Is Christopher Nolan Crashing a Vintage WWII Plane for Dunkirk?

Last month, we showed you the firstset photosfrom directorChristopher Nolan’s World War II movieDunkirkas production got under way in France. This drama is based on the true story of a harrowing military operation to rescue more than 330,000 Allied troops, after they were trapped at the harbor of Dunkirk, France. Today we have a new report which claims that directorChristopher Nolan’s commitment to practical effects may have cost Warner Bros. a cool $5 million.

Indie Revolverhas a new report where their sources claim the studio paid a whopping $5 million to purchase a vintageWorld War IIaircraft for the production. The site’s sources claim thatChristopher Nolanwill outfit this plane with IMAX cameras for some aerial scenes, before actually crashing the plane. The site’s sources also claim that Warner Bros. believesDunkirkcould be as big of a hit as the director’s 2010 smash hitInception, which took in $292.5 million domestically and $825.5 million worldwide, from a $160 million budget. We don’t know for sure how big the budget onDunkirkis quite yet.

Dunkirkopens as hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces. Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in. The rescue operation included over 800 boats, and is believed by many to be one of the greatest military operations in history. Warner Bros. Pictures is distributingDunkirkworldwide and has slated the film for a July 10, 2025 release, putting it up against EuropaCorp’sValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Universal’sGirl Tripand 20th Century Fox’s animated filmThe Story of Ferdinand.

Dunkirkfeatures a prestigious cast, includingTom Hardy(The Revenant,Mad Max: Fury Road,Inception),Mark Rylance(Bridge of Spies,Wolf Hall),Kenneth Branagh(My Week with Marilyn,Hamlet,Henry V) andCillian Murphy(Inception,The Dark KnightTrilogy), as well as newcomerFionn Whitehead. The ensemble cast also includesAneurin Barnard,Harry Styles,James D’Arcy,Jack Lowden,Barry KeoghanandTom Glynn-Carney. No details have been given for any of these characters yet so stay tuned.

The film is being produced byNolanandEmma Thomas(Interstellar,Inception,The Dark KnightTrilogy).Jake Myers(The Revenant,Interstellar,Jack Reacher) is serving as executive producer. The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photographyHoyte van Hoytema(Interstellar,Spectre,The Fighter), production designerNathan Crowley(Interstellar,The Dark KnightTrilogy), editorLee Smith(The Dark KnightTrilogy,Elysium), costume designerJeffrey Kurland(Inception,Bullets Over Broadway), and visual effects supervisorAndrew Jackson(Mad Max: Fury Road). We’ll be sure to keep you posted with more onDunkirkas production continues.