As original as Hollywood films can get, there are always major real-life events that catch Tinseltown by its throat and will not let go. Next year, Americans will be treated to three separate feature films and one made-for-TV movie about the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and America's reaction.
Controversial director Oliver Stone was the first to announce plans for a 9/11 movie. On July 8, Paramount Pictures announced that Stone would be directing a feature based on a true story about two Port Authority officers who were trapped beneath the rubble of the World Trade Center towers and among the last to be rescued.
The film, currently in production, stars Nicolas Cage as Sgt. John McLoughlin and Michael Pena ("Crash") as fellow officer William J. Jimeno. Filling out the cast is Maria Bello ("A History of Violence") as McLoughlin's wife and Maggie Gyllanhaal ("Donnie Darko") as Jimeno's wife. The movie focuses on the two policemen and the rescuers who never gave up the search to find them.
In an interview with IF Magazine, Cage said that Stone was planning to film the movie in cinema verite, a style that shows unbiased realism. "It'll feel like real time," Cage said. "It's going to smack of reality, and they're going to try and make it as real as they can."
Next out of the gate is rival studio Universal Pictures' "Flight 93," written and directed by Paul Greengrass ("The Bourne Supremacy"). Greengrass's film is about the takeoff and subsequent hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93. The film follows the passengers who discovered they were headed toward Washington, D.C., and decided to fight back, sacrificing their lives instead. The plane ended up crashing in Pennsylvania.
"Flight 93" stars David Alan Basche ("War of the Worlds"), though it will be an ensemble cast. According to Variety, the film will be 90 minutes long and partially improvised for a more realistic portrayal. Adding to the film's grittiness will be extensive use of handheld cameras and other stylized techniques.
Greengrass chose to make his film outside of London on a 40-day shoot that began in October. It's slated for an April 28 release with the possibility of a showing at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
For those who'd prefer staying at home, a made-for-TV movie also called "Flight 93" is coming this January. Director Paul Markle (who has directed episodes of "Cold Case" and "Without a Trace") is bringing his versions of the flight's heroics to the A&E cable network. "Flight 93" features an ensemble cast headed by Jeffrey Nordling ("D3: The Mighty Ducks"). The movie is set to air Jan. 30 and is in post-production. According to Markle, the story of Flight 93 is universal and his film forces viewers to think about what they would have done in the same situation.
Sony Pictures announced "Reign O'er Me" last month, a feature film written and directed by Mike Binder ("The Upside of Anger"). While this movie is still in pre-production, there are a few details known.
Sony is looking to make a deal with Binder to bankroll the film for $20 million. Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler are reportedly close to signing on to star.
Binder's film would not actually focus on the events of the day, like the films of his counterparts, but about people dealing with the aftermath. According to BBC News, Sandler will play a man who lost his family in the terrorist attacks and never recovered from the grief. Cheadle will play his former college roommate, a doctor who is determined to help Sandler move on from his loss.
"Reign O'er Me" was announced in November and it is unknown when filming will begin.
The story does not end here. There are a large number of other retellings of the 9/11 tragedy said to start production in the near future, including a film version of the book "102 Minutes" and a TV miniseries about the 9/11 Commission's findings.
