Reveille, World War II Drama, Uses Live Ammunition on Set Despite Controversy

At a time when real guns and live ammunition are getting banned from most movie and television productions, armorer Mike Burch is causing a stir in the industry by going the opposite route with the upcoming World War II drama Reveille. Of course, the idea of intentionally utilizing live ammo on a movie set is highly controversial, given what happened with cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in 2021. Even so, Burch and writer-director Michael Akkerman made the decision to use live ammo on the set of Reveille, though they insist that it was done under strict safety protocols and supervision from the armorer along with wardrobe advisors Brian McCallion and Samuel Niles.

“Michael Akkerman and I had many discussions about whether to use blanks or live rounds on set to convey the realism,” Burch explains in a statement. “There were many questions, rightfully so, but in the end, the actors gave consent and were comfortable using live ammunition for certain shots. When ‘cut’ was called, each actor was approached individually and other than putting the safety on, was instructed not to move until the firearm was cleared by myself, Brian, and Samuel.”

The armorer added, “It was honestly a little nerve-wracking, but everyone worked flawlessly together in making sure the firearms were cleared by at least three people before the actors arose from the ground. Safety was our number one concern, and we were able to accomplish that by following the basic rules of firearm handling.”

Reveille is inspired by true events. The film is described as a historically accurate depiction of World War II, as Akkerman had, in conjunction with Myra Miller PhD of Footstep Researchers, used archival documents and interviewed family members of WW2 survivors. From there, he scripted a drama that takes viewers “on a visceral journey where nationality and allegiance blur and the rules of war are tested like never before.”

Per a synopsis, the film “takes place in 1943 when an American squad engages in a skirmish with German soldiers along the Winter Line in central Italy. As artillery shells begin to rain down, the Americans must honor the rules of war and protect their wounded prisoners. Huddled together in a cave and made to see the enemy as human, the soldiers wrestle with unimaginable moral questions that lie outside the boundaries of nationality and allegiance.”

Related: Alec Baldwin Wraps Filming on Rust

Real Guns and Live Ammo Have Been Banned from Most Movie Sets

Other filmmakers are keeping guns and live ammo far, far away from their movie sets. That includes Guy Ritchie, who used airsoft pellet guns for his last film, The Covenant. Speaking about the decision with Newsweek, Ritchie described this approach of banning guns as a “relief,” admitting that he never liked bringing them onto his sets in the first place.

“I’ve never, I’ve never liked real firearms,” the director said. “I had no idea why we carried on in the industry with real firearms. It was just one of those things that everyone did, and it’s a tremendous relief… that you don’t have that sword hanging over us any longer.”

Reveille will be released on Digital and VOD on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023.