By Marc Butterfield (Analyst, freelance writer, veteran)
Until 1979, most of the modern world had never heard of Afghanistan as little more than a spot on a globe in the library. In that year, the Soviet Union sent special forces commandos in to raid the royal residence and kill the occupants, installing a puppet government. From that point forward, as a people and a place, they have rarely been OUT of the news. To the British empire, Afghanistan was well known, but as Americans, we were ignorant of it. In fact, almost any country that has every tried to tame the Afghan territory has failed, and almost always after long, expensive, bloody campaigns. The lesson of futility was learned time and again.
Then, because of the Taliban, a product of soviet invasion and American intervention, acting as hosts of Al Qaeda, Afghanistan once again was put on the radar of the American people. The attacks perpetrated upon the American people by Saudi terrorists, planned and launched from Afghan camps, on September 11, 2001, changed the world as we know it. The blow dealt to America, on it’s very shores, in it’s shining city, New York, were devastating. The cost in blood and security is still being paid to this day.
This is where the story of 12 STRONG begins. American Special Forces, our elite fighters, had to go where few Americans had been, and forge alliances with the Afghans who would aid with the ouster of Al Qaeda and the Taliban. For them, culture shock would be an obstacle no less formidable than the terrain or armed enemies. These men had come armed with a more open mind than the Soviets had, and this would prove to be the difference.
Chris Hemsworth (“Thor,” “The Avengers” films) and Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road,” “Nocturnal Animals”) star in 12 STRONG, a powerful new war drama from Alcon Entertainment, Black Label Media and Jerry Bruckheimer Films that tells the declassified true story of the Horse Soldiers.
Based on the best-selling book Horse Soldiers, it is story of heroism based on true events that unfolded a world away in the aftermath of 9/11.
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 (Navid 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 Afghan 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.
Playing the 12 STRONG U.S. Special Forces team are Hemsworth, Shannon, Michael Peña (“The Martian, “Ant-Man”), Trevante Rhodes (“Moonlight”), Geoff Stults (“Only the Brave”), Thad Luckinbill (“Only the Brave”), Austin Stowell (“Bridge of Spies”), Ben O’Toole (“Hacksaw Ridge”), Austin Hebert (“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back”), Kenneth Miller (“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”), Kenny Sheard (“13 Hours”) and Jack Kesy (TV’s “The Strain). The ensemble cast also includes Navid Negahban (“American Sniper,” TV’s “Homeland”), Laith Nakli (“24: Legacy”), Fahim Fazli (“American Sniper”), Numan Acar (“Homeland”), Elsa Pataky (the “Fast & Furious” films), William Fichtner (“Black Hawk Down,” “Armageddon”) and Rob Riggle (“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “The Hangover”).
Award-winning director Nicolai Fuglsig directed the film, which is produced by legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer (the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, “Black Hawk Down”), together with Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill (“La La Land,” “Sicario”) under their Black Label Media banner. Oscar winner Ted Tally (“The Silence of the Lambs”) and Peter Craig (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Parts 1 & 2”) wrote the screenplay, based on the acclaimed book by best-selling author Doug Stanton.
The behind-the-scenes team included director of photography Rasmus Videbaek (“A Royal Affair”), production designer Christopher Glass (“The Jungle Book”), editor Lisa Lassek (“The Avengers,” “The Avengers: Age of Ultron”), costume designer Daniel J. Lester (assistant costume designer on “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Hurt Locker”) and Academy Award-winning stunt coordinator/second unit director Mic Rodgers (“Hacksaw Ridge,” “Braveheart”).
Slated for release on January 19, 2018, 12 STRONG will be distributed domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures and has been rated R by the MPAA for war violence and language throughout.
Visit the official site: 12strongmovie.com
