It would seem that the arrival of a replica Lancaster in New Zealand earlier this week is all part of Peter Jackson’s clever publicity strategy – keep everyone guessing, and then let information dribble out bit by bit. The superstar producer himself turned up at Hood aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, to see testing of some of the technology that his company is going to use in the remake of the Dambusters. There have been two separate reports in Wellington’s Dominion Post newspaper, here and here.
Jackson’s spokesperson confirmed that the casting and actual production is still some way off :
Matthew Dravitzki, a spokesman for Jackson, confirmed the movie was still in development stages, with work focusing on building the Lancasters and writing scripts.
Just when shooting will start is still under wraps and the movie is yet to be cast.
‘Right now we are having fun working on a number of different projects and have the luxury to make things at our own speed. We are yet to choose the location for the film’s shooting, and that is going to come down to wherever is most suitable for our needs.’
Yesterday’s mockup was also a chance to test new camera technology. ‘We are not shooting any scenes that are project-specific; this is about just keeping up with technology and trying new things.’
This relaxed atttitude would indicate that my prediction last year, that the film won’t hit our screens till 2011, is almost certain to come true.
Dambusters Blog 
“The movie has yet to be cast”. I’m sure this has already been considered by Mr Jackson et al. but to be accurate the cast will have to include a number of “accents”: English, obviously, but also Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and an American (Joe McCarthy).