Nordling here.
If there's one constant in the universe, it's that Hollywood loves a happy ending.
Now that Osama Bin Laden has reached the chewy center of the cosmic Tootsie Pop, it just stands to reason that Hollywood would want to tell the story of his pursuit and killing in Abbottabad by U.S. Navy SEALs. Considering the vast resources and intelligence gathering that was used to put that son-of-a-bitch in the water, it would make a hell of a fantastic story, and no offense to those overseas, it should be our people that tell it.
Right now Deadline is talking about two projects in particular that have already been making the rounds in Hollywood - the first is a project called KILL BIN LADEN, which is being shepherded by Oscar-winners Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal of THE HURT LOCKER. The movie was going to be about an unsuccessful mission to kill Bin Laden, but obviously with these events that will have to be changed. According to the article the film wasn't specifically about Bin Laden but the team that tried to bring him down. Also in development is a film called JAWBREAKER, based on Gary Berntsen's book, about the military mission in Tora Bora, Afghanistan during December 2001.
Now, of course, things have changed, and honestly, although those stories have value, I'd much rather see a film based on the intel we got in August that led to yesterday's assault. The Navy SEAL Team Six are bad mama-jamas, and considering there was a 40 minute firefight, according to reports, I'd imagine the entire project would be ripe for a one hell of a cinematic movie. You can save your "American imperialist" judgments for another day, but a good military plan well executed, with the intelligence we received, and the entire history of how the raid happened would be fascinating and riveting material. Hell, just tell the story of Team Six. I understand you'd have to fictionalize the people and their backgrounds to keep them secret, but the history of how that team came to be is incredible stuff and done with care would be a military junkie's dream.
I'll say right out - I'm a liberal, but I'm happy that our forces executed Bin Laden, took no casualties, and got the job done. I'd buy each and every one of those guys a beer if, you know, they didn't rip my throat out with their bare hands first, MacGruber style.
Nordling, out.
