Jason Isaacs to lead WWII series 'Castle of the Eagles'
Oscar-nominated screenwriter Jeff Pope and producer Xavier Marchand are teaming up for a new six-episode limited series titled Castle of the Eagles, reported Variety. The series is based on true events from World War II, particularly an audacious prison break by Allied POWs from an Italian castle. Harry Potter and The Death of Stalin actor Jason Isaacs will lead the series.
Know more about 'Castle of the Eagles'
The series, written by Pope, is based on Mark Felton's book Castle of the Eagles. The production is a joint effort of Marchand's Moonriver TV and Pope's Etta Pictures, an affiliate of ITV Studios. The story begins in 1943 during World War II with more than two dozen Allied soldiers imprisoned in Castello Vincigliata.
'Castle of the Eagles' explores high-stakes WWII prison break
The captives in Castle of the Eagles include two British knights, an air marshal, 12 generals and brigadiers, and two New Zealand brigadiers. These prisoners have vital information including Britain's success in deciphering Enigma, Nazi Germany's code for transmitting classified messages. Pope stressed the importance of their escape, saying "The stakes were huge." He added the series will explore different facets driving the war effort and reshaping Europe's political landscape.
'Castle of the Eagles' draws inspiration from iconic WWII dramas
Castle of the Eagles is similar to classic WWII dramas like The Great Escape. But Pope emphasized one major difference: most senior officers who escaped from Castello Vincigliata were older men in their 50s and 60s. He said, "Whereas 'The Great Escape' was young officers at the peak of their physical powers, what we had here were older men...who...had something to prove to the world and to themselves about their physical powers."
Meanwhile, know more about the book
Goodreads describes the book as, "Vincigliata Castle, a menacing medieval fortress set in the beautiful Tuscan hills, has become a very special prisoner of war camp on Benito Mussolini's order." "Within are some of the most senior officers of the Allied army, guarded by almost two hundred Italian soldiers and a vicious fascist commando who answers directly to "Il Duce" Mussolini himself." "Their unbelievable escape is a little-known marvel of World War II."
