As WWII reaches a crescendo, two young airmen - an atheist B-17 navigator and a devout German fighter pilot downed in the mountains of eastern France - forge an inseparable bond when they undertake a daring rescue mission neither can possibly survive.

SYNOPSIS:

THE LAST MISSION

Tone & Style: Searing action-packed thriller filled with constant danger, terrifying combat, Christian mysticism and a highly combustible friendship between two young airmen on opposite sides of the war. And while the tone is dark and foreboding, there are many amusing moments of gallows humor, sly cunning, clumsy misunderstandings and young adult love. The turbulent and wildly unpredictable story is filled with horrific violence, fierce winter landscapes, daring escapes and breathtaking heroics as two young men from very different worlds fight a desperate battle against impossible odds to keep each other alive and answer a divine calling that plays far above period war movies and will deeply connect with audiences everywhere.

The thrilling aerial combat and close camaraderie of MASTERS OF THE AIR and MEMPHIS BELLE, the behind enemy lines tension of WHERE EAGLES DARE, the harsh winter conditions of BAND OF BROTHERS, the dry wartime humor of MAS*H and the religious devotion of HACKSAW RIDGE combine in a deeply moving and highly cinematic saga of two young enemies who risk it all for each other and undertake a divine mission that puts their lives in the hands of God.

Story Overview: The D-Day invasion in June has been spectacularly successful. Paris has been liberated and the Germans are on the run. And despite heavy fighting, Allied forces are methodically moving across France and pushing the Germans out of territory they’ve controlled for over four years.

The American Army-Air Force and the British RAF, both based in England, are relentlessly bombing Germany back to the Stone Age, the Americans by day and the British by night. The risks to the bomber squadrons is still extremely high, but the tide of the air war is turning and the once-vaunted German Luftwaffe is struggling to blunt the thousands of sorties being flown against them every day.

As Christmas approaches, many see light at the end of the tunnel. But the light is an illusion. Deep in The Ardennes forest of Belgium, the Germans are about to launch a massive counterattack that will take the Allies by complete surprise and end any hopes of a quick end to the war. And for the brave soldiers and airmen slugging it out on the ground and in the skies, they’re about to enter a hell worse than anything they ever imagined.

Main Characters:

Lt. Jack Prescott: B-17 Navigator, age 21. Ivy League smart, highly dependable, devoutly atheist and the only college man in his crew. Can’t wait to log his 30th mission so he can punch his ticket home, go back to Dartmouth, finish his degree and become an architect. But something’s got him spooked. A voice inside is telling him this last mission will be the last thing he ever does. Fighting his fear, he’s terrified of becoming the worst thing a soldier can be: a coward.

Maj. Erich von Langenburg: Boyish Luftwaffe Squadron Leader and devout Catholic son of one of Germany’s oldest aristocratic families, age 21. Carries himself with the dignity and grace of an angel and hears God’s voice at the strangest times. Plays Bach like he wrote it and knows history like he’s lived it. Eager for the war to end so he can finish his medical degree and become a doctor, but fears he’ll never make it. Erich’s lessons in bravery, courage and faith change Jack’s life and are the driving force of the story.

Marie Dubois: Bright, brave and resourceful schoolteacher of a dozen children, age 21. Asks Jack and Erich to help rescue her brother Francois from the Gestapo – a mission Erich gallantly accepts to Jack’s chagrin. Marie and Erich fall in love and certain he’s on a mission for God, helps keep them safe. But when she and the children are taken across the Rhine into Germany as hostages to smoke Jack and Erich out, the divine mission to save them is revealed.

Capt. Dale Peters: Pilot of B-17 bomber Diamond Lil, age 23. A steady, natural born leader from Ohio. Highly respected by his superiors and crew and when he gives an order, it’s followed to the letter. Remarkably cool under fire, his top priorities are to complete every mission as directed and get his crew home safely. Takes nothing for granted and constantly reminds his guys to stay sharp and expect the unexpected. Easy-going on the ground but all business in the air.

Lt. Mike Nichols: Co-pilot of Diamond Lil and second in command, age 21. A brash Texan with a quick temper and a mouth to match. Jealous of Jack being one mission ahead of the rest of the crew in the Holy Grail quest to reach 30 and his taunts cross the line from good-natured ribbing to questioning Jack’s loyalty to the crew – which only serves heighten Jack’s already deep anxiety about surviving his last mission.

