Whether it’s Pearl Harbor, Armageddon or the much-maligned Transformers franchise, Michael Bay isn’t known for striking a balance between character-driven drama and blockbuster action. And though early trailers for the director’s upcoming Benghazi thriller 13 Hours all but confirm that that trend will long continue, at the very least, we can still surely expect a Bay film that is infinitely more compelling than the director’s recent creative ventures.
Perhaps that comes down to the fact that 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is rooted in a real-life controversy. But rather than aligning the feature to be a political drama, Bay and Paramount’s rendition of the infamous 2012 event will tell the tale of the boots on the Libyan ground, as they hunkered down to defend a prized US compound from waves of oncoming enemies.
Keen to respect the real-life heroes who experienced the event first-hand and lived to tell the tale, it’s understood that veterans such as Mark ‘Oz’ Geist, Kris ‘Tanto’ Paronto and John ‘Tig’ Tiegen were consultants on Bay’s 13 Hours, lending the thriller a tangible intensity. Three years ago, the assault lead to the death of four American soldiers, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
As for Paramount’s soon-to-be-released drama, the studio has recruited a raft of talent to bring the heroic tale to the silver screen, with John Krasinski, James Badge Dale (The Departed), Max Martini (Captain Phillips), Pablo Schreiber (Orange Is the New Black), and David Denman all on board. Meanwhile, The Strain‘s Chuck Hogan penned the script.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi rappels into theaters on January 15, 2016. For now, you can check out the brooding set of posters below.
