'Band of Brothers' Team Heads for Pacific Theater

[Squeeky]

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Steven Spielberg (news), Tom Hanks (news) and Gary Goetzman -- the Emmy-winning creative team behind "Band of Brothers" -- are mounting a new 10-part World War II mini-series centered on battles in the Pacific theater.



DreamWorks confirmed that the project, being referred to as the "Untitled World War II Pacific Theater Project," is in the early stages of development, with a deal being finalized for HBO to serve as a partner in the mini-series.


The production is expected to require a "Brothers"-type budget of more than $100 million.


Screenwriter Bruce McKenna, who penned several installments of the first miniseries and picked up a Writers Guild of America Award for his work, already has held numerous creative meetings with Spielberg and Goetzman and is expected to become the head writer.


There is no deal for McKenna, and negotiations haven't started for the scribe to board the project, but sources said the principals are discussing scheduling and how much it would cost to hire McKenna for what would be a long-term assignment.


Currently a hot writer on the film front, McKenna is adapting Marvel Comics' "Hands of Shang Chi" for DreamWorks and recently closed a deal to adapt the upcoming nonfiction book "The Perfect Mile" for Universal Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment and Kennedy/Marshall.


The "Pacific Theater Project" is not based on any existing source material but is expected to follow a company of soldiers through the island campaign, just as "Brothers" viewed the European campaign from D-Day forward through the eyes of Easy Company of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division.


The multiepisode "Brothers," based on the book by historian Stephen E. Ambrose, proved to be an awards circuit favorite after it aired on HBO in 2001. It was nominated for 19 Emmys and earned six, including a trophy for outstanding miniseries.

Woot!!

If you haven't seen Band Of Brothers, get a bunch of popcorn, soda, chips and prepare to spend 10 hours watching the 10 part mini-series. It is awesome, sort of like saving private ryan except with a much deeper story line and really awesome characters.