Kitty Hawk – A Wright Brothers Movie [DREAMCAST]

It has been 120 years since the first powered flight began in Kitty Hawk. Many would have this as the birth of aviation, and within ten years, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts have mastered the Wright brothers’ designs into machines of war and peacetime. It creates such a story of seeing how one’s inventions have changed the world.

Naturally, this would be a great biopic to explore in a movie. This article will delve into the ideas for a Wright Brothers movie. Most importantly, we’ll find the right actors for the role.

Format

If Kitty Hawk is made into a proper feature film, then it would be wise to focus on the moment of assembling the aircraft and testing it. It was reported that the flyer crashed several times before being airborne successfully for 12 Seconds.

If this is shot as a miniseries, this leaves more opportunities for the Wright brothers to explore their designs and study other engineers. A lot of people forget that flying machines such as balloons, gliders, and even zeppelins predate The Wright Brothers’ work. It was simply the issue of getting a lightweight engine that became the big issue with powered flight.

A miniseries also allows you to explore their lives after their historic first flight. The oldest brother Wilbur died of typhoid In 1912, while Orville survived into 1948. It would be remarkable to have a personal witness to how his inventions led to both grand achievements And destruction, having witnessed both world wars and the beginning of jet power. It would be fascinating to see what was going through his mind all these years.

The Flight Sequences

This can be done by imposing the actors on a green screen. However, for the actual sequences, it’s impossible not to have a fully functioning prop. There have been functional reconstructed replicas of the Wright flyer built with an experienced stunt pilot it can absolutely be replicated without CGI. Plus it’s made of wood and canvas, so it’s not that expensive to reproduce.

No doubt, some may ask whether or not this can be done at Kittyhawk itself. However, the place is not the same as it was a century ago. There’s a museum there now dedicated to its historic flight, and it has way more vegetation. It would be wise to find a location on the east coast with a similar environment on that day.

Our Dreamcast

Casting this film is a challenge is always difficult to find an actor that looks 100% like their real-life counterpart. For the Sake of wrapping in famous or rising stars, he is a few that would go great for either brother.

There has to be a dynamic for both brothers as one is cautious and analytical while the other is daring and wants to take the extra steps.

Here are a few actors for each brother that would portray their dynamic.

Wilbur Wright – Jude Law

The older brother Wilbur is and was the one who launched the craft of the track and recorded its timing on the ground. In that context, it’s safe to say he’s the mind behind this test.  Wilbur won the first coin toss but lifted too high before crashing. It took three days to repair the flyer for another round.

Orville Wright – Henry Cavill

Orville was the one at the controls on the first flight. This requires an actor who has little fear in facing the likelihood he could fall to his death. Someone who had seen the years wither on him when he witnessed aviation’s advancements reach the era of jet and rocket-powered flight era before his death in 1948. 

Both Wilder and Orville did a coin toss to see which person would be at the controls. Considering that Orville was piloting that craft and lived on for so long, it makes sense that he would be the main protagonist, at least the one with the most focus in this story.