Jerry Bruckheimer has never been one to shy away from sucking up historical events into his box office juggernaut movie-making machine, so I figured it was only a matter of time before he set his sights on The Global War on Terror.
Sure enough he has, but in a pleasant surprise, he’s not dealing with the events of 9/11, Afghanistan, or anywhere near Iraq. This time Bruck has optioned a great article from The Atlantic Monthly – a magazine you really should read if you don’t already – entitled "Jihadists in Paradise". In fact, this particular article is still on newstands, I believe.
It’s a fascinating story of pirate Islamic terrorists (because the regular variety wouldn’t be cinematic enough, right?) operating out of the Philippines who kidnapped a handful of Americans and held them hostage for over a year. The CIA and Filipino military and intelligence forces worked together and eventually caught up with them, capping an extraordinary pursuit throughout the region.
The author of the article, Mark Bowden, is writing the script as well. Apparently, a number of his articles have been optioned, and he’s also developing a drama with Paramount and Imagine about American-endorsed tortu….I mean, "rendition," which is the practice who detaining "suspects" without due process and shipping them to other countries to be waterboarded, beaten, and whatever else their interrogators can think of.