When not putting new, controversial words in Darth Vader’s voice box, George Lucas has been spending time getting his World War II aerial drama Red Tails airborne. But he’s not the only one interested in the period and the sky: Graham King’s GK Films is now planning an ambitious, fresh look at one of the UK’s most famous fighting periods with Bonnie & Clyde/Mission: Impossible's Robert Towne writing The Battle of Britain.
King’s reasoning is personal, since his father lived through the time and regaled the producer with his memories of when the Royal Air Force took on the Luftwaffe and ultimately helped stop a Nazi invasion of the country.
“My father lived in London and watched this spectacular dog fight over the city, so bringing this story of endurance and triumph to the big screen means a great deal to me,” King said in a statement picked up by Deadline. “I am also extremely excited to be joining forces with the iconic Robert Towne who is a master of mixing complex characters and tremendously compelling plots. Robert has a passion for history and a shared love of this particular story.”
They’ll need to produce something impressive, as the Battle has already been well chronicled across both film and TV, most notably with the 1969 Guy Hamilton effort Battle of Britain. Still, planes! Pluck! Derring do and a band of underdogs facing overwhelming odds! There's never a bad time for that.