Kathryn Bigelow, director of the Oscar-winning war film
"The Hurt Locker," is reportedly developing an action thriller about
the U.S.-led hunt for Osama bin Laden.
The 60-year-old director's eagerly-awaited film, which is
reportedly titled 'Zero Dark Thirty', is due for release in December this year,
tells the story of the US Navy Seal team which trailed the notorious al-Qaeda
leader before finally killing him, his aides and one of his sons in a night
raid on his secret compound in the heart of a Pakistan army establishment town.
Its cast is set to include 'The Help' star Jessica Chastain,
British actor Mark Strong, Aymen Hamdouchi and Kyle Chandler.
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| Kathryn Bigelow |
The raid, which was carried out without the knowledge of the
Pakistan army and government, caused widespread anger at the violation of the
country's sovereignty and remains a source of anti-American feeling in the
country.
The producers decided in the current security climate it
would be impossible for them to film in Pakistan and looked for alternative
locations.
The Associated Press quoted a person close to Bigelow and
"The Hurt Locker" screenwriter Mark Boal as saying that the
filmmakers are moving forward with the new film project. The two have not
commented. Bigelow and Boal began developing a thriller said to be about bin
Laden back in December 2010. Work on the project's script began in January.
"The Hurt Locker" tells of a U.S. bomb squad in
Iraq in 2004 and stars Jeremy Renner. The film won six Academy Awards,
including Best Picture, in 2010. Bigelow won the prize for Best Directing and
Boal took home the award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay).
Bigelow is also known for directing the cult surfer crime
film "Point Break," which stars Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.
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| Osama Bin Laden |
Bigelow and Boal are also working on a film tentatively
titled "Triple Frontier," which centers on a group of men working in a
border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, which has been a suspected
haven for organized crime and terrorists. Actors linked to the project, set for
release in 2012, include Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp.
The "Triple Frontier" between the countries is
difficult to monitor and control. In 2002, a year after the September 11
attacks, the area was dubbed "the center of Middle Eastern terrorism in
South America." In 2006, the United States suspected Muslim members of its
communities raised funds for terrorist organizations, including al-Qaeda.
