Hollywood has not made many movies about America’s longest war, the one still taking place in Afghanistan, mostly because it’s hard to find a feel-good narrative in a sixteen-year morass of bloodshed and confusion. However, by looking back to the more naive early days of the conflict, Jerry Bruckheimer thinks he may have found one in Doug Stanton’s non-fiction book “Horse Soldiers.” Here’s the synopsis:
“12 Strong” is set in the harrowing days following 9/11 when a U.S. Special Forces team, led by their new Captain, Mitch Nelson (Hemsworth), is chosen to be the first U.S. troops sent into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. There, in the rugged mountains, they must convince Northern Alliance General Dostum (Negahban) to join forces with them to fight their common adversary: the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies. In addition to overcoming mutual distrust and a vast cultural divide, the Americans—accustomed to state-of-the-art warfare—must adopt the rudimentary tactics of the Afghani horse soldiers. But despite their uneasy bond, the new allies face overwhelming odds: outnumbered and outgunned by a ruthless enemy that does not take prisoners.
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The movie has a great cast, led by Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Rob Riggle, and “Moonlight” breakout Trevante Rhodes.
Rob Riggle is more famous for comedy, but his casting is an intriguing element of the film, as the former Marine is actually playing his former commanding officer, Max Bowers, under whom Riggle served in 2001-2002. It’s a safe bet that Riggle is more worried about Bowers’ approval than that of any movie critics for this performance.
“Horse Soldiers” will be the feature directorial debut of Denmark’s Nicolai Fugisig, whose past career as a war photojournalist may give him additional insight into the material. The film will be released on January 19, 2018. [USA Today]
