Editing The Dam Busters (film) (section)

==Planned remake==
[[Development hell|Work on]] a remake of ''The Dam Busters'', produced by [[Peter Jackson]] and directed by [[Christian Rivers]], began in 2008, based around a screenplay by [[Stephen Fry]]. Jackson said in the mid-1990s that he became interested in remaking the 1955 film, but found that the rights had been bought by [[Mel Gibson]]. In 2004, Jackson was contacted by his agent, who said Gibson had dropped the rights. In 2005, the rights were purchased by Sir [[David Frost]], from the [[Paul Brickhill|Brickhill family]].<ref>Conlon, Tara. [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/dec/08/film.filmnews "Frost clears Dam Busters for take-off."] ''guardian.co.uk'', 8 December 2005. Retrieved: 4 December 2009.</ref><ref>Oatts, Joanne. [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a43973/fry-denies-doctor-who-rumours.html "Fry denies 'Doctor Who' rumours."] ''Digital Spy'', 15 March 2007. Retrieved: 21 March 2007.</ref>

In 2007, it was announced it would be distributed by [[Universal Pictures]] in North America, and StudioCanal, the corporate heir to ABPC, in the rest of the world.<ref>[http://www.wetanz.com/holics/index.php?itemid=179&catid=2 "Who you gonna call? The Dam Busters."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928094233/http://www.wetanz.com/holics/index.php?itemid=179&catid=2 |date=28 September 2007 }} ''W Weta Holics''. Retrieved: 21 March 2007.</ref> Filming was planned to commence in 2009, on a budget of US$40 million,<ref>Cardy, Tom and Andrew Kelly. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/4601540a1860.html "Dambusters filming set for next year."] ''[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]]'', 1 January 2008. Retrieved: 30 June 2008.</ref> although no project-specific filming began.<ref>Katterns, Tanya. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/central-north-island/2383770/Takeoff-looms-for-dam-film "Takeoff Looms For Dam Film."] ''The Dominion Post'', 5 May 2009. Retrieved: 4 December 2009.</ref> The project was delayed because Jackson decided to make ''[[The Hobbit (film series)|The Hobbit]]''.

[[Weta Workshop]] was making the models and special effects for the film and had made 10 life-size Lancaster bombers.<ref>[http://www.wetanz.com/vehicles/ "Weta Workshop Vehicles."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091006033632/http://www.wetanz.com/vehicles |date=6 October 2009 }} ''wetanz.com'', 2008. Retrieved: 4 December 2009.</ref> Fry said Wing Commander Guy Gibson's dog "[[Nigger (dog)|Nigger]]" will be called "Digger" in the remake to avoid rekindled controversy over the original name.<ref>Cardy, Tom. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/5136009/Dambusters-dog-bone-of-contention "Dambusters dog bone of contention."] ''stuff.co.nz'', 13 June 2011. Retrieved: 20 May 2013.</ref> For the remake, Peter Jackson has said no decision has been made on the dog's name, but is in a "no-win, damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don't scenario", as changing the name could be seen as too much [[political correctness]], while not changing the name could offend people.<ref>Stax. [http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/730/730799p1.html "Jackson Talks Dam Busters."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716200419/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/730/730799p1.html |date=16 July 2007 }} ''[[IGN]]'', 6 September 2006. Retrieved: 21 March 2007.</ref> Further, executive producer Sir David Frost was quoted in ''The Independent'' as stating: "Guy sometimes used to call his dog Nigsy, so I think that's what we will call it. Stephen has been coming up with other names, but this is the one I want."<ref>Marks, Kathy. [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/nigsy-trigger-nword-dilemma-bounces-on-for-dam-busters-ii-1680148.html "Nigsy? Trigger? N-word dilemma bounces on for Dam Busters II."] ''[[The Independent]]'', 6 May 2009. Retrieved: 15 May 2009.</ref>{{#tag:ref|Stephen Fry, the screenwriter, said there was "no question in America that you could ever have a dog called the N-word". In the remake, the dog will be called "Digger".<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-13727908 "Dam Busters dog renamed for movie remake."] ''BBC,'' 10 June 2011.</ref>|group=N}} [[Les Munro]], a pilot in the strike team, joined the production crew in Masterton as technical advisor. Jackson was also to use newly declassified [[War Office]] documents to ensure the authenticity of the film.<ref>[[Peter Bromhead|Bromhead, Peter]]. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/movies/news/article.cfm?c_id=200&objectid=10602531&pnum=0 "Stars bow to hero of missions impossible."] ''nzherald.co.nz'', 11 October 2009. Retrieved: 4 December 2009.</ref>

After Munro died in 2015, Phil Bonner of the [[Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre]] said he still thought Jackson will eventually make the film, citing Jackson's passion for aviation. Jackson said, "There is only a limited span I can abide, of people driving me nuts asking me when I'm going to do that project. So I'll have to do it. I want to, actually, it's one of the truly great true stories of the Second World War, a wonderful, wonderful story."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/dam-busters-will-peter-jackson-s-remake-iconic-film-ever-get-ground-10440966.html|title=Will Peter Jackson's remake of The Dam Busters ever get off the ground?|date=6 August 2015|website=The Independent}}</ref>

In 2018, news emerged that Jackson was to begin production on the film once again. He intended for production to commence soon, as he only had the film rights for "another year or two".<ref name="The Independent 29 November 2018">{{cite news |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Peter Jackson says his Dambuster remake will tell "the real story" |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/peter-jackson-dambusters-movie-remake-617-squadron-second-world-war-death-a8657516.html| date= 29 November 2018 |newspaper= [[The Independent]] |location=London| access-date= 7 May 2019  }}</ref> The remake has yet to be produced {{as of |2024|lc=y}}.