The Sussexes will produce a feature film of a true Afghanistan war story

Have you guys ever seen the Kevin Costner film No Way Out? It also starred Gene Hackman and Sean Young. It came out in 1987, and I watched it for the first time as an adult. It’s very ‘80s in every way – a Cold War story about spies and spycraft, seduction, betrayal and cover-ups. I actually think it’s super-underrated, it’s one of the better spy movies made during that late-Cold War period. Well, unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) that film is not being remade. They are borrowing the title for a brand-new film set during the war in Afghanistan. Guess who’s producing this film? The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. I’m furious! I was told that everyone in Hollywood hated them! I was told that no one will take a meeting with them, that Ted Sarandos spits in their general direction, that Oprah let her ducks poop in their yard! WHAT IS HAPPENING?

No Way Out: The Searing True Story of Men Under Siege tells the story of Easy Company, a unit of Paras and Royal Irish rangers that was tasked with holding a district in Helmand province in July 2006 during the war in Afghanistan. That story, by Major Adam Jowett, who led the unit, is now being developed as a feature film by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

Deadline understands that Matt Charman, the Oscar-nominated writer of Bridge of Spies, is writing the adaptation for Netflix as part of its deal with Harry and Meghan’s Archewell. It marks the latest feature project in the works for the company, which segued from an overall deal to a first-look pact last year.

In Helmand province in July 2006, Major Adam Jowett was given command of Easy Company, a hastily assembled and under-strength unit of Paras and Royal Irish rangers. Their mission was to hold the District Centre of Musa Qala at any cost. Easy Company found themselves in a ramshackle compound, cut off and heavily outnumbered by the Taliban in the town.

In the book, Jowett evokes the heat and chaos of battle as the Taliban hit Easy Company with wave after wave of brutal attack. He describes what it was like to have responsibility for the lives of his men as they fought back heroically over twenty-one days and nights of relentless, nerve-shredding combat. Finally, as they came down to their last rounds and death stared Easy Company in the face, the siege took an extraordinary turn.

The book was published by Pan Macmillan in 2019. It has been described as an “emotional” story in the vein of Black Hawk Down and The Bridge on the River Kwai. It’s a project close to Harry as he was deployed twice on active service in Afghanistan including in Helmand Province.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Tracy Ryerson, who heads up scripted content, will produce for Archewell.

In addition to writing the Steven Spielberg-directed and Tom Hanks-starring spy thriller, Charman wrote and served as showrunner for Netflix’s Treason, created and ran Netflix political thriller Hostage, which starred Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy, and created, wrote and produced Prisoner for Sky. He is also writing Dirty for Amazon in the UK, which begins production in September. He produces these shows through his production company Binocular Productions.

[From Deadline]

I’m glad they mentioned Black Hawk Down, because this story sounds somewhat reminiscent of that (also underrated) film. That being said, the guy adapting the script also wrote Bridge of Spies? Sigh… I could not get through that film at all, and I think it’s clear that I enjoy movies about spies and legal drama. I hope Matt Charman doesn’t make this dramatic story dry and flavorless. Still, it’s cool that Harry & Meghan have signed on as producers. “Sources” were not joking when they said that the Sussexes had a lot of stuff cooking professionally this year. But Netflix! Sources! Meghan turned off her Zoom camera! Everyone hates them, I was promised!!

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.