Gods and Generals is a 2003 film based on the novel, Gods and Generals, by Jeffrey Shaara. It is considered a prequel to the 1993 film Gettysburg, which was based on The Killer Angels, a novel by Michael Shaara, Jeff Shaara's father.

The film stars Jeff Daniels as Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and Robert Duvall as Robert E. Lee. While many of the actors from Gettysburg reprised their roles for this film, Stephen Lang is one of a few to play a different character: George Pickett in Gettysburg and Stonewall Jackson in Gods and Generals. Martin Sheen, the original Lee, had conflicts due to the shooting schedule of The West Wing, and was replaced by Duvall.

It was directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, who had also previously adapted Gettysburg in 1993. After the box office underperformance of Gettysburg, Maxwell was unable to get the prequel greenlit until media mogul Ted Turner provided the entire $60 million budget.

Jeff Daniels (I) reprised the role of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain from Gettysburg (1993). Tom Berenger had been asked to reprise the role of James Longstreet.

Martin Sheen was asked to reprise his role of Robert E. Lee (II) from Gettysburg (1993), but could not due to commitment to "West Wing, The" (1999). The role was given to Robert Duvall (I), who is actually a descendant of Lee.

The toothless old man who greets Robert E. Lee (II) and Stonewall Jackson as they enter Fredericksburg with the line "Yankees evawhere, evawhere!" is a wink to the film's predecessor, Gettysburg (1993), which was produced ten years earlier. In it, there is a scene where Buford rides into Gettysburg and is greeted by a similarly toothless old man who shouts, "Johnny Rebs evawhere, evawhere!" The scene was deleted from the final print and is only available on TV broadcasts and the expanded director's edition.

The scenes of Jackson and his students leaving VMI early on in the film and Jackson's funeral procession back to VMI at the end were both filmed on the same day.

The last scene of the movie was Jackson's casket laying in his classroom at VMI, as the camera slowly pulls back to reveal his wife, child and students. This scene was actually filmed but deleted from the theatrical cut, as well as the DVD.

Stephen Lang (I) also appeared in Gettysburg (1993). However, he does not reprise his original role from "Gettysburg", that of Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett. Instead, he plays Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, who died two months prior to the momentous clash in Gettysburg. Bill Campbell (I) took over the role of Pickett.

Media mogul Ted Turner (I) put up the entire $60-million budget of the film personally.

The majority of the Civil War re-enactors in the movie volunteered to be in the movie without pay. In return, the production company agreed to donate at least $500,000 to preservation of a Civil War battlefield.

Around 200 of the re-enactors were employed as a "Core Company" to be available for filming six days a week, 24 hours a day. They were the only re-enactors who were paid for taking part in the movie.

The intermission was actually included in the print and was almost an entire reel of black film. Theaters added light cues at the beginning and end of it.

Portions of the movie were filmed on location at the Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Modern fixtures (such as the window air conditioners on Washington and Lee buildings) were digitally edited out.

CAMEO(Ted Turner (I)): as Col. Waller T. Patton in the scene where the Confederate soldiers are watching the singer and dancer.

Some of the re-enactors used as extras for the film portrayed both Union and Confederate soldiers. Therefore, during some scenes, the same soldiers can be seen shooting at themselves.

All of the Union soldiers who are killed during the movie do not have the standard issue Ronald F. Maxwell knew who was a stunt man.

Although Robert E. Lee (II) was a highly regarded officer in the American army, his dislike of slavery and rather lukewarm approach to the issue of secession combined with some early reverses while in command of the Virginia militia caused him to not be considered for field command in the Confederate army. He was instead made an advisor to Jefferson Davis. He was named to command the Confederate army outside of Richmond in 1862 when Gen. Joseph Johnston was wounded, because Davis disliked Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard and did not want him in command.

While we know Jackson by his nickname "Stonewall", his men usually referred to him as "Old Jack". His students at VMI referred to him as "Tom Fool" because of his stiff necked and pedantic style of teaching.

The film mostly omits a few of General Jackson's eccentricities, but makes sly reference to them. The real Stonewall Jackson rode with a hand raised at all times, as he felt it was necessary to balance his bodily humors. In the film, Jackson suffers a wound to one hand, and spends a scene riding in that manner, ostensibly to staunch the bleeding. In addition, the real Jackson - according to legend - sucked on lemons incessantly in the belief that it was essential to his health. In the film, he presents lemons as a gift to the fiancée of his junior officer, and enjoys the resultant lemonade for its tartness.

