Thursday, December 23, 2010

ABC Readies Civil War Series With ‘Lost’ & ‘Pearl Harbor’ Execs

ABC Miniseries: Civil War

It’s been a long time since The Blue and the Grey lit up the small screen with docudrama in the ’80s, but if ABC has its way you can expect more Civil War-era brother against brother action soon.

Lost producer Carlton Cuse is set as both a writer and executive producer for a new TV project set during the American Civil War.  Producing the series along with Cuse is writer/director/producer Randall Wallace, whose filmography includes Braveheart, Pearl Harbor, We Were Soldiers, and most recently, Secretariat. The two are currently writing the pilot, which Wallace is set to direct.

Details are sparse aside from a Virginia setting. At this time it’s not known if this will be a full series or a miniseries, but given the history of the Civil War on television, the latter seems likely.

The rumored project will be familiar territory for Wallace, but Cuse may bring some new ideas to a more conventional story. ABC’s decision could prove to be a timely one with the extreme political polarization the United States is currently experiencing.

Aside from the executive talent, no timeline, story or casting information is available. The Virginia setting is no help for plot information either, since the first battle of Bull Run and the South’s surrender at Appomattox both took place within the state’s borders.

A character-driven drama (as opposed to a play-by-play of the major battles) would be something that American audiences haven’t seen before. Considering that most armchair historians get their fix from the likes of the History Channel and TLC, it might play to a broader audience on network TV. Confederate general (and native Virginian) Robert E. Lee might make a particularly compelling choice if they want to tow the ideological line, since he sympathized with the Union cause but fought for his home state.

Screen Rant will have updates for would-be reenactors when they become available.

Source: Variety


View the original article here

No comments:

Post a Comment