Variety has posted an article discussing New Regency’s upcoming development slate in which it includes a one-line item mentioning Flying Tigers, a film scripted by Valkyrie scribe Christopher McQuarrie with Tom Cruise attached to star. On top of that it mentions the project is on “the immediate horizon.” What Peter Bart’s article fails to mention is Flying Tigers will be directed by John Woo, which means this is a reunion for the Mission: Impossible II star and director.
As a matter of fact, it is actually John Woo’s attachment that became the big news back in July of 2009 when Slash Film reported on a Chinese press conference in which Woo announced the film would be his next:
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.
Cruise and McQuarrie first became attached to the project all the way back in December 2008 when McQuarrie was brought on to script the film based on the volunteer fighter squadron formed to help the Chinese fight the Japanese before the U.S. entered World War II. Cruise is assumed to be playing the role of Claire Lee Chennault (pictured right), the American military aviator who commanded the “Flying Tigers” during World War II.
Coming Soon also picked up on the story and the site points out a recent review they held with Woo for his new film Red Cliff in which he said Flying Tigers would indeed be his next film:
It’s based on a true story in WWII, about a group of American volunteer fighter pilots who worked with the Chinese Air Force fighting with the Japanese and they won the war. Also, it’s the story of Claire Chennault, and they did a great contribution for the Chinese, and the Chinese people love and respect them. The whole story is about a friendship between a Chinese and an American and they worked together.
It’s interesting there are so many mentions of this film, but not even the most recent one puts together the fact it is a John Woo directed film with Tom Cruise starring, but should it indeed work out this way I would say they have a highly marketable project on their hands.
