Oscar winning director Katherine Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Point Break) and writer Mark Boal’s long-gestating film about the military hunt for Osama Bin Laden, faced an interesting development last year with US President Barack Obama’s announcement that Bin Laden had been found and killed by a team of Navy SEALs. The director/writer pair decided to adapt their existing script to incorporate this event, and with names such as Joel Edgerton (Warrior, The Thing), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Kick Ass, Body of Lies) and Jessica Chastain (The Debt, The Help, Tree of Life) recently being attached to the film, it certainly was shaping up rather nicely.
But now the story has taken a dramatic, possibly terminal, turn. In a recent New York Times article, writer Maureen Dowd alluded to the fact that Bigelow and Boal may have been privy to leaked classified info about the actual Navy SEAL operation. And obviously, that is a big no-no.
Homeland Security Chairman Peter King responded by calling for an investigation into the matter. He highlighted the severity of the situation by saying
“…leaks that followed the successful Bin Laden mission led to the arrests of Pakistanis and put in danger the mission’s heroes and their families. Privately, individuals in the intelligence and special operations communities expressed support for my request for a probe. I look forward to an update on the investigation and actions taken thus far.”
The CIA and Department of Defense have obliged his request and begun investigation proceedings, with CIA Deputy Inspector General Patricia Lewis* issuing a statement saying that irrespective of the outcome of this investigation, a new policy will be developed to govern the interaction between the intelligence community and Hollywood.
If they did indeed have access to classified info, then clearly steps need to be taken to address that. However, they may have had the info but never actually included anything damaging in their screenplay, in which case, the severity of any verdict that may emerge needs to reflect that.
Bigelow and Boal are yet to comment on the investigation.
Kill Bin Laden is set open in the US on 19 ecember 2012.
[Source: Fox News]*Yes, her name is Patricia Lewis. Clearly, not the same Patricia Lewis more famously known locally for her unruly blond mane, excessive make-up abuse and warbling voice.
Last Updated: January 7, 2012
