Famed producer Gary Kurtz, probably best known for bailing on the lucrative “Star Wars” franchise after “The Empire Strikes Back” and more recently for openly shit-talking George Lucas for his focus on toys rather than on creating honest and real storylines, is prepping his first major film since 1989’s disastrous “Slipstream.”
Described by Kurtz as “reality-based story with horror overtones,” “Panzer 88” will tell the story of the “five-man German crew of the Ilsa — the biggest tank of its day — on a mission to the frigid and fearsome Russian border, where they tread into an ancient mystery by stirring a powerful entity.” The film has a script by by Aaron Mason and James Cowan with work also done by Peter Briggs (“Hellboy”) who will be making his directorial debut with the film.
The film be working with a lean $20 million budget with shooting to begin this winter. No casting details have yet been revealed. But if that number seems a bit small for what should be a fairly FX-heavy film, Kurtz has enlisted the help of WETA (the guys who do Peter Jackson’s films) to assist. Notably, they created great special effects on a dime for “District 9” and the economical aim will be similar here.
And certainly the filmmaker’s goals are ambitious. Briggs says, “Our military aspects are more realistic, and mostly akin to the claustrophobic action and tension of ‘Das Boot.’ We’re aiming to do for the tank genre what “The Hunt For Red October” and “Crimson Tide” did for submarine flicks. Only, with a supernatural twist. We’re upping the ante with visuals, equipment, and scenes that have never been seen in a World War II milieu.”
Sounds interesting and it’s one we’ll keep on an eye on. But to whoever talks to Kurtz next, can someone please ask him what’s going on with Patrick Read Johnson’s “77” which he is a producer on? The film, starring John Francis Daley (“Freaks & Geeks,” “Bones”), is a coming-of-age story set against the release of “Star Wars” and has been done for a couple of years yet seems caught in a perma-limbo. We’re definitely interested in checking it out and we hope that it gets some kind of release….[LA Times]