Sam Raimi is a fascinating filmmaker. Slipping between horror, romance, superheroes and fantasy, he brings his unique vision to a myriad of subjects – on film and TV – so it’s always interesting to see which direction he chooses to head in next. This time, he’s heading in the direction of Afghanistan, with The Outpost.
As an adaptation of American journalist Jake Tapper’s bestselling book The Outpost: An Untold Story Of American Valor, this project marks Raimi’s first foray into the arena of real war movies. He’s filmed plenty of battle scenes before, but this will require something very different – and that’s what makes it such an exciting prospect. To see an established and respected filmmaker like Raimi still strive to challenge himself with something new is heartening indeed.
Raimi is committed to The Outpost as producer, along with Rob Tapert and Paul Merryman – and they have Academy Award nominees Paul Tamasay and Eric Johnson on board to write the screenplay, with Raimi’s supervision. It is expected that Raimi will develop the production with a view to taking the helm himself, once the adaptation of the source book is complete.
Telling the story of how 53 soldiers fought to defend a remote US camp in Eastern Afghanistan when it was overrun by up to 400 Taliban fighters, these true events led to a day-long battle. The clash resulted in multiple citations – including Medals of Honor for two recipients. Reviewing the book, author Jon Krakauer called it “a mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice. If you want to understand how the war in Afghanistan went off the rails, you need to read this book.”
Speaking of his involvement in the project, Sam Raimi explained:
“The Outpost is an epic story of bravery, courage, and sacrifice of our men in uniform, and is absolutely a picture meant for the big screen. I’m honoured to be part of it.”
Being in the earliest stages of development, we undoubtedly have a long wait before we hear anything about casting choices for The Outpost. However, with Sam Raimi heading up the production, there’s bound to be a battle for the lead roles.
Watch this space for more news, as and when we have it.