Some scenes were filmed on Robert Duvall (I)'s estate in Virginia, which was the site of some Civil War skirmishes.

During filming, a large portion of the re-enactors and military advisors were recalled to their military units in the weeks following the terrorist attacks on the USA of 11 September 2001 and the later invasion of Afghanistan.

The wide shots (or "reveal shots") of the Union infantry advancing towards the stone wall during the Battle of Fredericksburg were not set up or filmed as special effects shots. However, due to the terrorist attacks on the US of 11 September 2001 and the subsequent travel concerns and military-reserve call-ups, the film's re-enacting unit had drastically shrunk in number. This was not fully evident until the wide shots were viewed in post-production. Visual effects supervisor Thomas G. Smith (I) had to digitally create over 17,000 low-resolution CGI-3D soldiers, and then map out individual speeds for them: running, walking, or crawling wounded. He then added 3,000 dead soldiers to scatter around the shot.

The introduction scene of the 20th Maine, when Ames and Gilmore walk up and chide Chamberlain and the recruits, was shot on 11 September 2001.

Kevin Conway (I) often refers to reprising his character of Sgt. Buster Kilrain in this film as being part of the reason he turned down a supporting role in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which would have prevented him from shooting this film.

The exterior scenes of Burnside's winter headquarters had to be re-shot several months after filming wrapped, during the early summer; some of the fake snow was digitally added in post-production.

The scene where the Union and Confederate privates cross the river to exchange gifts was the final scene of the movie to be shot.

Mira Sorvino was one of the first members of the cast to sign onto the project. Director Ronald F. Maxwell had originally cast her (and become a huge fan of her acting ability) as Joan of Arc for his film Joan of Arc: The Virgin Warrior (2007). When that film was halted in pre-production and postponed, he felt obliged to offer her a role in his next film to be greenlit, "Gods and Generals".

The first choice to play Stonewall Jackson was Russell Crowe. Crowe expressed initial interest but eventually declined, citing a need to return to Australia and take a break from movie making. Jackson's role was then offered to Stephen Lang (I), who was already signed and rehearsing to reprise his character of Gen. George Pickett.

Originally given an R rating by the MPAA for extended battlefield violence and gore. Director Ronald F. Maxwell either shortened or cut out entirely the most objectionable scenes in order to get the film down to a PG-13 rating.

Randy Edelman was one of the first crew members to be hired by Ronald F. Maxwell, nearly two years before the film's release. Because of this delay he had to back out due to a mounting schedule, but had already composed some themes. It was Edelman who recommended John Frizzell (I) take over. Frizzell, in addition to writing the majority of the film's music, also was given the task of orchestrating and recording Edelman's portion of the score.

Ronald F. Maxwell spent all of 2002 editing, re-editing, test screening and touching up the film. It went from six hours to three hours and five minutes, to three hours and 37 minutes time and again.

An entire subplot involving John Wilkes Booth and his actor friend Henry T. Harrison (from Gettysburg (1993)) had to be cut from the film in order to get a wide release. The entire battle of Antietam was also deleted. In all, nearly 2-1/2 hours of the film never made it to final print.

Contains some cameo appearances by American politicians. According to a report on CNN.com, Senators Robert Byrd (II) (D-WV) and George Allen (III) (R-VA), Reps. Edward Markey (I) (D-MA) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), as well as former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX), all make small appearances in this film. "Wet plate" photographs of these politicians in full Civil War attire are available online.

In the opening credits, the appearance of the flags indicates a special significance for some cast and crew. For example, Jeff Daniels (I) (as Lt. Col Chamberlain of Maine) appears over a banner for the 20th Maine, Robert Duvall (I) (Gen. Robert E. Lee of Virginia) appears over a Virginia banner, and Ted Turner (I) (a longtime resident of Atlanta, Georgia) appears over a Georgia flag.

Jeff Shaara, the author of the book "Gods and Generals," (on which the movie is loosely based) appears in an uncredited cameo during the USO-type minstrel show, in the same scene where Ted Turner (I) appears. Shaara appears very briefly as a mustachioed officer in the audience, with no lines.