Blue Max Remake In Play!

Aerowallah · 9 October 2006, 02:01 PM

For all of you wondering (including myself) if we have another shot at a WW1 aviation movie now that Flyboys is in a flat spin, you might be interested to know that Blue Max and Blood Order are being actively shopped as of this writing. Tin Cravat, Jack Hunter's 3rd in the Stachel trilogy, is still tied up in the Frank Sinatra estate.

I just spoke with Jack Hunter's agent, and he is in discussions with a Hollywood producer who's a big fan, but everything is very preliminary. Bruno flys again?

What sidebars to this potential trilogy!!!

-Jack Hunter, "greatest generation" /WWII hero, took rides as a kid with barnstormers and knew a lot of the aero aces, as well as interrogated a lot of the big Nazis after WWII. (He said he based Stachel on an SS officer he got to know well during repeat interrogations when Hunter worked in Army Cointel !)

-Jack is keen that in a remake, this time Stachel doesn't die! He lives on in Blood Order through the turbulent times following WW1.

-Most of us know the Blue Max. In Blood Order there are a lot of internal security/personal rights themes, baddies using democratic machinery to come to power, and dilemmas of personal choice when confronted by evil, which hopefully will resonate with today's audience.

-Blood Order IMHO is a more interesting read in some ways than Blue Max. Stachel is close to and schmoozes with all the Nazi leaders while they are still up-and-coming street brawlers! I can't think of another Hollywood film that portrays Hitler and Goering in the 1920s, it would be an amazing sequel. If this project has legs, it could lead to a third film about that other world war

loosely based on Tin Cravat (slang for Knight's Cross).

-Jack was recently interviewed by his hometown paper about Flyboys and said nice things about it. His main beef was biplanes handling like F-16s, and he waxed nostalgic about the days....not 1914-18.....not the 1920s as a kid......but the 1960s when all of his movie biplanes putted along at 80 mph!

Rgds
John

Craig · 9 October 2006, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerowallah

-a lot of internal security/personal rights themes, baddies using democratic machinery to come to power . . .

Nothing an early 21st century American would know anything about, haha, boo hoo.

But, in general, GREAT! I hope they do it right.

Bruno Stachel · 9 October 2006, 03:07 PM

Thanks for the word. I really hope this happens. I remember reading The Blue Max and Blood Order, discovering how completely different the story was from the film. I'm glad for Jack Hunter, if this effort follows his story. A remake with a different story, that really isn't!

retread · 9 October 2006, 03:10 PM

I would love to see it . It has the potential to be brillant. What actor today has the youth, grit and for lack of a better discription razor edge to play Stachel? Can't think of anyone offhand, would probably have to be some unknown.

Aerowallah · 9 October 2006, 03:24 PM

Good point. Not that any one is likely to ask Jack, but he originally wanted someone much younger than Peppard in the role--like about 18.

LedZepplane · 9 October 2006, 03:26 PM

I'm speechless ...”Flyboys”, “The Red Baron” and now a possible remake of the “Blue Max” ...excuse me while I wipe the dribble from my mouth.

Danny

Gregvan · 9 October 2006, 03:35 PM

Hi,

Very interesting news. With so many false starts on WWI projects over the years, I'll believe rhet actually went ahead with the 'remake' when I see it on the big screen.

Any possibility Peter Jackson is involved?

Greg

Aerowallah · 9 October 2006, 03:53 PM

Anything is possible!

But if anyone out there has money, or interest and connections, now's your chance!

buzz1941 · 9 October 2006, 04:42 PM

One possible way to do it is as a miniseries -- say 10 hours.

There was a lively discussion about this very subject last year that Hunter himself weighed in on...

Aerowallah · 9 October 2006, 04:55 PM

Yes! Definitely worth re-reading. In it Hunter mentions "One of Us Works for Them" as still owned by Sinatra, so maybe the whole trilogy is on the block. I say put it on eBay and start it at a dollar, like the grilled-cheese Jesus sandwich that hit 5 figures last year...

Oops, just got an email. For the record, Sinatra's project was "The Expendable Spy."

Ooops ooops, got another email. It was "One of us Works for Them" Jack apologises to and sympathises with all those who have enetered "the Shell-Shock Zone" with him!