Midway (2019 film)
| Midway | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Roland Emmerich |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Wes Tooke |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
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| Cinematography | Robby Baumgartner |
| Edited by |
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Production company |
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| Distributed by | Lionsgate |
Release date |
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Running time | 138 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $100 million[1] |
| Box office | $38 million[2][3] |
Midway is a 2019 American war film based on the attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent Battle of Midway during World War II. Directed by Roland Emmerich, who produced the film with Harald Kloser, and written by Wes Tooke, the film features an ensemble cast, including Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, Tadanobu Asano and Woody Harrelson.
A passion project of Emmerich's, he had trouble getting financial support for the film before finally fundraising most of the budget and officially announcing it in 2017. Much of the cast joined in summer 2018 and filming began in Hawaii that September, also taking place in Montreal. With a production budget of $100 million, it is one of the most expensive independent films of all-time.
Midway was theatrically released by Lionsgate in the United States on November 8, 2019. It received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $38 million worldwide.
Contents
Plot[edit]
A few years before the start of World War II the US Naval attache in Tokyo and his counterpart discuss the US and Japanese positions in the Pacific Ocean during a state function. Isoroku Yamamoto quietly informs intelligence officer Edwin T. Layton that they will take action if their oil supplies are threatened. on the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese used their carrier fleet to strike at Pearl Harbor. The attack leads the US to enter World War II. Shortly thereafter, a command shake-up occurs at Pearl Harbor as Admiral Chester Nimitz assumes command of the badly damaged US Pacific Fleet. Layton speaks with Nimitz over his failure to convince Washington of the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. Nimitz instructs him to stick to his guns in the next battle with Washington so as to avoid a repeat of the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor.
In April 1942, following the Doolittle Raid, the Japanese turn their attention to the Coral Sea. Meanwhile, Joseph Rochefort and his cryptologist team begin intercepting messages concerning a location the Japanese identify as "AF". Layton speaks with Nimitz, who informs him that Washington believes "AF" to be a target in the Aleutians. Layton disagrees, believing the intended target to be Midway Atoll. After meeting with Rochefort, Nimitz instructs the team to find a way to definitively prove that "AF” is Midway. After Layton instructs Midway to telegraph in the clear (unencrypted) that they are suffering a water shortage, cryptologists working for Rochefort intercept Japanese communications concerning water shortages on “AF” - thus confirming that "AF" is Midway. In preparation for an ambush of the Japanese fleet, Nimitz orders carriers Hornet and Enterprise recalled from the Coral Sea and demands that the damaged Yorktown be made ready for combat operations within 72 hours.
On June 4, the Japanese launch an air attack against Midway. Initial attempts by US aircraft to strike at the Japanese fleet carriers fails, no aircraft succeeds in striking a carrier. Nautilus, a US submarine, successfully locates and attacks an enemy carrier but the torpedo miss its target. Admiral Chūichi Nagumo orders Arashi to keep the submarine pinned down so that the carriers can escape. Meanwhile, US carrier planes are launched in an effort to destroy the Japanese carriers. After reaching the last known location of the Japanese fleet the US forces discover the carriers have moved. Upon spotting Arashi, the Commander of the Air Group (CAG) of the Enterprise, C. Wade McClusky, correctly infers the Japanese destroyer is rushing back to the main Japanese fleet and leads his planes to follow its course.
Meanwhile, Admiral Nagumo learns of the presence of the US fleet and orders his men to rearm his planes for anti-ship attack. As his personnel switch out the aircraft ordinance the US carrier planes abruptly appear. Anti aircraft fire from ships and Japanese planes combined with evasive maneuvers initially keeps the carriers safe, however Enterprise squadron commanders C. Wade McClusky and Richard Halsey Best successfully lead their planes to breach the anti-aircraft fire and destroy the Japanese carriers Kaga and Akagi, and squadrons from the Yorktown destroy the Sōryū. Attempting to salvage the battle, Hiryū commanded by Tamon Yamaguchi attempts to rally the remaining Japanese aircraft for an assault against the US carriers. Locating Yorktown, the Japanese bomb and disable the carrier.
