HBO DOCUMENTARY FILMS ACQUIRES U.S. TV RIGHTS TO THE COLD BLUE FROM PAUL G. ALLEN’S VULCAN PRODUCTIONS
Directed By Erik Nelson, Film Features Restored Footage And Outtakes From William Wyler’s 1944 Documentary “The Memphis Belle: A Story Of A Flying Fortress”
HBO Documentary Films has acquired U.S. TV rights to THE COLD BLUE from Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions. Directed by Erik Nelson (“Dreams with Sharp Teeth,” “A Gray State”), the film takes an inside look at the daily life of men of the Eighth Air Force, who flew mission after deadly mission in World War II. The film features newly restored 4K footage and outtakes, shot by director William Wyler (Oscar® winner for “The Best Years of Our Lives,” “Ben-Hur” and “Mrs. Miniver”) for his 1944 documentary “The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress.”
THE COLD BLUE premiered at AFI Docs, and will screen at the New York Film Festival Saturday, Sept. 29 and Sunday, Sept. 30. The documentary will debut on HBO in June 2019.
In 1943, William Wyler, one of Hollywood’s most renowned and versatile directors, went to Europe to document the air war in progress. Wyler and his crew flew actual combat missions on B-17s, during which one of his cinematographers was killed. Incredibly, all of the raw color footage Wyler shot for “The Memphis Belle” was recently discovered in the vaults of the National Archives. After a frame-by-frame restoration, director Erik Nelson has constructed a compelling new film out of the material.
A meditation on youth, war and trauma, THE COLD BLUE is a tribute to one of the world’s great filmmakers and the men of the Eighth Air Force. In recent interviews, nine of the few surviving Eighth Air Force veterans recall the harrowing experiences that Wyler and his cameramen captured in the summer of 1943.
“We’re thrilled HBO Documentary Films is giving this breathtaking footage and powerful new documentary a platform,” says Rocky Collins of Vulcan Productions. “After 75 years, the footage has been restored to a condition better-than-new, so we can bring this real-life story of aerial combat to a 21st-century audience.”
THE COLD BLUE is a production of Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions and Creative Differences; produced by Peter Hankoff; executive produced by Paul G. Allen, Carole Tomko, Rocky Collins, Catherine Wyler, Clark Bunting and Dave Harding; directed and produced by Erik Nelson.
ABOUT HBO
HBO® is one of the most respected and innovative entertainment brands in the world, serving iconic, award-winning programming to 142 million subscribers globally. A subsidiary of WarnerMedia, HBO is the world’s most successful pay TV service with an extensive array of programming that includes some of the most notable titles to be on television including Game of Thrones®, Big Little Lies®, Westworld®, The Sopranos®, Sex and the City®, Band of Brothers®, and The Wire®. In the United States, HBO® and sister network Cinemax® are available across multiple platforms including HBO On Demand®, Cinemax On Demand®, HBO GO® and MAX GO®, as well as HBO NOW®. Internationally, HBO branded services, including television networks and the standalone streaming product HBO GO®, are available in more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. HBO and Cinemax programming is also sold into more than 150 countries worldwide.
ABOUT VULCAN PRODUCTIONS
Vulcan Productions is dedicated to the power of storytelling. The company produces content and large-scale campaigns that entertain, inspire and change the way people understand the world’s toughest challenges. The films, television series and digital content spark ideas and turn action into measurable impact. Founded by Paul G. Allen and Jody Allen, Vulcan Productions creates content across all formats and genres, and spotlights Mr. Allen’s impact work in biodiversity, science, climate, technology, current social issues, history and the arts. Vulcan Productions uses cutting edge technology to create unique experiences for its audiences, by incorporating virtual, mixed and augmented reality. The team’s award-winning projects include USS Indianapolis: Live from the Deep, STEP, The Ivory Game, Unseen Enemy, Racing Extinction, Naledi: A Baby Elephant’s Tale, News & Documentary Emmy winner and Academy Award®-nominated Body Team 12, Mind of a Giant, We the Economy, We the Voters, Ocean Warriors, #ISurvivedEbola, and Girl Rising. Upcoming releases include Ghost Fleet, Ballet Now and Oliver Sacks. For information on Vulcan Productions and our leadership in generating change through impact storytelling, visit vulcanproductions.com.
ABOUT CREATIVE DIFFERENCES
Creative Differences has produced an array of notable feature documentaries, including Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man (2005), Herzog’s Oscar nominated Encounters At The World (2008) and the 2011 3D box office hit Cave Of Forgotten Dreams. Company founder Erik Nelson has also produced and directed such films as the 2008 biography of writer Harlan Ellison, Dreams With Sharp Teeth, as well as the 2012 animated feature Dinotasia and 2017’s A Gray State. For more information on Creative Differences, please visit http://cdtvfilms.com.
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