Lt. Dick Ruthven: Bombardier of Diamond Lil and Jack’s closest friend, age 21. A California surfer boy whose Hollywood looks and easy-going charm have made him a legendary ladies man and earned the moniker “Sir Dick.” The best bombardier in the squadron, he takes care of his precious Norden Bombsight like it’s the Crown Jewels and the plexiglas enclosed bubble in the nose of the plane is his domain – right next to Jack’s Navigator’s alcove.

Konrad: Beloved Luftwaffe Sergeant and Erich’s loyal manservant, age 55. Proud member of a line of caretakers who have served the von Langenburg family for four generations, he accompanies Erich into the war in the best tradition of Old World Europe. Concerned about Erich’s increasingly vivid visions of God, which he interprets as omens of death. Reunites with Erich and joins him and Jack on their divine mission to save Marie and the children, performing heroically.

Major Richter: Ruthless SS commander, age 40. With the Allies closing in, he’s desperate to tighten his grip on the Resistance and puts a price on Erich’s head after he and Jack rescue Marie’s brother in a masterpiece of disguise and deception. A hard-boiled Nazi who resents Erich’s aristocratic heritage, he knows that taking Marie and the children hostage will provoke Erich’s instincts for chivalry and gallantry. And it works like a charm – until Jack saves the day.

Father Joubert: Stalwart Jesuit priest, Resistance member and head of a medieval monastery, age 60. He shelters Erich and Jack and when Erich is captured by Richter, Joubert encourages Jack to open his heart to God’s calling and save Erich. With the divine mission now revealed to Erich and Jack, Joubert gives them the monastery’s hot air balloon to sail across the Rhine at night, find Marie and the children and get them to safety. Erich devises a daring rescue plan that can’t possibly succeed – or can it?

SYNOPSIS

Upper Montclair, New Jersey. October, 1965. Jack Prescott, 42, is at the top of his game. Prominent architect, oozing with confidence and head of a typical “Leave It To Beaver” family with a stylish wife and two rambunctious teenage kids who love The Beatles and high school football. But as Jack rides the train into Manhattan, we sense he’s haunted by the memory of something buried deep in his past that he just can’t forget. And as we study the two faces of Jack Prescott mirrored in window’s reflection, it seems that his soul lies in a no-man’s land somewhere in between.

As Jack sits at his desk overlooking the Chrysler Building, a package arrives from Heidelberg, Germany – a postmark that brings a smile. But not for long. Inside are two items that once saved his life: a bloodstained escape map used by Allied airmen in WWII, and a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, Germany’s highest military honor. The letter from Erich’s wife Marie says that Erich has died suddenly, and as a heartbroken Jack turns and gazes out the windows, the haunting memories come flooding back.

London. December, 1944. The end of the war in Europe is in sight as Navigator Jack Prescott, 21, and the boisterous crew of Diamond Lil celebrate in an underground dance hall. As the guys dance with a bevy of English girls, Peters is told they have a mission tomorrow and sends Nichols to round up the crew. No one’s happy about it, but orders are orders. On the way back to their base, we learn that Jack has flown 29 missions, one more than the rest of the crew. And since 30 is the magic number, Jack can punch his ticket home after this one. Nichols accuses Jack of bailing out on them and while Peters and Ruthven know that’s ridiculous, the accusation stings and heightens Jack’s anxiety about his last mission.

The next morning, the squadrons are given their target: Stuttgart, deep in southwest Germany. But the surprise German counteroffensive in The Ardennes has diverted their fighter escorts, leaving the B-17s vulnerable to Luftwaffe attack. It’s the worst possible news. With one mission left, they’ll be sitting ducks. But orders are orders. The one thing Jack can’t do is show any sign of fear or cowardice, even if it’s eating him alive. They’re all in this together: all for one and one for all.

As Diamond Lil prepares for takeoff, we get an up-close look at each man’s job, distinct personality and how they work as a well-oiled team.[ Peters and Nichols in the cockpit; Skip Jackson on the top turret gun directly above them; Ruthven in the Bombardier’s bubble at the nose of the plane; Jack in the navigator’s alcove just behind Ruthven; Jimmy Benson in the Radio Room; Sal Rizzo in the Ball Turret under the plane; Waist Gunners Nick Andrakis and Paddy Sullivan in the middle behind the wings; and Tail Gunner Homer Smith.] The pre-flight checks completed, flares go up and 60 B-17s roar down the runway and take to the air.

