for The Pacific. I don't see why any of the actors from BoB would appear. I'd actually prefer that they didn't; WWII was enormous in scope, no sense making it appear smaller by having the same people pop up. We saw how that worked out for the Star Wars Universe. __________________ ... My Countdown Counting down to: THE END OF THE WORLD - 12/21/2012 1139 days 1 hours 59 minutes

04-25-07, 08:55 PM	#21
headrippa Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: .au Posts: 172	Melbourne to host $150m Spielberg epic __________________ My DVD's

04-25-07, 09:00 PM	#22
Deftones DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Arizona Posts: 44,530	Good. Anywhere else and it would've messed up my honeymoon. __________________ John Henson: McDonald's has dumped Kobe Bryant as their spokesperson and have replaced him with Yao Ming. Apparently McDonald's prefers Yao because he is a bigger international star, and he doesn't rape so much. "You are everything that's wrong with this forum".---SleepyW

04-25-07, 09:06 PM	#23
Big Worms DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: 5280 Posts: 3,286	This series can not come soon enough. __________________ .:DVD Profiler :.

04-25-07, 09:45 PM	#24
reubs82 DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 1,845	This is really awesome news. I love the Pacific theater much more than the European theater, and there is some great material out there about it all. Thanks for the good news!

04-26-07, 10:49 AM	#25
Pistol Pete DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,781	So HBO cancels Rome which was too expensive at $100M a season and replaces it with this at $150M? Go figure. __________________ My sig was depricated!