Exit Star Wars, Enter Christopher Nolan. The most anticipated film of 2015 has been unveiled, and as if right on cue, details regarding Christopher Nolan’s next project have now been uncovered, giving us our next most anticipated film (aside from Episode VIII, of course). Word leaked out this weekend that Nolan had been spotted doing some location scouting in France for a World War II-set film about the evacuation of Dunkirk, and now Warner Bros. confirms that Dunkirk is the “mystery Nolan movie” that Warner Bros. has dated for release on July 21, 2017, described officially as an "epic action thriller."

But that’s not all! The press release adds that Nolan will be casting unknowns for his leads in the pic, but Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, and Bridge of Spies standout Mark Rylance are all in talks to join the ensemble. Moreover, as hinted at by Paul Thomas Anderson, Nolan plans on using a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large format film for the large-scale production, ensuring a positively massive image with which to immerse viewers and adding incentive for theaters to keep their 70mm projectors after the Hateful Eight roadshow.


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Image via Warner Bros.

Nolan is producing the action thriller with his longtime partner/wife Emma Thomas, and he wrote the original screenplay (presumably alongside his brother/frequent collaborator Jonathan Nolan). The story will be set during the legendary evacuation of Dunkirk during World War II, which over the course of eight days saved the lives of 338,226 soldiers from the impending invasion.

Filming will begin in May in France, using many of the real locations of the true events, but Nolan has already begun testing teenagers in London for the lead roles. He apparently wanted to nail down some of the adult roles before the holidays, which explains the casting of Hardy, Branagh and Rylance—all three of whom are terrific performers and will no doubt make for swell additions to Nolan’s latest pic. For Hardy in particular, this will be the actor’s third time collaborating with the director. One has to assume a Michael Caine casting announcement is imminent.

What do you think, folks? Does the prospect of Christopher Nolan helming a large-scale historical World War II epic excite you? I for one am eager to see a different side of the filmmaker, who’s been delving heavily into the sci-fi/genre realm for quite some time. Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.

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Image via DreamWorks/Fox2000
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Image via Focus Features