Films

Published on March 29th, 2019 | by Damien Straker

DREAMWORKS PICTURES TO BEGIN PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY ON ‘1917’

DreamWorks Pictures announced today that principal photography will commence on 1917, written and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker, Sam Mendes, on April 1, 2019.

The film follows two young British soldiers (Captain Fantastic’s George MacKay; Game of Thrones’ Dean-Charles Chapman) on a single day at the height of World War I.

Joining MacKay and Chapman are Mark Strong (The Imitation GameZero Dark Thirty), Andrew Scott (SpectreSherlock), Richard Madden (BBC’s BodyguardCinderella), Daniel Mays (Fisherman’s FriendsRogue One), Adrian Scarborough (The Madness of King GeorgeChristopher Robin), Jamie Parker (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Nabhaan Rizwan (Informer), Claire Duburcq, with Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, the Bridget Jones franchise) and Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation GameDoctor Strange).

Mendes, who will direct and wrote the screenplay with Krysty Wilson-Cairns (Penny Dreadful) produces the film with Pippa Harris (Revolutionary RoadAway We Go)—his partner at Neal Street Productions—along with Jayne-Ann Tenggren (Spectre, the upcoming The Rhythm Section) and Callum McDougall (Mary Poppins ReturnsSkyfall). Co-producing is Michael Lerman.  The film will begin principal photography next week, shooting on location in England and Scotland.

The creative team helping to bring this story to the screen includes cinematographer Roger Deakins (Blade Runner 2049Skyfall); production designer Dennis Gassner (BugsyRoad to Perdition); costume designer Jacqueline Durran (Anna KareninaDarkest Hour); editor Lee Smith (DunkirkThe Dark Knight); and composer Thomas Newman, who has created the scores for six previous Mendes films, including SkyfallRoad to Perdition and American Beauty.

The film is being produced by Neal Street Productions for DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures, and will be released in the US by Universal Pictures on December 25, 2019. Universal and Amblin Partners will distribute the film internationally, with eOne distributing on behalf of Amblin in the U.K.

1917 marks a reunion for Mendes and DreamWorks Pictures.  The British director made his first feature, American Beauty, under the DreamWorks label, followed by two other productions—Road to Perdition and Revolutionary Road.

Distributed by Universal Pictures International in Australia, 1917 will be released in cinemas 2020.


About the Author

damien@impulsegamer.com'

is a freelance writer and film critic. He studied at the University of Sydney and graduated with an Arts Honours degree in Film Studies. He is a pop culture aficionado and enjoys talking about all films, 90s TV shows, ninjas and watching Rugby League. His favourite film directors are Alfonso Cuarón, Clint Eastwood and Alexander Payne.



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