Upon returning to Enterprise, Best receives word that about half of his squadron is either missing or destroyed. Informed that there is a surviving Japanese carrier, Best rallies what pilots he can and sets off to attack Hiryu. Japanese anti-aircraft fire fails to stop the attack, and Best scores a critical hit that destroys Hiryu. Raymond Spruance, informed of the destruction of the last Japanese carrier, decides to withdraw for the night rather than press his luck. Informed of the loss of his carriers in battle, Admiral Yamamoto orders his fleet to withdraw from the battle rather than risk his battleships without sufficient air cover, thus bringing the Battle of Midway to a close. In Pearl Harbor, Rochefort intercepts the Japanese order to withdraw and passes it to Layton, who then informs Nimitz and his staff of Yamamoto's decision to withdraw, and by extension the US victory in the Battle of Midway, followed by a coda depicting the fate of the various participants as well as Japanese reprisals after the battle.
Cast[edit]
Allies[edit]
Japanese[edit]
| Actor | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tadanobu Asano | Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi | Commander, 2nd Carrier Division |
| Etsushi Toyokawa iii | Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto | Commander-in-chief, Combined Fleet |
| Jun Kunimura | Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo | Commander, 1st Air Fleet (Kido Butai) |
| Peter Shinkoda | Captain Minoru Genda | Air Operations Officer, 1st Air Fleet |
| Nobuya Shimamoto | Captain Tomeo Kaku | Commanding Officer, Hiryū |
| Hiro Kanagawa | Commander Isamu Fujita | Commanding Officer, Makigumo |
| Ken Takikawa | Lieutenant Takashi Moroishi | Torpedo Officer (XO), Makigumo |
| Hiromoto Ida | General Hideki Tojo | Prime Minister of Japan |
| Hiroaki Shintani | Emperor Hirohito | Emperor of Japan |
| Ryuta Kato | Japanese Junior Officer (Yamat) | Junior Officer, Hiryū |
Civilians[edit]
| Actor | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mandy Moore | Anne Best | Dick Best's wife |
| Rachael Perrell Fosket | Dagne Layton | Eugene Layton's wife |
| Geoffrey Blake | John Ford | Film director stationed at Midway Island |
| Dean Schaller | Jack MacKenzie | Ford's cameraman |
| Christie Brooke | Millicent McClusky | Wade McClusky's wife |
Production[edit]
On May 23, 2017, it was reported that Roland Emmerich would be directing the World War II film Midway.[5] Due to its potential lofty budget (with estimates putting its needed cost at $125 million), Emmerich had trouble getting the film greenlit. When no major studio would bankroll the project, he cut down on potential battle sequences and turned to individuals for the funds, resulting in $76 million; he then got an additional $24 million in equity, mostly from Chinese investors, resulting in the film's $100 million budget. It is one of the most costly independent films ever made.[1] Emmerich has previously attempted to mount the film at Sony Pictures in the '90s, with William Goldman becoming interested in the project. However, as with the final rendition, executives balked at the proposed $100 million budget, and Emmerich moved on to direct The Patriot.[6]
In April 2018, Woody Harrelson and Mandy Moore joined the ensemble cast for the film.[7] In July 2018, Luke Evans was cast in the film to play Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his role in the Battle of Midway.[8] Robby Baumgartner was hired as cinematographer.[9] August saw the additions of Patrick Wilson,[10] Ed Skrein,[11] Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Tadanobu Asano, Dennis Quaid, and others to the cast.[12] Darren Criss, Alexander Ludwig, and Brandon Sklenar were cast in September.[13][14][15] Filming began on September 5, 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was also shot in Montreal, Quebec.[9]
In November 2018, it was announced that VFX company Scanline VFX will be the main VFX vendor, and that Pixomondo had signed on to provide additional visual effects.
