“Harry Potter” star Tom Felton is shedding his Hogwarts robes -- and his British accent -- for his next role, as an American Navy pilot in the upcoming World War II drama “Ghosts of the Pacific.”
The actor, who portrayed Slytherin student and Harry Potter nemesis Draco Malfoy in the series, will get to play a hero this time, in the role of real-life bombardier Tony Pastula. Pastula was stranded in the South Pacific in 1942 alsongside pilot Harold Dixon and radioman Gene Aldrich after the trio abandoned their damaged scouting plane. They ended up adrift on a 4-foot-by-8-foot raft for 34 days with no food, water, or supplies.
“I've always been attracted to true stories that showcase ordinary people in extraordinary situations,” said Joe Ricketts, the film's executive producer. “The men in ‘Ghosts of the Pacific' faced seemingly insurmountable odds and yet they never gave up. They were America's first heroes of the Pacific war.”
Garret Dillahunt, who appeared in last summer's “Looper,” will play veteran pilot Dixon. Aldrich will be portrayed by Jake Abel, star of “The Host” and the upcoming “Percy Jackson: Sea Monsters.” The film is expected to start shooting next week at Mexico's Baja Studios, the same sprawling water tank facility used to shoot “Titanic.” Here's hoping this film has a happier ending.
[via HitFix]
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