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EXCLUSIVE: Producer Rich Middlemas, who won an Oscar this year for the feature documentary 
Undefeated, announced today he will produce a film version of House To House: An Epic Memoir Of War (Free Press). It’s the critically acclaimed book about the Second Battle of Fallujah written by Silver Star- and Bronze Star-decorated Iraq War vet David Bellavia. The 2007 book is a deeply personal account of Bellavia’s life-threatening experiences during the November 2004 battle for insurgent-occupied Fallujah and details his conflicted relationship between duty to country and his family. It has sold several hundred thousand copies and been issued in four languages to date. ”From the moment I read House To House it became a passion project of mine, so I’m truly humbled that David has entrusted me with this opportunity,” said Middlemas, who will produce through his Five Smooth Stones Productions. ”I have the utmost respect and admiration for our soldiers, and very much believe filmgoers will embrace a faithful retelling of this incredible story in the same way readers continue to embrace the book.”
Middlemas shared the Best Documentary Feature Oscar with directors Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin for The Weinstein Co. release Undefeated, the Memphis-set high school football story about the first winning season of an inner-city team and the inspirational coach who guided it.
Bellavia is happy the producer has taken on the challenge of adapting his book. “Rich Middlemas is the perfect talent to realize my dream of showing the world the brutal battle American armed forces fought in 2004 in Iraq,” he said. “We lost so many good men in Fallujah, and it’s important to me that their sacrifice be honored by a filmmaker who values both realism and the honor of those who fight for us above all else.” In addition to his combat honors, Bellavia was nominated for the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. In 2005, he was inducted into the New York Veterans Hall of Fame and is co-founder of Vets for Freedom.
Awards Columnist Pete Hammond - tip him here.
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this book is AWESOME and the battle of falluja is pretty much completely misunderstood.
i cant wait to see what these guys do with this – congrats!
Exactly, HOUSE TO HOUSE is an outrageous book. It doesn’t have the Iraq War cliches other commenters are complaining about. It’s much more akin to THE RAID:REDEMPTION than, say, HURT LOCKER.
It’s all urban warfare, Fallujah was block-after-block of abandoned apartments. Except when they’re not abandoned: The buildings were hardened with traps, explosives and defended by fully-committed, drug-fueled Muslim warriors from all over the world.
The Soldiers and Marines had to fight their way through this post-Apocalyptic landscape. The close-quarters eliminated their technological advantages and they had to fight with guns, knives, fists, debris. It’s insane and it actually happened…
Following the MO of that other Crazy Asian War: “we had to destroy Fallujah in order to save it.”
Wow, another war in the Middle East movie that will “get it right” and “honor those who fight for our freedoms” about “one man’s struggle” to “keep his integrity and his life” while “those around him are losing theirs” “All while trying to keep his connection to his family alive” while amidst the “madness of man in war”…
Congratulations on optioning something that is completely overdone, mind-numbing, and so over that even the cliche’s are cliche…
What movies are you talking about, I cant count on one hand the number of movies made about the actual battles in Iraq.
Incredible book. Hope they do it right.
Anyone know whatever happened to the “Battle for Fulluja” project that Harrison Ford was attached to, a few years back? I’m not really sure what producers/production company were trying to pull that one together.
This book is amazing and it will make an amazing film if handled correctly. I was wondering when this gem would be mined for a film. This is the kind of Iraq war film that will make money.
This book was meant to be on the big screen! Ive read several and hands down best narrative about Iraq War. I hope Middlemas makes an epic movie that goes down in history like Platoon, Thin Red Line, etc.
It’s been a long time since there has been a good war movie made. Apocalypse Now was a great war movie because the cast of actors were all good and the acting was very good in it, since then all war movies have come out with ” actors playing soldiers ” as opposed to being real soldiers….what I mean is the realism of war and events are glamorized so much that it looks theatrical and that’s why many war movies have not done well. I would like to see a war movie where ” talented actors ” are cast who will give humanity to their characters and can really make the audience feel their experiences , and not playing a ” hero soldier “. If this film cast the right actors with great acting , it can make money. Wouldn’t it be nice to see these men are human beings like us all, have fears, feel pain, vulnerable , and confused just like us in the film, and at the same time they get through all of their ordeals by some how finding the courage within them and fight…..if it’s done this way, it will win the Oscar and the audience’s sympathy…..because who can’t relate to being vulnerable, afraid, pain and to watch these men get up and fight, will help people have more of an appreciation for them. Portray them as humans with great hearts who selflessly give their lives to save others……and you will have a winner, money and Oscar! Humanity and heart have to be in this film.
They have already made a movie like that it is called Act of Valor. But more are needed.
Call me skeptical but I have not seen a single movie come out of “Hollywood” on the Iraq war that wasnt either derogatory or insulting to our service men. Until I see a script or full draft of the movie I dont see this movie being either authentic or factual on the battle for Fallujah.
People have been watching the battles on Youtube from the soldiers themselves in the home videos they shoot every day they are deployed. The stories are there Hollywood are you brave enough to put aside your bias?
Act of Valor doesn’t even compare to this book. “Undefeated” was amazing and Middlemas can bring “House to House” to life. I can’t wait to get a ticket!
I know David Bellavia personally and he wouldn’t entrust just anyone with his story, with his fellow soldiers stories and with the real heros who never made it back story! This movie should capture the extreme perfessionalism of the men and women serving our country! This movie should capture what these guys went through and continue to go through, at home and on the field! This is a real life account, not just some producer guess what happened. I know David will have a stern hand in the making of his story, and in it he will honor the brothers he lost! Everyone should go see this when it comes out, because it’s our duty as Americans to be educated on what happened, and what’s still happening in Afghanistan! These are our neighbors, brothers, sons, friends, and husbands out there. We can’t possibly understand what they went through or are going through. The media dumbs down what happens! This isn’t Vietnam, we don’t see the real war, and most Americans are blissfully ignorant about it. I hope this movie encourages businesses to hire our veterans, because in it I know they will see all the qualities in these soldiers that they could ever want in an employee. This movie will be exactly like the book! It will contain action, comedy, drama, all in one movie. This will be a real account of a great man, a great military and a great battle that turned this war over in our favor!
Rich, Dan, and TJ got Undefeated right because they were honest and regardless of personal beliefs or per-concieved notions, told the story they saw, not the story the wanted to see. Rich will do this story right as well.
I knew this would get picked up sooner or later. Can’t wait to see how you work it all out Rich. Make us proud.