Meanwhile at a remote Luftwaffe base deep in the Black Forest, boyishly handsome Major Erich von Langenburg, 21, the devout son of one of Germany’s oldest aristocratic families and commander of a small squadron of young pilots, awakens in his cozy bungalow and tells Konrad about a mystical dream he had, flying through the air on the wings of angels. But his rapture turns to horror when he learns of Hitler’s counteroffensive in The Ardennes, knowing it will needlessly prolong the war and kill hundreds of thousands more. All he wants is to return to university and finish his medical degree, but now he fears he’ll never make it. In spite of this, Erich shows a brave face to his young pilots, knowing how much they depend on his leadership as they struggle to fight the waves of Allied bombers raining death and destruction every day on an increasingly battered Germany.

The B-17s’ long flight across France is smooth, but when they cross the Rhine they’re met by heavy flak. Several planes go down and as Lil weathers the storm, Ruthven drops his bombs on the target and Peters heads for home, congratulating Jack on his 30th. But Jack’s not celebrating. His hands are shaking so badly he can barely chart their course. It’s a long way home and the B-17s will be sitting ducks without escorts.

As the Me-109s are fueled, Erich hears the sound of Bach’s “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden” sung by a heavenly choir coming from an old Ju 52 transport plane and knows that God is sending him a message. Suddenly the phone rings and Erich’s squadron is sent to intercept the B-17s. The young pilots are reluctant to go up, but orders are orders. Erich tells them to trust in God and do the best they can.

As the B-17s cross into France, the 109s knife through the squadron and firing at will. Diamond Lil is hit and an engine catches fire and as the crew fires back with everything they’ve got, Erich’s plane is hit. Suddenly a heavenly light surrounds his plane and as a divine hand takes control, Erich knows God has chosen him for a holy mission.

Jack and Ruthven man their guns. It’s all hands on deck. Suddenly a 109 comes in flying straight at Diamond Lil. Jack abandons his gun in terror – a shocking act of cowardice and a gross dereliction of duty – and ducks into his alcove and as Ruthven and the crew keep firing, the 109 explodes and the engine and propeller smash into Lil head-on a 400 mph, jolting the plane with devastating force.

Diamond Lil stays airborne, but the aftermath is horrific. The Bombardier bubble and Ruthven are gone. Peters and Nichols are dead in their seats. Jackson is dead in the top turret. Benson, Rizzo, Andrakis, Sullivan and Smith are all dead. A ferocious wind blasts in and as Jack comes to, he screams for everyone to bail out but there’s no answer. Suddenly the plane starts to dip. Clutching his wounded shoulder and knowing it’s now or never, Jack inches his way to a hole in the fuselage, grips his parachute cord, pushes his legs through and is sucked out of the plane like a ragdoll.

A fierce battle rages in The Vosges, a bleak mountainous region of eastern France as Jack lands in a field of tall winter grass. Suddenly Erich darts in gripping a Luger. Jack sees Erich’s Iron Cross and is terrified, but Erich says he’s here to save him and as bullets whiz overhead they stumble through the grass, reach a tree line and vanish into the woods.

Jack is in bad shape, clutching his shoulder and wracked with guilt over his cowardice and the death of his crew. Taking charge and using his nascent medical skills, Erich gives Jack a shot of morphine and as Jack passes out, Erich removes a jagged piece of shrapnel from Jack’s shoulder, puts his arm in a sling, wraps him in his parachute and builds a fire so Jack can sleep it off.

Moving through the woods, Erich plunders the corpses of several German soldiers for machine guns, ammo and grenades. And when they reach the remains of a downed British bomber, Erich goes inside and comes back out wearing the uniform and dog tags of a British airman. Jack is shocked, but Erich sets him straight. They are surrounded by German and American forces and the Resistance and pro-German Milice. If they’re captured, one or both of them will be shot. He has a much better chance as a Brit and like it or not, they’re in this together and must keep each other alive because God has sent him on a mission and he’s certain Jack’s part of it.

But first, they need to get their bearings. Jack is torn about befriending the enemy and skeptical about Erich’s so-called mission, but he’s in no condition to go it alone. Jack’s also worried about being labeled a deserter, but Erich laughs it off. “The war is almost over. We’ve both served our countries well. What we must do now is stay alive and do God’s Will because he has saved us both for a reason.” Persuaded by Erich’s argument, Jack pulls out his compass and escape map, bloodstained from his wound and sees Switzerland 60 miles south through frozen snowy terrain. Having no other options, the two young airmen set off on a perilous journey having no idea what to expect.

