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EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros has just closed a high six-figure against seven-figure deal for screen rights to Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution, a book by Nathaniel Philbrick that will be published April 30 by Viking. The project was acquired for Pearl Street Films as a potential directing vehicle for Argo helmer Ben Affleck, who partners in the company with Matt Damon. Word is that Affleck (who is busy adapting the Dennis Lehane novel Live By Night to direct, star in and produce) will turn the book over to his Argo scribe Chris Terrio, making this a major project.
Philbrick is the author of Mayflower and the National Book Award-winning In The Heart Of The Sea, the real story beyond the white whale that informed Moby Dick, and the struggle of the whalers to survive after the giant whale split their ship in half. That book has long been at Warner Bros and looks like it is finally getting made later this year with Ron Howard directing and Thor’s Chris Hemsworth starring.
Resolution’s Rich Green brokered the movie deal for Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, and Pearl Street president Jennifer Todd moving aggressively to bring the book into the fold, with Sarah Schechter overseeing for the studio.
Affleck, who until Argo had directed movies in the Boston backdrop where he grew up, is going home again as Bunker Hill is hailed as the battle that lit the fuse for the American Revolution in 1775.
The unease between Bostonians and British troops turned violent after the Boston Tea Party, when violent sieges erupted in Lexington and Concord and a British blockade led to outright war in the Battle of Bunker Hill, a bloody clash that united the colonies and started the war for independence. The story is told from a group of participants, including a 33-year-old physician named Joseph Warren, who becomes a leader of the Patriot cause; Paul Revere, George Washington, British General Thomas Gage, and others.
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This looks wicked pissa!!!
That’s “Wicked Pissah” with an “H” numbnuts.
Its fascinating to see Affleck move slowly to add skills to his resume. He could have jumped at Superman or a $200 million action movie by now, but he is starting with safer options that each give him a new challenge.
Gone baby gone taught him drama, The town – action, Argo taught him to handle a large cast and to balance suspense with comic relief. This movie seems to add a new piece to the puzzle.
It will be very interesting to see where this guy ends up.
Argo was not very suspenseful, and the ending was horrid. Ben Affleck is only a decent or passable director that is getting major props and mega-hype because of his celebrity status ( and an A-list movie star turned director ) . Affleck didn’t deserve the Oscar nomination for Best Director. Plus, Ben is one of the most wooden and bland actors in the movies. But, to be fair, I would rather Affleck work behind the camera, instead of working in front of the camera.
This is a bogus comment. Affleck, who was the laughing stock of the world for years, is not receiving fanfare now because of his celebrity status. If anything, he had the chips stacked against him, but then he kicked everyone’s ass with The Town, which is arguably one of the best heist films ever made. Watch it again, and then watch it again (while trying to keep your inner judgmental prick at bay), and you’ll see that it’s a damn near perfect flick. And do the same with Argo. He makes beautifully balanced movies. They’re entertaining, smart and infinitely watchable. It’s masterful shit. Put him next to any director in Hollywood, many of whom have years of experience on the guy, and he will hold a candle. And all those other directors will say the exact same thing. You will see Affleck in the Oscar race consistently for years to come. Behind and in front of the camera.
But keep on hating because he seems to thrive off that shit. The dude is gunning for that number one spot.
Thank you. I couldn’t have said it better. He had to over come a tremendous amount of crap to rise in prominence as a director. He accomplished this position by crafting three damn good flicks over about 6 years time. At this point, I will go see any movie that credits him as director.
Thank you ! I couldn’t agree more.
Affleck’s vastly overrated. He hasn’t done anything remote challenging, just three ordinary movies that could be confused for made-for-tv dramas. Masterful … Ben Affleck? You’re delusional. He’s not even Kevin Costner.
I loved THE TOWN and ARGO. They were also incredibly thin movies. All ARGO was in terms of suspense was a good opening scene, then him driving them, then going through an airport. The scenes with the female servant were tense. That’s it. THE TOWN, sound and fury signifying nothing. Didn’t have 1/100th of the depth that H.E.A.T. had. He’s also one of the worst actors in cinema today. But I still love him because of GWH.
Affleck played everyone and rode the sympathy train to the Best Picture Oscar – it’s a tainted award, he didn’t deserve it, and everyone knows it. His choice of films and style of directing shows he’s a serviceable made-for-cable director, nothing more. (His films actually play better on a small screen, like an iPhone.) And, if you really think GONE BABY GONE, THE TOWN, and ARGO are fantastic examples of modern filmmaking … well, you really need to watch better films.
