19 July 2002

Village Roadshow production stars Benjamin Bratt, James Franco and Joseph Fiennes, directed by John Dahl

Australia - Thursday July 18, 2002- Miramax, together with Village Roadshow Productions announced today the commencement of principal photography on The Great Raid in Queensland, Australia.

Directed by John Dahl and based on the original manuscript by acclaimed military historian William B. Breuer, Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, and Joseph Fiennes, star in the film.

Set in the Philippines in 1945, The Great Raid is based on actual events and tells the story of the 6th Ranger Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci who undertake a daring rescue mission against all odds. Traveling 30 miles behind enemy lines, the 6th Ranger Battalion aims to liberate over 500 America prisoners-of-war from the notorious Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp in the most audacious rescue ever, men who thought they had been abandoned, Soldiers who called themselves the Ghosts of Bataan.

Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein, Jon Gordon and Michelle Raimo will serve as Executive Producers for Miramax. Marty Katz (The Four Feathers, Reindeer Games, Lost in America, Titanic) and Lawrence Bender (Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, Goodwill Hunting, Pulp Fiction) will produce.

John Dahl's directorial credits include Red Rock West, The Last Seduction, Kill Me Again, Unforgettable, and Rounders.

Benjamin Bratt, whose acting credits include After The Storm, Red Planet, Traffic, Pinero and more recently Abandon, stars as COLONEL MUCCI.

Franco (CAPTAIN PRINCE), featured as Harold "Harry" Osborne in this year's blockbuster Spiderman, He also toplines in Sonny, directed by Nicholas Cage and stars along side Robert De Niro in City By The Sea.

Joseph Fiennes whose credits include Shakespeare in Love, Elizabeth and who recently teamed up with Heather Graham in Killing Me Softly plays MAJOR GIBSON.

Australians Robert Mammone (McLeod's Daughters, The Crossing, Vertical), Sam Worthington (Bootmen, Dirty Deeds, HartWar), Craig McLachlan and Natalie Mendoza head up the Australian actors.

The Great Raid commenced Principal Photography on July 4th and will shoot over 14 weeks in locations in and around the Gold Coast, including Bribie Island, Pimpana, Coomera and Tamborine.

Minister for the Arts Matt Foley commented today on the benefits of bringing a feature of this scale to Queensland.

"The Great Raid is the first of what we trust will be many more Miramax feature films to be shot in Queensland," he said. Films such as this boost the economy and provide work for the local industry. This project also reinforces Queensland's international reputation as a preferred filming location."

The final two weeks of filming will take place in Shanghai, China, with principal photography scheduled to conclude on October 23.