Green Zone (film) explained
Green Zone is an upcoming thriller film written by Brian Helgeland and directed by Paul Greengrass. The film is based on the 2006 book Imperial Life in the Emerald City by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran. It stars Matt Damon, Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, and Brendan Gleeson. Production began in January 2008 in Spain and moved on to Morocco. A release date has yet to be determined.
Premise
Green Zone is a thriller that takes place in the Green Zone in Iraq during its occupation by the United States.
Cast
- Matt Damon portrays Roy Miller,[1] a warrant officer who helps a senior CIA officer in the search for weapons of mass destruction. Damon joined the film with the assurance that production would conclude by April 14 2008 so he could start working on the Steven Soderbergh film The Informant on April 15, amidst the scheduling difficulties caused by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.[2]
- Amy Ryan portrays Lawrie Dayne,[1] a foreign correspondent for The New York Times who investigates the U.S. government's claims of the existence of weapons of mass destruction.
- Greg Kinnear portrays Clark Poundstone,[1] a CIA officer.
- Jason Isaacs portrays an American military officer.[3]
- Brendan Gleeson portrays the CIA Baghdad bureau chief.[4]
- Martin McDougall portrays Mr. Sheen, CIA Baghdad assistant bureau chief.[5]
- Paul McIntosh portrays a CIA Baghdad data specialist.
- Ken Johnson portrays a CIA Baghdad data specialist.
- Karen A. Helke portrays a CIA Baghdad data specialist.
- Khalid Abdalla portrays an injured Iraqi who has a "penchant for Bryan Adams". Abdalla was cast in the role after impressing Greengrass with his performance in United 93 (2006). The actor prepared for his role by learning the Iraqi Arabic dialect and reading Iraqi blogs like Riverbend and Alive in Baghdad.[6]
- Edouard H.R. Gluck portrays Ed Johnson, A former Naval Special Warfare Officer and head of the Chemical, Biological, Investigative Support Technicians, known as "CBIST" assigned to support Roy Millers hunt for weapons of Mass Destruction. Gluck, who has no formal acting experience, was cast in this role due to his experiences during a one year tour in Iraq in 2003.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3024140/
- Antoni Corone portrays a colonel.
- Tommy Campbell (actor) portrays the Comms Chopper Commander.[7]
- Yigal Naor portrays a local officer[8]
Production
In January 2007, after completing The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), director Paul Greengrass announced his intent to adapt a film of the 2006 nonfiction book Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, a journalist for The Washington Post. Greengrass wrote a script based on the book, working with researchers Kate Solomon and Michael Bronner, who helped the director research for United 93 (2006). The script was reported to be developed more in advance than the script for The Bourne Ultimatum, which had undergone changes during production.[9] Screenwriter Tom Stoppard was originally requested to write the script for Greengrass, but because Stoppard was too busy,[10] screenwriter Brian Helgeland instead collaborated with the director to shape the film's premise.[11] Greengrass expressed interest in casting in the lead actor Matt Damon, with whom he had worked on The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum,[12] and the actor joined the project in June 2007.[13] Actors Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, and Antoni Corone were later cast in January 2008.[11] Greengrass said of the project's contemporary relevance, "Film shouldn't be disenfranchised from the national conversation. It is never too soon for cinema to engage with events that shape our lives."[12]
Production of Green Zone was originally slated to begin in late 2007.[9] Instead, it began in Spain on January 10 2008,[11] moved to Morocco, and finished filming in the UK in December, 2008.
Notes and References
- Web site: Green Zone. Working Title Films. 2008-03-12.
- News: Michael Fleming. Rush to judgment. Variety. 2007-08-10. 2008-01-22.
- News: Adam Dawtrey. Gleeson takes final lead in 'Zone'. Variety. 2008-03-11. 2008-03-08.
- News: Brendan Gleeson Enters Green Zone. Variety. 2008-03-12. 2008-03-12.
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0568246/
- News: Arifa Akbar. My acts of defiance. The Independent. 2008-01-16.
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1035174/
- http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3534980,00.html Yigal goes to Hollywood
- News: Adam Dawtrey. Greengrass lines up Iraq movie. Variety. 2007-01-21. 2008-01-22.
- News: Richard Brooks. The Bourne Ultimatum - Biteback. The Sunday Times. 2007-08-12.
- News: Michael Fleming. Amy Ryan set for Greengrass thriller. Variety. 2008-01-09. 2008-01-22.
- News: Ali Jaafar. Paul Greengrass. Variety. 2007-12-04. 2008-01-22.
- News: Diane Garrett. Damon, Greengrass re-teaming. Variety. 2007-06-06. 2008-01-22.