Jack and Erich’s relationship is highly complex. Jack is smart, but Erich is otherworldly and wise beyond his years. He seems to know everything about history, philosophy and music like he’s lived a hundred lives and it quickly gets on Jack’s nerves. One night at an abandoned farmer’s cottage, Erich baits Jack into an explosive rage, only to say he was testing Jack to see if he was tough enough for what lies ahead. And when Jack, a staunch atheist, asks what this “holy fucking mission” is, Erich simply says it will be revealed. Jack accuses Erich of thinking he’s some crazy warrior angel and Erich doesn’t deny it.

Jack and Erich start growing closer. Wrapped in blankets and looking like monks on a pilgrimage, they reach a bombed-out town like the one in “Saving Private Ryan,” littered with dead German and American soldiers and tanks. They enter a church and when Erich steps into the confessional, he’s stunned to meet Marie Dubois, a brave young schoolteacher whose brother Francois, a Resistance leader, has been captured by the Gestapo.

Erich and Marie are instantly drawn to each other’s strong faith and good looks and when Marie asks for their help, Erich gallantly offers their services, believing Marie has been sent by God. Jack balks at the prospect of taking on the Gestapo, but afraid of being called a coward by Erich, he reluctantly agrees to go along with the plan. They pile onto an abandoned German motorcycle with a sidecar and Marie takes them to a mountain ski cabin where Erich and Jack will be safe and makes arrangements for freeing Francois.

Disguised as a steely Gestapo Major and a cold-blooded SS Sergeant wearing a Erich’s Knight’s Cross, Erich and Jack bluff their way into Gestapo headquarters and whisk the brutally tortured Francois away and into the hands of the Resistance. But when SS Major Richter finally realizes what’s happened, Marie and her schoolchildren are taken hostage and trucked across the Rhine to Germany.

When Marie fails to appear at the cabin, Erich senses trouble. A squad of Milice storm the cabin but Erich and Jack ambush them and after a ferocious midnight firefight, Erich and Jack escape and ski down the valley to the safety of a medieval monastery. But their victory is short-lived when Father Joubert tells them Marie and the children have been kidnapped and taken across the Rhine in reprisal.

Without telling Jack, Erich sneaks back into town and surrenders himself to Richter in exchange for Marie and the children’s’ lives. A frantic Jack asks Joubert where Erich is and is told he’ll find his answers in the chapel. As Jack prays for guidance for the first time in his life, God’s mission is revealed and Jack knows what he has to do.

As Erich is stood before a firing squad, suddenly Jack storms in like a one-man army and in a ferocious assault that kills Richter and a dozen soldiers, rescues Erich. Back at the monastery, Jack and Erich have an explosive argument about trust and sticking together. Jack accuses Erich of thinking he’s Jesus Christ and when Erich gives Jack his Knights Cross for bravery, Jack refuses to accept it. They both know what the holy mission is now but have no idea how to get to Germany until Joubert offers a surprising solution.

Crossing the Rhine at night in the monastery’s hot air balloon and guided by the escape map and compass, Jack and Erich land in the Black Forest near Erich’s fighter base. Erich reunites with the loyal Konrad, who thought Erich was dead and in a classic 007 heist, cut the 109’s fuel lines and steal the old Ju-52 transport plane marked with German crosses and swastikas.

Erich and Jack fly the rickety plane to a village near the border and as Konrad tricks a group of drunken soldiers into singing Christmas carols, Erich and Jack sneak into the church, free Marie and the children and in a thrilling getaway where Jack finds a courage he never knew he had, make it back to the plane and take to the air with Marie, Konrad and the children aboard flying straight down the Rhine to Switzerland, 60 miles away.

Laughing for the first time in days, Erich awards Jack his second Knights Cross. But the laughter dies quickly when they see the fuel gauge near Empty. Erich says they can make it as Jack’s fear starts rising again.

Suddenly an American P-51 streaks in with guns blazing. Erich dives to 800’, cuts his speed to 75 and orders Jack and Konrad to man the guns. As the P-51 banks around and comes in for the kill, Jack remembers his cowardice on Diamond Lil and vows not to let it happen again. The children tumble and scream in terror and as the planes close in head-on and open fire, the P-51 explodes. Huge chunks of debris hurtle through the air and smash into the Ju-52 with terrific force.

Sub-zero wind blasts through the shattered windshield as Erich fights the wheel, his leather jacket ripped to shreds and his face covered in blood. Jack scrambles back into the copilot’s seat and as the right engine catches fire, the plane drops to 400’, the remaining two engines sputter and the plane starts to buck. Jack and Erich pulls the control wheels back with all their strength as a snow-covered hillside rushes up to meet them.

