More information is coming in about Christopher Nolan’s latest project. It has been confirmed that the director’s next film is in fact a World War II docu-drama about the evacuation of the famed French coastal city, Dunkirk, in 1940. The Wrap is reporting that the film will be based on the real-life events of Operation Dynamo, a British rescue operation that saved the lives of over 300,000 Allied troops in conflict with surrounding German forces. Hardy’s role has yet to be confirmed or identified but he will be joining an ensemble cast, with Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance also being sought. The large-scale film is scheduled for release in summer of 2017.
Hardy has twice worked with Nolan, starting with Inception (2010), which arguably was the actor’s big break, and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), where he played Batman’s nemesis, Bane. Interestingly enough, Hardy’s major acting debut was in the HBO World War II television series, Band of Brothers (2001) about the US Army 101st Airborne division “Easy Company” and their mission in Europe from Operation Overlord through V-J Day. He played Pfc. John A. Janovec in two episodes.
The prospect of an authentic, full-scale military film from Nolan sounds exciting and harkens back to when Steven Spielberg brought us Saving Private Ryan (1998), generally considered to be one of the greatest war movies ever made. No doubt that is on Nolan’s mind as he looks to re-enact one of the biggest military operations of that war. Warner Bros. is set to distribute the film, which will be shot on a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film, ensuring the immersion will be state of the art. It will be interesting to see what Nolan has up his sleeve for invigorating the war genre and what the creative team of him and his brother Jonathan will deliver to theaters. Stay tuned.