Writer/Director David Ayer, best known for his cop thrillers like TRAINING DAY and END OF WATCH, has sold his spec script for a WWII Tank movie, called FURY. QED International paid $1 million for the script and will produce the pic with Ayers behind the reins.
The story “takes place in 1945 as the Nazi regime collapses and the five man crew of an American tank called Fury battles a desperate German army.” Sounds like a bit of a departure for Ayer, who usually leans toward the gritty, street-level type stories. However, it’s to note that Ayer got his start by working on the Jonathan Mostow thriller U-571, so it’s not exactly unheard of the filmmaker to jump back in time for his work.
Ayers says that he will
bring a fresh execution to the genre. What these men went through is worthy of a complex, honest portrayal. This will have incredible, visceral action and complex rich characters. I plan to bring tank combat to life in a way that lands with a modern audience.
Producer Bill Block echoes Ayer’s comments, saying:
Fury is not your father’s WWII movie, it digs deep into the complexities of battlefield heroism.
FURY is expected to begin shooting in the fall with a release date and cast yet to be announced. More as this develops.
Here’s a clip from U-571 to get you warmed up…