WASHINGTON, November 5 (RIA Novosti) – Boris Yeltsin, the grandson and namesake of Russia’s first president, is producing a movie titled “Night Witches” about female Soviet pilots during World War II and has recruited an award-winning Hollywood screenwriter to pen the screenplay, the US entertainment website Variety.com reported.
The project is based on the true story of Soviet female air regiments called “Night Witches” by terrified German troops who dreaded the deadly stealth of their aircraft.
Yeltsin, whom Variety describes as “very active” on the Hollywood scene, has recruited Gregory Allen Howard, the original screenwriter for the Muhammed Ali biopic “Ali,” to write the screenplay for Yeltsin’s production company Timedale Entertainment, Variety.com reported Monday.
“I’m in the inspiration business and this is, by far, one of the most inspirational, heroic stories I’ve ever come across,” Yeltsin told Variety. “I’m honored to be to be a part of it.”
Yeltsin added that he is “very excited” to move forward with the film.
“We have an opportunity to tell a great human interest story and give these WWII heroes the credit they deserve,” Variety quoted him as saying.