With the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War arriving on April 12th, The History Channel is naturally planning to commemorate the anniversary of such a…well, you know, historical event. The plan is a programming lineup that runs for a week, and occurring every four years to coincide with the time-frame of the war itself. So, how does this tie into films? As it turns out, Ridley and Tony Scott will be producing a new film for the channel, titled Gettysburg.

EntertainmentWeekly lets us know that the made-for-television movie “promises to strip away the romanticized veneer of the war and present the engagement as ‘a visceral, terrifying experience’.” The process used to accomplish the movie will combine reenactment footage and CGI, while putting its main focus on the soldiers on the ground.

Ridley released a statement about the project, and he’s quoted as saying “History is the perfect partner for us to tell the epic true story of Gettysburg,” and that they’re “excited to bring this battle to audiences in a powerful new way.” I’m a big sucker for history, so the movie has me naturally interested, and I like the idea of mixing practical and digital elements. However, The History Channel doesn’t exactly have the best history of recreating historical events through CGI, but maybe the involvement of the Scott brothers will help it look tolerable.

What do you think about this project? Any interest in a film about the Civil War?