TORONTO – Bell Media’s The Movie Network and Channel 4 (UK) have commissioned a new political thriller to mark the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
Co-produced by Montreal’s Handel Productions and UK’s Arrow Media, Pearl Harbor: The Accused (TMN)/Pearl Harbor: The Truth (Channel 4) promises to reveal the untold story behind the failure to stop the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941.
In the subsequent public outrage, Admiral Husband Kimmel, commander in chief of the Pacific fleet, was found guilty of dereliction of duty and his career was destroyed. But the documentary vows to reveal new insight into who was actually to blame.
Directed by Christopher Spencer (Race for the White House, Son of God), the documentary has exclusive access to the story told in the forthcoming book ‘A Matter of Honor’ by Pulitzer-nominated authors Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan, a journalistic investigation of Pearl Harbor based on evidence from newly unearthed documents, letters and photos.
“When I learned about the book, its authors, and their approach, I knew that this should be a television special tied to the 75th anniversary of the attack”, said Handel Productions executive producer Alan Handel, in the news release. “The full story of Admiral Kimmel opens a new window on what really happened and our treatment of the material plays out like a historical thriller. With Chris Spencer as our director and Arrow Media as our co-producer, we have a dream team in place to make a great film for this historic anniversary.”
“This is such a fascinating project to work on and is by far the most authoritative account of Pearl Harbor ever to be made”, added Arrow Media executive producer Ashley Potterton. “Our heritage is in telling stories, which will appeal to audiences all over the world. With the unprecedented access we have gained and techniques used we have pushed the boundaries of storytelling to shine an entirely new light on the events of December 7th, 1941. We hope to captivate viewers by exposing the truth behind the historic event and by re-creating the tension, fear and anger felt during the tragedy.”
The documentary is to be distributed by BBC Worldwide.
Photo courtesy of The Movie Network – Admiral Husband Kimmel. Office. After attack.
