War of the Worlds – The True Story
Encyclopedia
War of the Worlds – The True Story (2011) is a science fiction
/horror
mock documentary film based on the 1898 novel The War of the Worlds
by H.G. Wells, directed by Timothy Hines
. It is a reboot
that loosely ties in with Hines' 2005 direct-to-DVD film H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds.
in the year 1900 and the last living survivor had been filmed recalling his eyewitness account of the Martian
invasion. The footage disappeared until 2006, when it was found in the basement vault of a condemned house. In the vault with the interviews were previously unknown footage of the actual Martian invaders and their ten-story-high machines of war.
The film plays on the 1938 Orson Welles
CBS radio
broadcast of War of the Worlds, by presenting itself as a true account of actual events. Director Timothy Hines
in reference to this technique "When Orson Welles broadcast War of the Worlds on the radio in the 30s, he presented it in such a way as to not clearly identify that it was a work of fiction. He did it for the drama. And many people took the fictional news broadcast as a real news broadcast. People believed they were hearing an actual invasion from Mars that night. We are approaching the story in the same way, as if it were an actual news documentary."
, a famous Bed and Breakfast
(B&B) in Mukilteo, Washington.
's Rockstar Tour for his film Red State
.
The tour begins July 23, 2011 in Seattle, Washington
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
mock documentary film based on the 1898 novel The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds is an 1898 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells.The War of the Worlds may also refer to:- Radio broadcasts :* The War of the Worlds , the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles...
by H.G. Wells, directed by Timothy Hines
Timothy Hines
Timothy Hines is an American film director, writer and producer. Best known for his adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds, he has a background in directing television commercials and short films. In 1999, he founded the independent film production company Pendragon Pictures...
. It is a reboot
Reboot
Reboot can refer to:* Rebooting , an event sequence when restarting a computer* ReBoot, a Canadian CGI-animated television series* ReBoot , a video game based on the television series...
that loosely ties in with Hines' 2005 direct-to-DVD film H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds.
Concept
The film assumes Martians really did invade the EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in the year 1900 and the last living survivor had been filmed recalling his eyewitness account of the Martian
Martian (War of the Worlds)
The Martians, also known as the Invaders, are the fictional race of extraterrestrials from the H.G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds. They are the antagonists of the novel, and their efforts to exterminate the populace of Earth and claim the planet for themselves drive the plot and present...
invasion. The footage disappeared until 2006, when it was found in the basement vault of a condemned house. In the vault with the interviews were previously unknown footage of the actual Martian invaders and their ten-story-high machines of war.
The film plays on the 1938 Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
CBS radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
broadcast of War of the Worlds, by presenting itself as a true account of actual events. Director Timothy Hines
Timothy Hines
Timothy Hines is an American film director, writer and producer. Best known for his adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds, he has a background in directing television commercials and short films. In 1999, he founded the independent film production company Pendragon Pictures...
in reference to this technique "When Orson Welles broadcast War of the Worlds on the radio in the 30s, he presented it in such a way as to not clearly identify that it was a work of fiction. He did it for the drama. And many people took the fictional news broadcast as a real news broadcast. People believed they were hearing an actual invasion from Mars that night. We are approaching the story in the same way, as if it were an actual news documentary."
Production
Principal photography filmed at the Hogland HouseHogland House
The Hogland House is a historic Bed & Breakfast built in 1906, in Mukilteo, Washington.Photography for the 2011 film, War of the Worlds - The True Story was filmed at the Hogland House in early 2010....
, a famous Bed and Breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
(B&B) in Mukilteo, Washington.
Release
According to the production company's website, the film is scheduled for a July 2011 release, and will be available only in theaters on select weekends.U.S. & Canada Tour
The film is set to tour 50 cities in the U.S. and Canada. According to the films producers this distribution model is a response to the changing media landscape. Co-Producer Donvan Li, regarding the new release model “The opening weekends of movies is the only place there is any serious box office anymore. So we are focusing on the cream at the top. There will be no internet distribution whatsoever until the movie has played out its run. TV, Cable and the internet will still be there after all the people that want to see the movie on the big screen are given that chance. Of course, the digital distribution will be over a year from now.” Hines was inspired by Kevin SmithKevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
's Rockstar Tour for his film Red State
Red State (2011 film)
Red State is a 2011 American independent horror film written and directed by Kevin Smith, starring Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Stephen Root...
.
The tour begins July 23, 2011 in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.