Eagle of the Ninth Begins Production

How did this little film starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, and Mark Strong, written by BAFTA Award-winning screenwriter Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland) and directed by Academy Award winner Kevin Macdonald slip by us for so long? We didn’t even hear about them casting Eagle of the Ninth, but everything is set and the crew is currently on location in Hungary and Scotland, and they have begun filming!

The film was adapted for the screen by Brock, off of Rosemary Sutcliff’s classic novel of the same name. For more on the story keep reading…

The Eagle of the Ninth is set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (played by Mr. Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth.

Accompanied only by his British slave Esca (Mr. Bell), Marcus sets out across Hadrian’s Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia – to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father’s memory, and retrieve the lost legion’s golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth. Mr. Sutherland portrays Marcus’ uncle Aquila, who has retired in Britain; Mr. Strong is cast as Guern, an ex-soldier who holds crucial information about the Ninth.

Sounds kind of Lord of the Rings-ish, but with it’s own twist. Personally, with all the impressive talent behind the film, I don’t need to know what it’s about, just when it will be in theaters.

How about you? Are you excited for Eagle of the Ninth?