The plane hits with a deafening bang as Erich and Jack slam into the control wheels and snow blasts through the shattered windshield. The landing gear snaps and the engines die as the plane skids to a stop half-buried in snow, its propellers bent like paperclips and its right wing broken in half. A group of villagers and a Priest rush up the hill and are stunned to see 20 children stumbling out of the plane along with a pretty young woman, a crusty old Sergeant and two handsome but battered young pilots.

Jack and Erich have no idea where they are, but when their told they’re in Switzerland, a wave of relief washes over them. As the Swiss villagers take the children into their fold and the bells of Christmas Eve ring out, Erich lifts his bloodied head and squeezes Jack’s shoulder, awed by the feeling known only to those who have walked through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and survived. “We did it, Jack. We did it.”

Christmas Eve, 1965. Jack, his wife Laura and their teenage kids Susan and Jackie arrive in Heidelberg to spend Christmas with Marie and her teenage kids Kurt and Tilly. The kids instantly hit if off and share their love for The Beatles by singing “Michelle” and “Yesterday” in beautiful voices. But not everything is warm and fuzzy. Laura is concerned by how close Jack and Marie seem to be. And when Konrad walks in and embraces Jack in a mighty bear hug, Kurt and Tilly wonder how they could possibly know each other.

Suddenly Kurt recognizes Jack’s smile and grabs a beautiful framed photograph of young Erich, Jack and Marie at the Matterhorn, which has stood in a place of honor for decades, and races up to Jack. “You’re the Navigator! You saved father’s life during the war and were the bravest man he ever knew!” Laura tries to correct Kurt, saying Jack and Erich met well after the war when Jack was recuperating in a hospital. An awkward silence descends and when Laura realizes Jack, Marie and Konrad are hiding something, she demands to know the truth. Kurt wants to know the truth too, and his eyes well with tears as he says, “Father promised to tell him about it when I was older, but now I’ll never know.”

Kurt and Tilly start to cry and their emotions touch everyone. Jack, Marie and Konrad admit they’ve kept what happened a secret for 20 years because so many terrible things happened, things they’ve tried hard to forget. They were always afraid that too many questions would be raised, and no one needed to know.

But the time has finally come to face the past. And when Marie and Konrad urge Jack to tell the story, Jack realizes he has one last mission to complete – for himself and for Erich. As everyone gathers near the Christmas tree, Jack begins: “You’re father was an angel. He was touched by God more than any man I’ve ever known...It all happened just before Christmas in 1944. I was 21 years old, the same age as your father and not much older than you are now. I was the navigator on a B-17 stationed in England. It was going to be my last mission, and then I was going home.” As Jack continues, a beautiful figurine of the Archangel Michael gazes down from the top of the tree, bestowing his love and protection on both families.

Commercial Appeal:

Compelling Themes: The power of faith in wartime; enemies forging a reluctant friendship that becomes an unbreakable bond; cowardice under fire and the desperate quest for redemption; the mystical power of God and the strength of being part of something greater than yourself; the eternal power of love and the courage of those who fought so hard to keep the world free.

Incredible Cast: Dynamic and deeply drawn characters on both sides of the war, each with their own goals, desires, weaknesses and strengths; heroes, cowards, villains and saints all caught in a desperate conflict and struggling to stay alive; three young people from very different worlds who risk their lives for each other to pull off a miracle and achieve the impossible.

Cinematic Visuals: Breathtaking battles, stunning locations, sweeping vistas, majestic alpine landscapes and war-torn towns caught in the crossfire; heroic rescues, thrilling escapes, daring deceptions and shocking revelations; the intensity, desperation, resilience and heroism at the end of WWII, captured like few movies ever have; a 20 year arc of time that brings the dramatic events of the past into new and touching perspective.

Marketing Potential:

THE LAST MISSION’S unique and immensely powerful take on the WWII genre, throwing two bright and extremely different young men from opposite sides of the war together in a brutal environment that forces them to work together to stay alive while confronting and juxtaposing deeply held religious and atheist beliefs, should resonate with viewers around the world. The thrilling battle scenes, the compelling cast of characters and the mystical religious themes that surround the story give THE LAST MISSION a great chance to become one of the most powerful and moving war films ever made.

"A truly engaging story. The concept of two soldiers from opposing sides forging a relationship and surviving under extremely difficult circumstances delivers tense action sequences and compelling emotional moments. The stakes are very high and the script does an excellent job of presenting them." –The Black List. (Nicholl Finalist)