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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| (2009) Lone Survivor: The Movie |
| 2008-03-17 |
| H/T Blackfive. It's happening! It's in production... Can't find any info on who's playing whom.... here's what I have found. There is a pic of President Bush pinning him! I just heard that Universal won the negotiations and acquired (not just optioned) The New York Times No. 1 non-fiction bestseller Lone Survivor and Navy Seal author Marcus Luttrell's underlying life rights for seven figures. (I hear $2 million upfront, plus 5% against adjusted gross, as well as other payments.) This follows a frenzied Hollywood bidding war that included Sony, Warner and DreamWorks (which really wanted the book for Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay). I'm told that Barry Spikings brought the project to Akiva Goldsman, who in turn took it to Pete Berg. P utting Spikings and Goldsman on as producers, Uni bought the book for Berg who'll be writing and directing this as his next project for his Film 44 production company. luttrell.JPGHe, of course, is the director of the upcoming The Kingdom about a team of U.S. government agents sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East. Uni made that pic as well as United 93; that helmer Paul Greengrass is adapting Rajiv ChandrasekaranÂ’s book about the Green Zone in Baghdad, Imperial Life in the Emerald City, for the studio as well. How interesting that liberal Hollywood was so hot for this latest patriotic tell-all by a proud conservative. Book agent Ed Victor and Hollywood lawyer Alan U. Schwartz of Greenberg Traurig brokered the Lone Survivor deal. This seems to be another in what is a growing trend in the movie business to bring events about post-9/11, Iraq/Afghanistan and the troops into the plots of its pics. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #9 If they do the film like the book there should not be a dry eye at the end. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2008-03-17 21:52 |
| #8 So when is the movie about the Thunder Run going to premier? Jerry Bruckheimer, are you paying attention? |
| Posted by: ed 2008-03-17 21:32 |
| #7 Trust, but verify. I have hope it may buck the trend of anti-war liberal crap that contently flops (which is why hollyweird might be willing to buck the trend). But I will wait until the reviews come out from people, like here on the 'burg, to plunk down my hard eared dollars. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-03-17 21:18 |
| #6 I don't think it will fly, because there is just too much lefty hate in Hollywood, as evidenced by Mel Gibson's The Passion movie. What could break the blockade, however, would be a film with these elements: 1) Totally indy film, with a non-industry director known for his technical skill. Funded with five or six million dollars from some conservative moneybags. 2) No-name cast using real veterans and Iraqi army personnel, filmed in Iraq and scripted with real war stories. Full cooperation of the US military and no advance publicity. 3) The villains are al-Qaeda, not Iraqi, and the victims are Iraqis. Show the al-Qaeda as the grotesque and murderous monsters they are, who target women and children. Lots of righteous rage by the IA soldiers. Show IA as patriotic and angry as hell at al-Qaeda. They are also the ones who do the John Wayne stuff with some dying heroically in the grand manner, followed with oaths swearing revenge. 4) Show MSM journalists as the utter, cowardly shits they are, trying to help the enemy any way they can and hiding in the Green Zone and lying. Have an actor portray Michael Yon, with permission, to protect his anonymity, to show how a real war correspondent works. 5) There really is no limit to the schmaltz and old school war movie elements, emphasizing professionalism more than drama. But add on to that the soldiers rebuilding Iraq and training their police and military. 6) When the movie is done, a huge release in subsidized direct to DVD sales. Edit both an R and PG-13 version, and a special version with bad language and graphic violence edits, so it will appeal to the young adult through Utah family demographics. Even do several foreign language versions, as one in the eye to the Europeans. Flood the Internet with pirate versions as well. 7) US military cooperation guarantees that nothing is shown that reflects badly on the military, which is the intent of the production, and will have a positive impact on recruiting. No problem at all in making it look a lot like a recruiting video. Even private security people, like Blackwater, look good and get along fine with the military. 8) Depictions of al-Qaeda war crimes would be very graphic and horrible. Everything from mass graves, torture chambers, suicide attacks against school children. Cue incredible anger from the IA and civilians. The nastier the villain the better the movie. Inhuman and cowardly dogs, who worship a totally evil and repugnant perversion of Islam. 9) al-Qaeda also die in terrible ways, with scenes like their bodies being eaten by stray dogs, like Kenny is eaten by rats. They also do lots of things that Muslims see as culturally filthy and disgusting. 10) Even a short scene or two of Iraqi politics, showing politicians behaving themselves and acting in an orderly manner, doing things like planning the building of a new hospital or university, and voting. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-03-17 20:06 |
| #5 The Sum of All Fears was completely ruined by poor scripting and worse acting. You all seem excited about this book (I am unfamiliar) so I hope it gets better treatment b/c lord knows I'm ready for a decent movie. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-03-17 18:08 |
| #4 Beware: Don't forget "Apocaplyse Now" was written as a pro-war movie but was completely changed around by the director. However, they might play this as a straight action shoot-em-up, but I doubt it. They will probably have to add some BDS anti-christian propaganda in there just to get the funding. Al Al |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2008-03-17 17:56 |
| #3 I'd note two things: first, getting the rights is only one step, and an early one, in making a movie. Lots of books and scripts have been bought and put on a shelf. Second, the screenwriter can take just about any book and twist it to whatever they want it to be. As one example, see Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-03-17 17:53 |
| #2 I wonder if he has final edit because a lot of things can be changed before a movie is completed. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-03-17 17:34 |
| #1 Well about damn time, too. But there's many a slip between an option, and a blockbuster movie premiere. Maybe someone in Hollywierd did latch onto the fact that 300 did gangbuster box office. Stranger things have happened. |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2008-03-17 17:17 |