THR is reporting that Scott Eastwood, Orlando Bloom, Caleb Landry Jones and Cory Hardrict have signed on to star in The Outpost, an Afghan war film from director Rod Lurie (The Contender) and Millennium Media.
Based on the book by Jake Tapper and scripted by Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson (The Fighter), The Outpost tells the true story of 53 U.S. soldiers who found themselves battling 400 enemy insurgents in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Eastwood will play Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha, with Bloom as 1st Lieutenant Benjamin D. Keating, Jones as Specialist Ty Michael Carter and Hardrict as Sgt. Vernon Martin.
“Telling the stories of the men and women who served at Combat Outpost Keating, and those who love them, was the honor of a lifetime,” said Tapper. “I am so pleased that Rod Lurie and Millennium will bring the tales of their selflessness and valor to an even wider audience. The 2009 heroic battle of COP Keating resulted in a rare two Medals of Honor and countless other medals. We can never fully repay the troops and their families, but the fact that millions more Americans will soon learn their inspiring story will hopefully convey to these patriots an even greater and deeper sense of appreciation.”
“I am very proud to say that many of the actors we have already cast in the supporting roles are themselves veterans — as are crew members,” added Lurie. “I hope to continue that process. Mostly, though, I am just damn thrilled to be telling one of the most heroic stories of military survival ever recorded. Think of the 300 Spartans in a modern war. That’s what this is.”
The Outpost is one of two competing projects detailing the same events, with Sony developing its own feature, Red Platoon. However, The Outpost is looking to steal a march on its rival, with principal photography set to get underway in August.
