In-the-Works
HARRYHAUSEN and ANGEL GATE PRESS
fly high with WAR  EAGLES

In 1933 Merian C. Cooper, the legendary film producer, brought the motion picture King Kong to the screen.  The movie was an instant classic.  In the late 1930s, Cooper hoped to give filmgoers an even more ambitious adventure story in a project entitled War Eagles.  Pre-production had begun on this epic project with special effects wizard Willis O’Brien, but fate intervened — in the form of World War II — and the production was put on hold.  After the war, Cooper returned to Hollywood, but the project was never brought back to life. Now it's been resurrected.

After Cooper’s death, Ray Harryhausen and his production partner and agent Arnold Kunert contacted the Cooper estate and acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to Cooper’s dream project. Now in partnership with producer/publisher Debbie Bishop, they are working on bring this story to print and to the screen.

The first step, under the trademarked Harryhausen / Kunert banner of “Ray Harryhausen Presents”  will be a book version of War Eagles.  Enlisting the talent of writer Carl Macek (of Robotech fame), Cooper’s story of grand adventure at the outset of the Second World has taken shape.  Working from Cooper’s personal notes for War Eagles, a new story was crafted by Macek and Bishop that incorporated elements from various sources as well as logical extensions to the story.  The result is a rip-roaring novel of high-adventure reminiscent of the best pulp fiction and motion pictures of the 1930s.

The novel’s plot revolves around the exploits of a publicly-humiliated Army Air Corps test pilot, court-martialed and discharged from the service for an unauthorized flight that ultimately endangered the life of President Roosevelt.  The pilot takes the only job he can get – flying an experimental airplane around the world from pole to pole.  When his plane is unexpectedly attacked and crashes on an uncharted island above the Arctic Circle, the pilot discovers a strange land inhabited by a lost tribe of Norsemen who ride giant eagles and, in a surprising turn of events, become America’s only hope against a devastating sneak attack by the Nazis and their powerful new electromagnetic weapon.

Getting the opportunity to bring this classic story to light after all this time is what drives Harryhausen and Kunert and their team of creators.  “I have always hoped to honor my two great heroes, Merian C. Cooper and Willis O’Brien, by producing a film version of Cooper’s remarkable project,” Harryhausen said.  “And this book is an important first step in that direction."

War Eagles is scheduled to be published in July, 2008 by Angel Gate, the publishing arm of Bishop’s Left Field Film Corp. Distributed by National Book Distributors.

The feature film version of War Eagles is currently in development for a co-production between Ray Harryhausen Presents, Left Field Film Corp and Hand Picked Films.
NEW ADVENTURE for HARRYHAUSEN
and BLUEWATER PRODUCTIONS

Filmmaker Ray Harryhausen has joined forces with BlueWater Productions on a series of new comic book ventures and merchandising under the "Ray Harryhausen Presents" banner. Harryhausen is now part of the BlueWater team developing projects that tap his extensive creative talents.
 
BlueWater will produce six titles with Harryhausen, advancing the adventures of the characters the filmmaker brought to life in his classic sci-fi and fantasy franchises. Slated for release later this year are "Wrath of the Titans," "Sinbad, Rogue of Mars" and "20 Million Miles More."

Plans for feature films and a television series are being developed by Left Field Film Corp.

The collaborative projects will provide springboards for the next generation of characters based on Harryhausen's films. Harryhausen also plans on crafting a story line featuring BlueWater's signature character, the 10th Muse. "X-Men" author Scott Lobdell will write the updated "10th Muse" series based on Harryhausen's take.
 
Each comic will feature some pages of original artwork from Harryhausen's collection, thanks to a partnership with Every Picture Tells a Story, the Santa Monica-based gallery that sells the artist's works. Harryhausen's artwork also will grace the covers.
 
"As an artist, I've always enjoyed exploring new and interesting areas," Harryhausen says. "Although many of my feature films, beginning with 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad,' were adapted into the comic book format, I have never been directly involved with that particular art form -- until now. I am very happy to be working with BlueWater Productions, who have already done wonderful work with their '10th Muse' and 'Isis' comic books, and look forward to seeing characters from my films in new and exciting adventures."
 
BlueWater President Darren Davis says he's humbled to have Harryhausen aboard. "Ray Harryhausen is one of the reasons I create comics. 'Clash of the Titans' made a priceless impression on my career. I'm honored to work with Ray. He inspired and motivated me to take 'Legends' into different media."
 
BlueWater Art Director Nadir Balan is equally excited to work with Harryhausen. "Ray Harryhausen's films have a timeless appeal that extends beyond special effects and monsters. My goal is to capture the essence and charm of his films and adapt them to action-packed comics so both new readers and existing fans can catch up on the ongoing adventures. I'm thrilled to be part of the team dreaming up new futures for these great characters."
 
More projects showcasing the Harryhausen-BlueWater partnership are in the works and will be announced soon.
 
For more information and high-resolution images of the Harryhausen-BlueWater projects please visit the BlueWater Productions web site.