Not to crib a quote from the Fallout video game series, but war never changes. Certain technologies may advance over time, but battles are fought and won by the hearts of soldiers. That is an idea presented by the cavalry-charging Green Berets in Nicolai Fuglsig's 12 Strong, and the first official trailer for the Chris Hemsworth-led war flick is absolutely gripping. Take a look at the preview below to see it for yourself.
As you can see, 12 Strong (formerly titled Horse Soldiers) stars Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena and Moonlight's Trevante Rhodes (among others) as a real group of Green Berets dropped into Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Tasked with the responsibility of rallying local forces against the Taliban, the soldiers were forced to play diplomats as they broke down cultural barriers and earned the trust of a group of people who have spent most of their lives at war.
That fight for trust represents a core theme at the center of 12 Strong's story, and it's also one of the driving ideas behind the film. In fact, CinemaBlend visited the set of the film earlier this year with other media outlets, and Chris Hemsworth laid out how a movie like 12 Strong differs from other films based on the exploits of Special Forces operators during a roundtable discussion. Unlike films like Lone Survivor or Black Hawk Down -- which highlight units like Navy SEALs and Delta Force -- 12 Strong levels its focus on a group of Green Berets. That distinction feels vital because Green Berets are known for embedding themselves with indigenous militias for long periods of time to combat local threats. Because of this difference, there won't be reinforcements or evacuation for Chris Hemsworth's Captain Mitch Nelson and the rest of the soldiers in the movie; they have a mission to accomplish, and they do not leave Afghanistan until they're done.
Of course, despite the distinctions between 12 Strong and other post-9/11 war films, it's worth mentioning the film still seems to come packed to the brim with all of the action that we would expect from a project like this. Most of the set-pieces look beautiful from these early glimpses, and there's a fascinating balance of old and new in the way that we see modern-day soldiers fighting on horseback. It is almost like a melding of Lawrence of Arabia and The Hurt Locker, and we are excited to see where this story goes from here.
12 Strong will debut in theaters early next year on January 19, 2018. Looking to the rest of this year, check out our 2017 movie premiere guide for more information on all of the upcoming film releases!