Release[edit]
The film was released on November 8, 2019, Veteran’s Day weekend.[16]
Marketing[edit]
A teaser poster for the film was released on June 4, 2019, which was also the 77th anniversary of the Battle of Midway.[17] A set of 13 still photographs depicting scenes from the film was released on June 26, 2019, and the first trailer for the film was released the following day (June 27).[18] The second and final trailer of the film was released on September 12, 2019, with the film's theatrical poster on September 25.[19][20] All-in-all, Lionsgate spent around $40 million promoting the film.[21]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
As of November 12, 2019[update], Midway has grossed $21.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $16.9 million on other territories, for a worldwide total of $38 million.[3]
In the United States and Canada, Midway was released alongside Doctor Sleep, Playing with Fire and Last Christmas, and was projected to gross around $15 million from 3,242 theaters in its opening weekend.[22][23] The film made $6.3 million on its first day (including $925,000 from Thursday night previews). It went on to debut to $17.5 million, upsetting Doctor Sleep and finishing first at the box office.[21][24]
Critical response[edit]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 42% based on 112 reviews, with an average rating of 5.21/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Midway revisits a well-known story with modern special effects and a more balanced point of view, but its screenplay isn't quite ready for battle."[25] on Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[26] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 4 out of 5 stars, with 58% saying they would definitely recommend it.[21]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Jump up to: a b McClintock, Pamela (8 November 2019). "Box Office: 'Midway' Downs 'Doctor Sleep' in Surprise Upset". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Midway (2019)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Midway (2019)". The Numbers. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
- ^ "Jake Manley: Interview". A Book of Magazine. May 18, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
- ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (May 23, 2017). "Bona Film Group Stakes $80M on Roland Emmerich/Mark Gordon WWII Battle Pic 'Midway:' Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ Donnelly, Matt (31 October 2019). "Roland Emmerich Just Made a $100 Million Indie Film. Will It Work?". Variety.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 2, 2018). "Roland Emmerich's WWII Epic 'Midway' Sets Sail With Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore & AGC Studios — Cannes Hot Pic". Deadline. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
- ^ Kit, Borys (July 3, 2018). "Luke Evans Joins Roland Emmerich's Naval Action Movie 'Midway' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Marc, Christopher (July 24, 2018). "Roland Emmerich's WWII Epic 'Midway' Adds 'The Guest' Cinematographer - GWW". thegww.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (August 8, 2018). "Patrick Wilson Boards Roland Emmerich's 'Midway'". Deadline.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (August 9, 2018). "Ed Skrein Joins Roland Emmerich's World War II Film 'Midway' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (August 10, 2018). "Roland Emmerich's 'Midway' Enlists Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Tadanobu Asano, Keean Johnson, Ahead Of Fall Shoot". Deadline.
- ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (September 12, 2018). "Emmy-Nominated 'Versace' Star Darren Criss Boards Roland Emmerich's 'Midway'". Deadline.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (September 13, 2018). "'Vikings' Star Alexander Ludwig Joins Roland Emmerich's 'Midway' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (September 19, 2018). "Brandon Sklenar Joins Roland Emmerich's 'Midway'; Tanner Beard Cast In 'We Summon The Darkness'". Deadline.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 5, 2018). "Roland Emmerich's WWII Epic 'Midway' To Open Veterans Day Weekend 2019". Deadline. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ Barber, James (June 4, 2019). "Take a First Look at This Fall's WWII Epic 'Midway'". Military.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- ^ Truitt, Brian. "Exclusive: Watch the first trailer for 'Midway,' Roland Emmerich's World War II epic". USA TODAY.
- ^ Hemmert, Kylie (September 12, 2019). "New Midway Trailer: The Courage of a Few Will Change the Fate of the World". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ Parlevliet, Mirko (September 25, 2019). "New Midway Poster: The Roland Emmerich Film Opening Nov. 8". Vital Thrills. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 10, 2019). "How 'Doctor Sleep' Went Into A Coma At The B.O. With Dreary $14M+ Opening, Following Surprise $17M+ Attack By 'Midway' – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 6, 2019). "'Doctor Sleep' Eyes $25M-$30M Box Office Start, Will Turn Out Lights on 'Terminator: Dark Fate'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ McNary, Denis (November 8, 2019). "Box Office: 'Midway' Could Defeat 'Doctor Sleep' With $21 Million". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
- ^ McNary, Denis (November 8, 2019). "Box Office: 'Midway' Could Defeat 'Doctor Sleep' With $21 Million". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
- ^ "Midway (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
- ^ "Midway (2019) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
External links[edit]
- 2019 films
- English-language films
- Films directed by Roland Emmerich
- Films scored by Harald Kloser
- American epic films
- American films
- American action drama films
- American historical films
- American war drama films
- 2010s action drama films
- 2010s war films
- 2010s historical films
- Action war films
- World War II films based on actual events
- Battle of Midway
- War films based on actual events
- Action films based on actual events
- Lions Gate Entertainment films
- Films set in the Pacific Ocean
- Films shot in Honolulu
- Films shot in Montreal
- War epic films
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