John Woo Will Direct WWII Epic Based on The Flying Tigers

by Joey Paur

The Flying Tigers

Director John Woo has his next film lined up and apparently it will be the most expensive Chinese production ever made. The current working title for the new film is called 'Flying Tiger Heroes'. It sounds like some kind of crazy martial arts animated cartoon but it's not.

This is based on the true story of the 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941-1942. This group was called the Flying Tigers they were a private military contractor, and the volunteers have also been called mercenaries. They were former United States Army , Navy, and Marine Corps pilots and ground crew, recruited under Presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The group consisted of three fighter squadrons with about 20 aircraft each. It trained in Burma before the American entry into World War II with the intention of defending China against Japanese forces.

The Tigers' shark-faced fighters remain among the most recognizable of any individual combat aircraft of World War II, and they demonstrated innovative tactical victories when the news in the U.S. was filled with little more than stories of defeat at the hands of the Japanese forces.

The group first saw combat on 20 December 1941, 12 days after Pearl Harbor. It achieved notable success during the lowest period of the war for U.S. and Allied Forces, giving hope to Americans that they would eventually succeed against the Japanese. The Tigers were paid combat bonuses for destroying nearly 300 enemy aircraft while losing only 14 pilots on combat missions.

I love the story behind these guys and it should make for a fantastic and epic film. The cast will be a mix of American and Chinese actors. I'm really excited to see this little bit of history brought to life. Director John Woo say's:

This is an extremely important production. Currently, basic preparations for shooting work have already been made and in a month we'll confirm the script. This Yunnan-themed film emphasizes China-US friendship and the contributions of the Flying Tigers and the people of Yunnan during the War of Resistance.


I think Woo has the ability to pull it off, the guy has proved his epic filmaking skills with 'Red Cliff'.  So what are your thoughts on this film?

Source: /Film

GeekTyrant Homepage