Fledgling LA-based producers Madmedia Entertainment have hired Journey To The Center Of The Earth director Eric Brevig (pictured) to direct the Korean War drama 17 Days Of Winter.

The story charts the 1950 Chosin Reservoir battle, a brutal 17-day encounter in which 12,000 US Marines known today as the Chosin Few faced sub-zero temperatures and a Chinese enemy that outnumbered them ten to one.

17 Days Of Winter will shoot on location in Korea. Producer Charlotte Huggins and the executive producers are in talks with screenwriters and are eyeing a 2012 release.

In an unexpected move the Minister Of Culture, In Chon Yu, and the Chairman of the Korean Veterans Association, Se Hwan Park, have backed the project.

“We pledge our unconditional support, including making use of equipment, weapons, shooting sites and military assistants in Korea,” Park said. “It is our wish to be part of the process to educate and raise awareness throughout the world on the noble achievements and honorable sacrifice made by all Korean War veterans.”

“The story of this forgotten war needs to be told,” Brevig, whose upcoming credits include Yogi Bear for Warner Bros, said. “We now have the ability to tell it in an immersive, compelling way that does justice to the humanity exhibited under such inhumane circumstances.”

“The state of technology, the unprecedented popularity of the 3-D medium and the 60th anniversary of the Korean War have aligned to make this the perfect time to tell this incredible story of salvation,” Madmedia founder Jayson Won, who will serve as executive producer, said.

Brian Iglesias, a decorated Marine Captain and director of the documentary Chosin, will also serve as executive producer.

Topics