Over the years, few Hollywood producers have become known for their distinctive styles quite like Jerry Bruckheimer. A legend in the world of action blockbusters, he has been one of the key figures behind a wide variety of intense popcorn flicks that have since gone on to earn cult status among moviegoers. In fact, during a recent set visit to his upcoming Chris Hemsworth-fronted war film, 12 Strong, CinemaBlend and a few other outlets had the chance to talk to him about why this tale of Green Beret bravery is such a perfect Bruckheimer story. According to the producer: it's because 12 Strong tells a tale of courage in a genuinely harrowing situation. Bruckheimer explained:
I like realistic looks and people in real stressful situations, and this is the most stressful. As you can imagine. These guys were dropped in here without protection, no support, there were 12 of them, there were a few CIA guys who came in two days before they did, and there were $100,000 bounties on their heads, $50,000 on their bloody uniforms. They weren't sure Dostum was gonna turn them into the Taliban because he supported the Russians. So they had no idea what they were getting into, and it was a secret mission, if something happened no one would've known what would happen to them. And yet by November, they came in October, they had driven the Taliban out of Masar-i- Sharif. So it's a pretty historic thing, and fortunately, none of our guys got hurt.
Kind of makes sitting behind a desk feel less stressful by comparison, doesn't it? Jerry Bruckheimer has a long history of producing films about men and women of action in the midst of tense situations and visceral combat. With 12 Strong, he has put those ideas on full display by telling the story of a group of twelve Green Berets dropped into Afghanistan to rally local fighters against the Taliban.
You can see the DNA of this type of film in other movies that Jerry Bruckheimer has had a hand in over the years. Films like Top Gun, Armageddon, The Rock, Black Hawk Down, and Crimson Tide (just to name a handful) all center on action heroes forced to face off against seemingly insurmountable odds. The core premise of 12 Strong is somewhat different from those other projects, but the tone and theme of this post-9/11 war film fits neatly within what we have come to expect from a quintessential Bruckheimer production.
For a closer look at just how stressful of a situation these Green Berets find themselves in, check out the newly released trailer for 12 Strong.
12 Strong will make its theatrical debut next year on January 19, 2018. Until then, you can catch Chris Hemsworth in action when the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure Thor: Ragnarok hits theaters on November 3, 2017. To see what else is heading into theaters, take a look at the full movies schedule.
