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SCREENWRITER FOR HIRE
THE THIRD BOMB
A WWII Atomic Bomb Thriller
Was there another atomic bomb ready to be dropped on Japan?
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THE THIRD BOMB is an award-winning WWII thriller by screenwriter Phil Parker, inspired by a remarkable moment in history and the possibility of what might have happened next.
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Set against the final days of World War II, the feature screenplay combines historical events with a fictional action-adventure story surrounding America's atomic bomb program. The result is a wartime thriller that explores a little-known chapter of atomic bomb history through the possibilities of what could have been.
Project Details
THE THIRD BOMB
FORMAT: feature screenplay
GENRE: action/adventure/thriller
SETTING: Japanese territory 1945
INSPIRED BY: Historical events
SCREENWRITER: Phil Parker
STATUS: Available
The Atomic Bomb and the
Planned Invasion of Japan
By the summer of 1945, Nazi Germany had surrendered, but Japan continued to fight. American forces had suffered heavy casualties at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and the Japanese government had rejected the Allies' demand for unconditional surrender.
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Then came Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki three days later. But even after the devastation of two atomic bombs, Japan did not immediately surrender.
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For President Harry Truman and American military planners, the uncertainty presented a terrible prospect. If Japan continued fighting, the United States was preparing to invade the Japanese home islands. Operation Olympic, the planned invasion of Kyushu, was scheduled for November 1945. An invasion against determined Japanese resistance threatened enormous casualties on both sides.
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The other possibility was another atomic attack. Hiroshima and Nagasaki had not exhausted America's nuclear capability. Work on additional atomic weapons continued.
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What American leaders could not fully see was what was happening inside Japan. Its leadership was divided over whether and how to end the war, while military and political forces continued to shape the decisions being made around Emperor Hirohito. From Washington, there was no guarantee that surrender was coming.
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That uncertainty left the Pacific War balanced between terrifying possibilities: invasion, another atomic attack, or a Japanese surrender whose arrival and terms American leaders could not predict.
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It was a moment filled with secrets, incomplete intelligence and decisions carrying extraordinary consequences. Those elements helped inspire the historical world of THE THIRD BOMB.
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Related: Movies About the Atomic Bomb: How Filmmakers Have Dramatized the Nuclear Age
Industry Feedback
Danny Manus
No Bullcript Consulting
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“Phil's screenplay, 'The Third Bomb' is a very well-written and engrossing script with a strong, original hook and twist.
GRADE: Recommend”
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The Black List
Reader Review​
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“An incredibly well-written script with strong, three-dimensional characters, a well-threaded theme, and action sequences that are both visual and exciting."
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Tracking Board
Reader Review
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"I was incredibly engaged and moved by this screenplay. 'The Third Bomb' is equally modern as it is timeless. Likely to attract top international talent."​​​​
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Screenwriting Contests
& Film Festival Results
Phil Parker's WWII action-adventure thriller The Third Bomb has won prizes or reached the finals in 17 different screenwriting and film festival competitions.