Somewhere, Martin Scorsese’s probably feeling a headache coming on and he doesn’t know why. There’s this dread that he can’t explain, almost like impending doom creeping on an artform he holds so dear but nothing he can quite put his finger on. Why? Well, that’s because Russian director and producer Timur Bekmambetov is making a “blockbuster” film exclusively designed for smartphones. Better (worse?) yet, the upcoming film “V2. Escape From Hell” is being shot in…wait for it…vertical format. Yep, Scorsese is probably going to punch a wall when he hears this news.
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According to Deadline, Bekmambetov is about to begin production on a World War II action film about a Soviet pilot that leads an escape from a German concentration camp with the aid of a stolen plane. The film, “V2. Escape From Hell,” is based on real events that happened 75 years ago. But, the filmmaker is not interested in telling this story with a standard camera and a standard aspect ratio. No, that’s so 2019. Bekmambetov is ready to introduce the world to the first-ever blockbuster film shot entirely with a vertical aspect ratio, geared specifically for viewing on your handheld smartphone. You know, just as God intended it.
“Visually, the film is built around a person—this is a story about a man standing up and straightening his shoulders in spite of the circumstances,” said the director. “And about a rescue plane soaring up into the sky.”
Kidding aside, Bekmambetov has established himself as a filmmaker that likes to take bold risks. Even before he worked on his recent envelope-pushing projects, his “traditional” action films, such as “Wanted” and “Night Watch” were hardly playing it safe. However, since then, he’s decided to focus his efforts on producing projects that push filmmaking to new levels, such as his invention of the Screenlife technology that paved the way for films like “Unfriended” and “Searching” to be created. And let’s not forget his foray into the world of first-person action storytelling with “Hardcore Henry.” So, with this in mind, a vertical format film is hardly that shocking.
Look, vertical format storytelling isn’t something that is completely ludicrous. Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and other online tools thrive on the use of vertical video. However, there’s something almost oxymoronic about shooting an action blockbuster in a format exclusively viewed on a 5 or 6-inch screen. But hey, let’s see what Bekmambetov has up his sleeve.
No official release date or distributor has been named, but “V2. Escape From Hell” is expected to drop sometime in early 2021.
