David Ayer is currently in negotiations to direct a tank epic entitled El-Alamein, based on a true story involving a series of bloody battles in the deserts of North Africa between German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and Bernard Montgomery, commander of the Britain’s Eighth Army. According to Deadline, the script will be written by David Self and James Coyne. Di Bonventura Pictures’ Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian are slated to produce with Thomas Augsberger with production set to commence in early 2020.
Lionsgate has had a history with David Ayer over the years. The director previously helped another WWII tank film- 2014’s Fury starring Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman and Shia Labeouf-and recently completed an urban crime drama called The Tax Collector which he was credited for writing. Aside from Ayer’s work with Lionsgate, the director’s previous entries include the Netflix film Bright and Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad, neither of which were received positively.
El-Alamein‘s premise surrounds the aftermath of the British defeating the Italian battalion in North Africa, prompting Germany to commission General Rommel to lead a strike east along the North African coast. This strike, aimed to seize the Suez Canal, then routes the British Army to meet the Germans for a showdown in “El-Alamein,” keeping them occupied long enough to prevent the Germans from overtaking Egypt. No further information was given about this film.
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