Roland Emmerich Planning Battle of the Midway Movie
Roland Emmerich has unveiled plans for a movie about 1942’s Battle of the Midway.
The producer-director made the announcement Tuesday night prior to a 20th anniversary screening on the Fox lot of his 1996 blockbuster “Independence Day.” Emmerich’s sequel, “Independence Day: Resurgence,” will open June 24.
The four-day battle took place six months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, and saw the U.S. Navy decisively defeat an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy. U.S. codebreakers were able to determine the time and place of the planned attack, enabling the U.S. Navy to prepare its own ambush.
“At the time, the Americans were the underdog,” Emmerich told the crowd. “It was one of those moments where, against all odds, people came together and did the impossible. A lot of pilots died in this battle. I want to make a monument to them and it would be great to make a movie about it.”
Universal released the movie “Midway” in 1976 with Jack Smight directing and Walter Mirisch producing. The cast included Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Hal Holbrook, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Mitchum and Cliff Robertson.
“Independence Day Resurgence” stars Jeff Goldblum, Liam Hemsworth, Vivica A. Fox, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Judd Hirsch, Sela Ward and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Dean Devlin, who produced the original film, is producing with Emmerich and Harald Kloser.
Emmerich’s credits as a director-producer include “The Day After Tomorrow,” “The Patriot,” “2012,” “10,000 B.C.,” “Stonewall” and “White House Down.”
News about Emmerich’s announcement was reported by the Coming Soon site.
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