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Date	Original Topic
27th May 2004	There is in fact a new Zulu in the offing(Yay!) But.... By Michael Boyle ....It's not "our" Zulu (Boo! or Thank God! depending on your position).Shaka Zulu 2 is "in development" by an American studio according to www.showbizdata.com.(perhaps the source of recent rumors?) I rememeber taping and watching the original mini-series back in the late 80's but wasn't aware it had been re-made as a movie in the late 90's.It must have been reasonably successful for the producers to plan a sequel.(Though I hope they change the title; saying it rapidly three times brings, to my mind at least, the sound a Yank rooster may make while inebriated.)(No offense to the memory of the Great King Shaka). In my searchings to track the rumor I also ran across a DVD trilogy entitled "Zulu Wars" containing "Shaka,King of the Zulus","Blood River", and "Red Coat-Black Blood" at www.movieweb.com (the latter two, from what I could make out of the cover art, dealing with the AZW) Upon attempting to purchase this however there was a screen with information to the effect that the web site would soon be selling direct but in the mean time were selling through amazon.com where upon amazon.com basically said "News to Us!"So I'll try them again later.(From what little details given I think they may be produced from the Zulu perspective.Could be quite interesting). At any rate, has anyone ever heard of them? Michael Boyle By the way I'd like to congratulate Alan and Peter on the best looking, most informative web site I've ever visited and the most enjoyable, helpful( and no doubt to them,occaisonally trying) forum it's been my pleasure to read.I fully intend to do my bit in supporting them.(Hopefully starting with the purchase of The Red Book, if you still have any please e-mail at above as I've had no joy with contacting you from the orderpage.Thanks)
Date	Replies
27th May 2004	Michael Boyle Figures! With only five more pages to go in my reading of the archive yet another of my neophyte questions has been answered. (Realizing it's considered gauche to reply to one's own posting) Perhaps I could rephrase my question as to what the general consensus on these programs might be?
1st June 2004	Peter Critchley Hi Michael, Firstly, thank you very much for your warm sentiments! It's always nice to hear how much the site helps, and it certainly keeps us on our toes - We have developed the site to a level now where we are fortunate to have such a dedicated and intelligent community of like-minded individuals, who are certainly more versed than I on the events and the history. If you haven't already, you'll no doubt receive an email from Alan regarding the red book. As for a remake of Zulu, it is probably a timely question to ask, what with 'Troy' on general release here in the UK. I would be concerned by the tendancy to use CG to such an extent that the raw energy of the Stanley Baker classic would be lost... I think I agree with the camp that says that it's not needed, but I've no doubt that someone, at some time, will go ahead with a remake - It's just too good a story to never be retold in a different way.. Peter
1st June 2004	Marc Jung We shouldn't even dare ask for another 'Zulu', it'd bound to have an American commander this time! Very topical gag for this site, eh!
4th June 2004	Michael Boyle Hi Peter, My pleasure I do find this site terrific.As for a Zulu re-make I think if the new "Alamo" hadn't died at the box office here I would feel more confident.( the first-weekend reports all started with "No one Remembered The Alamo!") but, as you say with Troy" doing "Boffo" and the success of "Master and Commander" maybe there's a shot.(Maybe with Brad Pitt doing a California-Cockney accent.Of course Color Sgt. Bourne wouldn't be allowed to tell him to "Do up your tunic" because the women in the audience would't stand for it.) Actually I have no more desire to see a re-make of Zulu than Casablanca, but I would like to see a new theatrical treatment of the whole campaign.Most of the criticism of the original would be as manifest in a re-make because film requirements will never change. For a film to be successful you have to get the audience to CARE about the characters, and with only @2hrs. in which to do it.That's fine for drama or romantic comedy where they have the whole film to develop them but in a war film you have,by definition, to concentrate on action.That's why the original had to take liberties with the historical characters in order to make them more interesting. Which is a pity because I can't think a historical subject with more honestly interesting participants.(like the real C/S Bourne, a wet-behind-the-ears senior NCO known to his men as "the Kid", or the fact that the two battalions of the 24th only met for the first time the year before(unless I'm working from a dis-credited source),Bromhead's deafness etc. What I would much more like to see is a treatment along the lines of "Lord of the Rings" where you have @12 hrs., or "Band Of Brothers",the HBO mini-series.(Any producer types lurking out there?)
8th June 2004	Phil Pearce (R.Jonec V.C) Ye gads !! another bit of our history slaughtered!! They will probably turn it into a musical!! The cast.... Bromhead......Julian Clarey Chard............ Mr stalone Ms Witt..........Jordan Rev Witt.........Graham Norton Then half way through the Zulu will produce automatic weapons & hand to air rocket launchers. Then just as our boys think its all over the Yanks will ride over the hill to save them . Late as bloody usual ,two years for WW1 and the same for WW2!!!