FIRST LOOK

Awesome Concept Art + Details About Weta Movie 'Panzer 88'

by Alex Billington
August 23, 2010
Source: Hero Complex

There's a project I've been hearing buzz about recently down in the works at Weta in New Zealand called Panzer 88. Our good friend Geoff Boucher of Hero Complex just decided to bust open the doors on it and has written a fantastic piece featuring an interview with producer Gary Kurtz (Star Wars IV, V) and some impressive concept art from the WWII-set supernatural tank thriller. The plot follows the five-man German crew of the Ilsa -- a King Tiger, the biggest tank of its day -- on a mission to the frigid and fearsome Russian border, where they tread into an ancient mystery by stirring a powerful entity. You've got to check this out!

Yes, it also looks as awesome as it sound so far, and best of all, Weta is doing the effects! Panzer 88 is a $20 million independent film that will shoot this winter. "It's a good, good project, you haven't seen anything like it for a while," Kurtz said. "It's a visceral, reality-based story with horror overtones, and the idea is to have be like the best of the graphic novels these days." Peter Briggs is directing and making his feature debut after co-writing the Hellboy script. Briggs also co-wrote the script for this with Aaron Mason & James Cowan, and he wants it to be a "Band of Brothers sort of ensemble." "We're aiming to do for the tank genre what Hunt For Red October and Crimson Tide did for submarine flicks. Only, with a supernatural twist."

Writer Aaron Mason explains their desire to keep it authentic. "The story features German protagonists on the Eastern Front of Russia in October 1944, and Peter and myself labored to anchor the story in the real history of the time, right down to charting actual troop movements. The few tank movies that are out there, like Kelly's Heroes or The Battle of the Bulge, are fairly slow affairs, which is the furthest thing from Panzer, which shifts at breakneck speed." Bring it on, I'm already pumped to see this. Don't worry about the budget, Weta even confirms that Kurtz should definitely be able to "produce an epic film on a respectable budget."

You can read the full Hero Complex post for more. I love the look of this and it sounds like it will be badass, can't wait to hear more about it. I wonder if Briggs will cast a bunch of unknowns or find a few name actors. Check out the two concept art images below and stay tuned for updates. Doesn't this sound awesome?

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