"/dreamworksfansite.com/talkback/forumdisplay.php?f=144"">/www.dreamworksfansite.com/ad/talkback_150x150.gif"" border=""1"" align=""left""> Clint Eastwood has begun assembling his troops for ""Flags of Our Fathers,"" casting Ryan Phillippe, Adam Beach and Jesse Bradford in his World War II epic.

The movie is based on James Bradley's book ""Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima"" and was adapted by Paul Haggis, who recently worked with Eastwood on ""Million Dollar Baby.""

The Battle of Iwo Jima, which took place in the winter of 1945, was a turning point in the Pacific Theater. In one month, 22,000 Japanese and 26,000 Americans died, and the battle produced one of World War II's most enduring images: a photograph of U.S. servicemen raising an American flag on the flank of Mount Suribachi, the island's commanding high point.

One of the six soldiers was Navy corpsman John Bradley. Bradley never mentioned his experiences to his family, and it was only after his death in 1994 that his son James discovered his father's history. James Bradley wrote ""Flags,"" which was published in 2000, with Ron Powers.

Phillippe will play Bradley, while Beach portrays Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who copes with the war experiences by drinking himself to death, inspiring a popular folk tune by Peter LaFarge. Bradford will play Rene Gagnon, a ladies' man who is one of the flag raisers.

Shooting is scheduled to begin next month in Iceland, Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Eastwood and Steven Spielberg are producing the DreamWorks Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures co-production. DreamWorks will distribute domestically, and Warners internationally.

Phillippe appears in Crash."" Bradford is starring in Merchant Ivory's ""Heights"" opposite Glenn Close and Elizabeth Banks. He next stars in Don Roos' ""Happy Endings."" Canadian-born Beach has appeared in such films as ""Windtalkers"" and ""Smoke Signals.""

Source: Hollywood Reporter"