Celebrity Status? This is the star of Gigli and Paycheck. That was the end of his celebrity status. I think he went behind the camera to get away from all the bullshit frankly.
Meesa thinks this might be vewy vewy goood!
Fascinating to see a guy once in danger of becoming Keanu Reeves turning instead into Clint Eastwood.
Ben is no Clint Eastwood. Eastwood can actually act and he is a gifted director.
Excellent comment! I second that.
I was approving of the comment by Tim B, but Jimmy and I apparently commented simultaneously. Jimmy, he said “turning into” as in an evolution of growth.
I’ll believe that he’s turning into Eastwood after I see him direct a movie as good as Mystic River AND show an acting range from “Play Misty for Me” to “Bridges of Madison County”.
Not to mention “The outlaw Josey Wales”
As long as he sticks to the facts, I’m all for this. I enjoy war movies depicting that era, and Affleck – while he often plays angry roles that I don’t enjoy – seems to be a decent director.
Great topic and Ben did a geat job on Argo. But I do wonder…will the film acknowledge that the majority of patriots at Bunker and Breeds Hills were from New Hampshire – not Boston?
Too bad it will crash because everyone is tired of these anti-american 1%ers.
Not ANOTHER Boston movie! This guy just keeps making the same movie over and over and…I keed, I keed, this’ll be amazing
Ben Affleck, I just don’t get it. Competent director of three mediocre films, nothing special. If Affleck’s “woe-is-me redemption” is a “Driving Miss Daisy” Oscar, all the more power to him. This looks like a safe and calculated follow-up (how can you go wrong with the American Revolution). “Argo: Birth of Nation” is exactly what I’m expecting (no, not D. W. Griffith). What’s the over/under on Paul Revere (Ben Affleck) taking off his shirt?
As a student of history, specifically the American revolution, I know for a fact that Paul Revere took his shirt off.
This will take place in outer space on another planet. I won’t spend any money on it if it takes place in Boston in 1775. The teenagers don’t want to see a damn history lesson they get that in school. Change it to Bunker Hill on Neptune and give the soldiers ray guns and it might make a profit. We have to give the teenagers what they want to stay in business.
Our kids need to see these movies precisely because they are not being taught the truth about our remarkable history, and anyone who would rather watch the endless stream of space movies only reveals their lack of intellectual curiosity.
This “fundamental transformation” of America is destroying our republic and stealing our freedoms. The next generation should learn the price that was paid for our liberty before it is all surrendered so cheaply.
Dear Capelady Argo was doctored , Lincoln was changed , and zero dark was filled with false information. Hollywood is not where people should learn there history. Stay out of the sun.
Bunker hill resident .
Right…Just like they flocked to see “John Carter”. Civil War soldier turned Luke Skywalker.
I hope he will keep it accurate and not make it Anti-American which is the trend for the current Hollywood crowd.
I also hope he does not forsake accuracy for “story drama” or whatever. Maybe the current generation of kids will actually get an accurate history lesson they do not receive in school. One Oliver Stone is one too many.
There are some stories from American history that you just couldn’t write. Nathaniel Philbrick is a terrific writer. I have read Mayflower and the story of the great white whale. Those stories are absolutely fascinating and deserve to be told as close as possible the actual events. He ranks along with one of the great authors of American history genre, Jeff Sharra.
I’m always fearful of what liberals will do with such stories. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t make George Washington, Revere and the rest look like villains and the Brits, heroes!
You know we lost that battle right?
It’s kind of like the Alamo.
We may have lost the battle, but it set the stage and seems to have set the Brits at a courage disadvantage. They consistently avoided a repeat of that battle because, though they won the prize of that particular battle, they paid an extraordinarily high price of soldier’s lives for it. It showed them the colonies would not simply be stomped on and stopped without a lot of British casualties.
If not for the fear this battle put in their generals, many future battles during the Revolution probably would have ended differently. Multiple times the Brits halted their attacks, due to that annoying reminder of their losses at the battle of Breed’s Hill.
Although if the Continental Army had set up on Bunker Hill, like they were supposed to, they might very well have won…
We may have lost the battle at Breeds Hill. but the loses suffered by the British were catastrophic and made them more cautious in future encounters with American troops. After that they tried to avoid attacks on entrenched Americans at all costs. The revolution might have fizzled before the end of 1775 if Breeds Hill hadn’t instilled some pride in the troops. The battle also impressed the French and other foreign powers to give more aid. For the Americans the loss of Dr. Warren probably hurt the most. He was among the most sensible of the revolutionary leaders, as opposed to Sam Adams who was somewhat of a nut case and Hancock who was full of himself and not overly bright.
