10 hours of World War II in HD

Posted Nov 11, 2009 by Walt Belcher

Updated Nov 11, 2009 at 04:02 PM

World War II has never looked as vivid as it does on “WWII in HD,” the first-ever World War II documentary presented in full, immersive HD color.

Interviews with war veterans and thousands of hours of rare color footage were gathered from a two-year worldwide search.

The series tells the story of the war through the eyes of 12 Americans who lived it. It’s narrated by Emmy Award winner Gary Sinise and voiced by Justin Bartha, Rob Corddry, Tim DeKay, Mark Hefti, James Kyson Lee, Ron Livingston, LL Cool J, Rob Lowe, Josh Lucas, Jason Ritter, Amy Smart and Steve Zahn.

With a merging of genres, it’s a war documentary mixed with a feature film and a television drama series. “Everything is in-the-moment. The battles are as real as they can be, creating a visceral experience,” stated Frederic Lumiere, producer and director of WWII in HD. “This is presented as a billion-dollar Hollywood epic but better, because it’s real. We see what they saw, and we hear the soldiers’ thoughts through the voices of Hollywood’s top talents as their stories develop.”

“The contemporary interviews with the veterans are each treated like a scene in a film,” Lumiere said. “The aim is to keep the viewer captivated.”

The 10-hour series will premiere over five consecutive nights, Sunday through Thursday, from 9 to 11 p.m. on History Channel. To view the trailer for “WWII in HD,” visit History.com.