Peter Berg talks about his BATTLESHIP Film and Yes Aliens will be in It

There is no doubt that actor/director Peter Berg is extremely excited to get started on his new film Battleship, which is based on the popular board game. I was excited when he started talking about how it would be an epic naval battle, which is something we haven't really seen on the big screen. Then news broke that aliens would be added to the film as the Navy's enemy and it kind of killed the buzz for me. It seemed like they were just trying to add an edge to the film because a full on naval war just isn't exciting enough.

Berg recently invited a group of movie bloggers to a Naval ship in San Diego, the U.S.S. Sterett to give them a tour and talk about what exactly he has planned for the film. If you have never been on one of these ships you should definitely go when you have the chance! You might as well hit one up in San Diego when you are there for Comic-Con if you haven't already, these ships are freakin incredible!

Berg revealed that the CIC (Combat Information Center) on the ship would be the key set in the film. The CIC is where all the different weapons are controlled on the ship. He went on to explain:

This is a key set in the film. you put this screen on, it's very easy to imagine this as a much more sophisticated Battleship screen from the board game. What they're doing with this screen is identifying threats or identifying objects whether it be in the air, on the sea or underwater. Much the same way you would try to identify or locate your enemy in the game. You're trying to find an enemy over here (at one station) and over here you're killing an enemy. It's very simple. they've got a bunch of ways to find and a bunch of ways to kill. But basically, the fundamental core principles of the game, are very easy to expand in a very easy, badass, very intelligent way when you see how these guys do what they do.

So this is how they are going to add the element of the game that we all grew up playing. He then went on to talk about the aliens that will be in the film:

The goal was to put up something that could exist as a big, dynamic, entertaining summer blockbuster. That's clearly what you aspire to make when you take on something like 'Battleship' and I think we're well on our way... The enemy does come from another planet. We tried to keep it a secret, but it's our goal to make that as intelligent and logical, certainly as 'District 9' was able to do. But to provide a real intelligence to our opponent, a logic, a rationale for being there and not purely hostile, violent creatures bent on global destruction. They've got a much more logical agenda planned that happens to come into conflict with us. Then there's a chance for two relatively equal opponents to go at each other and you get a sense of some of the equipment you saw, the level and intelligence of that character of what modern sailors are today.

Now I just want to point out some information that I thought you might find interesting that Berg talked about:

• The aliens agenda is not global domination.


• Their technology is relatable. They fire explosive ballistics, not ray guns or lasers.


• The Captain on the Destroyer has a team of five guys which consist of the number two in command, the CO, the XO, and a Scotty type character from Star Trek.


• The alien ships are sea based and wont fly even thought they can. They're able to move and sort of leap at different angles, but they're killable.


• The film is likened to The Bridge On the River Kwai. The aliens are trying to build something because they're in trouble and they need a power source.


• The aliens have a similar geological makeup to us and they come from a place that has a similar ecology to ours.


• The famous line, "You sank my battleship!" will be included in the film.


• Some sequences in the film will be done in 3D, and you will be able to see the movie in IMAX.

So after reading what Berg ultimate plan was for bringing Battleship to life, I'm still not sure how it's not going to be cheesy. This sounds like it could be a pretty big crazy action film with lots of explosions, but will it be good? I only hope Berg can pull off everything he is talking about doing without it turning out to be a cheesy McG style action film.

If you want to read the full interview with Berg head on over to Latinoreview or CHUD.

What do you think about what Berg is planning for BATTLESHIP and what do you think about the whole alien element now?