So making a movie where the Iranians are murderous America-haters is part of a liberal agenda?
It would be nice to acknowledge that neither side were “villains”.
There are some stories in American history that you just couldn’t write or make up. Nathaniel Philbrick is a wonderful author. You ranks up there with a another favorite author mine, Jeff Sharra. I have read Mayflower and story of the great white whale. These stories should be Told as close to the actual events as possible. I will be looking forward to Bunker Hill.
I don’t think ben is much of an actor, and an agitprop piece about Iran credits only a hasty pudding.
But make what you want, i don’t give a sh!t; but please don’t do it on the taxpayer’s (I mean Wall Street’s) dime.
It should be labled as a comedy. A flaming Hollywood limosine/Lear Jet liberal playing the role as a patrion.
Perfect bagger.
Can’t spell.
I am a big-tome Revolutionary War history buff, and have several books on this very event, which is one of the most electrifying, dramatic moments in American history. I am thrilled to see it brought to the big screen, but terrified at what Ben Affleck and his liberal sensibilities will do to the story (why oh why couldn’t we have someone like Randall Wallace at the helm?!!). At least all of the kiddies who play Assassins Creed may actually turn out to see this movie, since they now have a passing knowledge of the battle.
Because the last movie Randall Wallace directed was about a fucking horse and it wasn’t Seabiscuit.
I don’t think he’s as liberal as people think. After all, the conservatives were salivating over the patriotic, “let’s trick the Isalmists” movie that Argo turned out to be. Joseph Warren is one of my ancestors and a Revolutionary War hero that doesn’t get a lot of attention nowadays (although the famous painting “The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker’s Hill” by Joseph Trumbull indicates that Warren was likely held in high regard at the time). I would love to see a resurgence in Warren interest, so my happiness for a Bunker Hill movie is totally selfish.
I think Dr. Warren was held in very high regard as there is a statue to him at the Bunker Hill Monument.
Dr. Warren was an absolute Patriot, and much more involved in the success of the Revolution than history sometimes seems to credit him with. God Bless him.
Argo was changed, Lincoln was altered and Zero dark thirty was filled in. Hollywood is not a place to learn your ( our ) history lessons .
I hear that the script is already out. The Palestinians win.
When is he going to direct “the stand”,does this mean Ben has abandoned the project???
Well, I agree that America’s young people should be learning their U.S. History from movies…that’s why I produced and directed my DVD DocuDrama entitled THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL three years ago! And yes, we talk about Dr. Joseph Warren and show General Tommy Gage planning his strategy. We also mention the fact that some 20 – 25% of the brave Patriots who stood up to the British that day were Black Americans; both slave and free! (I’d give my website, but I think it is not allowed, but if you Google the title and my name, you’ll be able to view the Trailer and some clips on YouTube and PopModal. – Tony Malanowski
I clicked on your name and saw your dvd site it’s very well done and you should contact Affleck and offer your service as an expert you might get to be a co-producer on the movie.
Ben has a talent for picking good stories. His Argo script is good at times but he needs a personal director for his own acting. A single emotion from the lead actor throughout a movie left me disappointed. Suggestions for Bunker Hill: Make one of the leads’Dr Joseph Warren’ who is a true hero of the war. Warren was commissioned as a general but opted to fight as a private,was so hated by the Brits that they shot, stripped and bayonetted him to shreds.
Any exposure the mutton headed kids of this country can get to real history is good. Get them away from the ipads and twitter to a battlefield to view the stage where real heroes bled can’t be bad. Philbrick is a damn fine writer (Heart of the Sea) (Mayflower)and would be true to events. Let’s hope Ben doesn’t turn the battle into a clunker like Pearl Harbor or Gigli (?). Please no Morgan Freeman voice overs or liberal claptrap…stick to events, facts, and history.
Let’s see if Affleck can keep it real this time around, not taking “creative license” and playing fast & loose with the facts, like he did in Argo.
Historical movies should stick to the facts.
If he doesn’t, someone else has been intending to for years. So I hope he doesn’t screw it up if he does it.
Every day we look at a powder horn that sits on our mantle that belonged to a 14 year old drummer boy from NH, on my wife’s side of the family, who was at the battle, and whose Father was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
We look forward to reading the book and perhaps seeing a movie.
Amen to the comments above that say we need to teach more of this History to a self absorbed generation who think news and History may be obtained and learned by reading a few “tweets”. No, it isn’t all about only YOU!
To even begin to think you would get accurate history from Hollywood should in my opinion put you on a list to not procreate.