The Legend of Van Dorn – Official Trailer and Introduction
This is the trailer for the movie, “The Legend of Van Dorn,” a film about the life and assassination of General Earl Van Dorn in 1863 after his affair with a married woman named Jesse Peters.
This story was filmed in Columbia, Tennessee late 2024 and stars Lee Wilson as General Earl Van Dorn, Ellie Patrikios as Jesse Peters, Joe Lando as Dr. George Peters, D.B. Sweeney as Standsted, and David Meadows as General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
The trailer above was released in April and features highlights of the film, directed by Shane Stanley. As a preview, it shows the scope of the film, some battle scenes, romantic takes, and discussions in the story. The preview/trailer was used in the Cannes Film Festival in France, in the Spring of 2024.
General Van Dorn served as a Major-General for the Confederate States during the American Civil War and was assassinated in 1863 by Dr. George Peters because the general was having an affair with his wife, Jesse Peters. There is evidence that Dr. Peters accepted a bribe from the North to murder General Van Dorn. General Van Dorn was one of the most enigmatic figures of the American Civil War. After graduating from West Point graduate, Van Dorn became a Mexican-American War hero and cavalry leader. He was known for both his daring military tactics and his controversial personal life as an accused womanizer. His infamous raid on Holly Springs disrupted Ulysses S. Grant’s campaign and forced him to retreat. The raid marked him (Van Dorn) as a serious threat to the Union cause. Yet, despite his battlefield achievements, it was his romantic affair with Jesse Peters that sealed his fate. His life ended in assassination under mysterious circumstances that still stir debate among historians today.
The Legend of Van Dorn trailer ends with Dr. Peters pulling a gun on General Van Dorn and pulls the hammer back as he prepares to shoot him.
Through the preview of this film, viewers may see the quality and attention to detail of this major mation picture project, produced by Film Read Productions and directed by Shane Stanley. Real antebellum homes and preserved battlegrounds were used in the film to give it a sense of realism and to immerse viewers into the 1860s. The film production worked with Civil War historians and reenactors to ensure historically-accurate uniforms, dialogue, and even military formations.
The musical score, developed by acclaimed composer Steve Dorff, weaves together haunting Civil War-era instruments with beautiful orchestral swells. This underscores the emotional intensity of the story as told in the film. From cavalry charges to candlelit betrayal, the music enhances every frame.
While many Civil War films focus mostly on military strategy, The Legend of Van Dorn offers a rare glimpse into the personal lives and even scandals of historical figures of the War Between The States. It blends romance, betrayal, political intrigue, and military history and also explores how a personal act may have shifted the direction of the American Civil War to the side of the North and greatly damaged the South’s path to a potential victory. The film explores whether Van Dorn’s murder was truly a crime of passion or if it was a covert assassination plotted by the North with far-reaching consequences.
More information will be provided here about a release date and when the film can be seen theatrically and on streaming platforms around the world. As for now, all that has been made public is The Legend of Van Dorn trailer as seen on this page and others.
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