How Plausible is OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN?
- Details
- Category: Interviews
- Created: Friday, 22 March 2013 08:33
- Published: Friday, 22 March 2013 08:33
- Written by Ethan Falk
The Obama family may grip onto each other just a little bit tighter after seeing the upcoming action thriller OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN. Director Antoine Fuqua suggest President Obama and the Secret Service watch the movie and add this possible scenario to the White House security list.
OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN’s premise seems like a scenario straight out of a Call of Duty video game. It depicts a situation where North Korean terrorists infiltrate the White House and hold the President and his cabinet hostage. Although highly unlikely to transpire, director Antoine Fuqua(Training Day) has staged an ambush on the White House that is ridiculously compelling and electrifying. Maybe compelling enough for the Secret Service to start thinking about how to prevent an attack like this one. Perhaps they’ll get Dennis Rodman to help them out.
At a recent press conference with director,Antoine Fuqua and the cast, Fuqua was convinced that he had a story that was not only explosive, but also somewhat plausible. He commenced in-depth research of both the Secret Service and the White House to ensure that the script became as realistic as possible. The filmmaker met with former White House officials, CIA, and FBI to help establish this level of realism.
“Most of the people we worked with, outside of a couple of people I can’t name, were employees of the White House. One worked for George Bush Sr. They laid out the White House for us. I didn’t realize it had all those passage ways.”Gerard Butler takes on the role of Mike Banning, a disgraced Secret Service agent who finds his way into the besieged White House in attempt to protect the President. Butler also happens to be one of the film’s producers and was a huge proponent in the hiring of Fuqua. He claims that the Training Day director provides grittiness and realism to action flicks like nobody else.
“This takedown of the White House is one of the most unforgettable action sequences. It’s a very powerful thing to experience because Antoine focuses on the grounding of it: What it would smell, look, and feel like. Every gunshot and explosion is mind blowing.”
OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN has been screened for political journalists, government officials, secret service, as well as the New York Literati. Butler and company also visited Camp Pendleton to see how the U.S Marines would react after screening the film. Butler admitted to us that it was a huge fear of his to see how they would respond since the film reflects on a day of failed military effort.
“I was more terrified than anybody. I thought if it wasn’t going well, I’m going to leave before the end. But they got exactly the heart, soul, and the point of the movie. They took it for exactly what it is. It’s provocative entertainment.”Cinemovie put director Antoine Fuqua on the hot seat. We asked him how he thinks President Obama and the Secret Service will react after watching the film.
“Hopefully our President watches and enjoys the movie. Part of our Government now is to sit in a think tank about scenarios and imagination. I think this will just be another scenario they could look at to make sure this doesn’t happen, but we’re in good hands.”
OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN attacks theatres Friday, March 22nd.