Just last week, we finally got word on which actors will be starring in the upcoming World War I drama from director Sam Mendes, titled “1917.” At that point, everyone just assumed that Mendes was working on your typical WWI film, with the action and drama associated with films of that ilk, but he’d just have a pretty spectacular cast to play with. But what was being reported now would lead film fans to believe that “1917” is going to be a very different beast, altogether.
It was reported by IndieWire, while breaking down Universal’s upcoming film slate that was presented at CinemaCon, that Mendes is attempting to film 1917 as one long shot, a la Alejandro Iñárritu’s “Birdman.” No real details were given about what that means for the story or the production, but Donna Langley, Chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, described the project as “immersive.”
READ MORE: Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth & More Join Sam Mendes’ Latest Film ‘1917’
What we do know about “1917” is that Mendes’ film is expected to follow two young British soldiers on the front line (played by actors George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman), in a sort of “day in the life”-esque film. Now, combine that description with the news about it being one shot, and your imagination can fill in the blanks.
Even without the difficult filming technique that Mendes is expected to use for “1917,” the project is actually stacked with enough quality actors that even without the gimmick, this would be a film that every cinephile would want to see. Actors Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch are just a few of the folks in the stacked cast.
And just as that little bit of extra oomph for film fans, “1917” is said to feature Oscar-winning, legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins behind the camera. So, clearly, Mendes is deadset on having the best possible people on the film for what could be his most ambitious project to date.
“1917” doesn’t have an official release date yet. Production is said to have begun this week.