The war between Iran and US/Israeli forces has not conclusively ended yet, but already a major Hollywood director, Michael Bay, is collaborating with Universal Pictures to make a movie about one of its most moving events.
Deadline announced that Bay is working on a feature film about the rescue mission to save two US airmen when their F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft was shot down in Operation Epic Fury in April.
A book by Mitchell Zuckoff set to be published in 2027 will be the basis for the screenplay, according to Deadline.
About a month after the conflict began, the US armed forces mounted a daring and successful rescue mission in the Zagros Mountains to rescue the crew of the plane that Iranian forces shot down.
Bay is known for some of the most thrilling action movies of all time, including The Rock, Bad Boys, Transformers, and Armageddon, as well as fact-based war movies, Pearl Harbor and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. He worked with the US military on the latter two films to make them as accurate as possible, and would collaborate again with the military on the Epic Fury movie.
Bay told Deadline: “I’ve had an amazing partnership over my 30-year career working with the Department of War and amazing US military members. In my film 13 Hours, no rescue force answered the call for help. This film is about everyone who answered the call in one of the most complex, intricate and high-stakes operations in recent history. It celebrates the true heroism and unwavering dedication of our service members.”
Bay speculated to consult with IDF on Epic Fury film
Bay, who was raised Jewish by his adoptive parents, visited Israel in 2019, when he was directing Fauda creator and star, Lior Raz, in the Netflix film, 6 Underground. The director visited Tel Aviv and Jaffa where he met celebrity restaurateur Eyal Shani and had a drink with Raz. Next, he headed to Jerusalem, where he had a krav maga workout with Guy Katan.
Israeli film industry sources speculated that Bay would consult with the IDF, which helped the US with intelligence during the complex rescue operation, on the upcoming film.
Bay is one of the most commercially successful directors of all time, and films he directed and produced have grossed $10 billion around the world. Critics have accused him of making low-brow movies full of explosions, car chases, and fights that appeal primarily to young, male audiences, to which he reportedly replied, "I make movies for teenage boys. Oh, dear, what a crime."