Could Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama bin Laden Movie Be the 2012 Election’s October Surprise?

[Ian David]

Could Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama bin Laden Movie Be the 2012 Election’s October Surprise?

Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow’s forthcoming Osama bin Laden assassination movie—which is rumored to star Dennis Farina as Vice President Joe Biden, Garry Shandling as British Prime Minister David Cameron, and Vin Diesel as Man with Gun No. 2—has just been assigned a release date of October 12, 2012. Not only is October 12, 2012, just about the day it becomes O.K. to start thinking about Halloween, it’s also prime timing for the 2012 election’s October Surprise.

According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, the movie has become “the hottest project in town” since bin Laden’s death on May 2. In terms of publicity and rollout, Sony Pictures “is using a strategy similar to the one employed on The Social Network.” Let’s assume the film is a huge hit: Bigelow is not too far removed from her 2009 Oscar win, and interest in seeing the death of bin Laden is, as we know, appreciable. If the “Barack Obama” character is portrayed as a strong leader whose military savvy wrought great success and security, it could improve the president’s image among audience members. It might even convert some undecideds.

On the other hand, if Republican nominee Herman Cain taps Sarah Palin as his running-mate, and Victory Films and ARC Entertainment upload an extended version of The Undefeated to YouTube, the polls could also see some action.

Deep cut: A September 12, 2008, Los Angeles Times article that reveals a “possible goal” of the government: “to get Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, before the election or by the time George W. Bush’s second term ends January 20.”



More:
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/07/could-kathryn-bigelows-osama-bin-laden-movie-be-the-2012-elections-october-surprise.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. No good will come of this

I reckon.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Why do you 'reckon' that? I reckon the opposite. Very good

film to come out just then. My only quibble with the OP is that it is not just acceptable but encouraged to start thinking about Halloween mid November the year before.

[Cosmocat]

6. There is no possible way ...

to spin it negatively on BO in the film and not have it be some wingnut BS disaster flick like the ghost of christmas or whatever it was ...

If this plays out, expect right wing heads to blow off screaming about liberal hollywood.

[SpiralHawk]

8. ...and expect it to provoke more terrorism - as the film rubs their shit in their faces

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p7ljkkEWNYk/TgzGq_gV61I/AAAAAAAAC4s/VngxfAJ_AIo/s1600/in+your+face+klein.jpg

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. I'm confused

October surprise in a good way, I presume? :shrug:

[Cosmocat]

4. REALLY?

"On the other hand, if Republican nominee Herman Cain taps Sarah Palin as his running-mate, and Victory Films and ARC Entertainment upload an extended version of The Undefeated to YouTube, the polls could also see some action."

[TwilightGardener]

9. I thought this was a joke. Maybe it isn't?

[monmouth]

5. Dennis Farina as Joe Biden and Shandling as Cameron? Vin Diesel

seems the most realistic choice here.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

7. If those actors are accurate I am not impressed.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. funny, IMDB says nothing about it - no release date, not in 'pre-production'

not even a 'rumor' (the least reliable of IMDB projections).

Not on Bigelow's listing, anyway.

[nxylas]

12. It;s on Box Office Mojo, FWIW

Not many details given, though:

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=binladen.htm

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Thanks. nt

[monmouth]

15. This from Variety..

Sony sets Bin Laden pic date
Bigelow/Boal pic will go out Oct. 12, 2012
By Jeff Sneider
Sony Pictures will release the untitled Kathryn Bigelow/Mark Boal project about the hunt for Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden on Oct. 12, 2012.

Studio plans to employ a release strategy similar to the one that led "The Social Network" to an Oscar nom for best picture after opening in October.

"Warrior" star Joel Edgerton is circling one of the lead roles in the pic, which Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures banner is financing.

Bigelow and Boal have been developing the project for nearly a year, beginning even before a team of Navy SEALS shot and killed Bin Laden in May, forcing Boal to rewrite the third act of his script.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

11. That casting makes 0 sense. I know it's just rumored. But that's a weird ass rumor. nt

[Morizovich]

13. Dennis Farina??? GARY SHANDLING?????

So...it's a comedy?

[Enrique]

16. lol

i can't wait to see who plays bin Laden. Pauly Shore? :rofl:

[Morizovich]

18. HA!

But seriously, if we're relying on a MOVIE to save us from the Repukes.....???

[boxman15]

17. It would remind people who ordered Osama to be killed.

How big of an impact it'll have, it's way to soon to tell.

On a side note, the casting makes no sense at all.

[Ian David]

19. Yeardley Smith as Hillary Clinton. n/t

[PollyPeptide555]

20. lol!

n/m

[rusty fender]

21. The most important question: Who is playing Obama?

:shrug: Anyone other than Denzel Washington might sink the whole thing!:cry:

[thelordofhell]

22. Scott Lawrence

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0493013/

[Yavin4]

23. Vin Diesel????

Come on. Can't we do better than that?

[NICO9000]

24. It's called "Untitled International Thriller" right now on imdb

And that casting does sound highly suspect. I can't see Shandling having the dramatic chops to pull off a plausible British accent, plus he's 14 years older than Cameron is.