12 strong trailer

The first trailer for the true story war film 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers has been released online. Based on the book Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton, the film recounts how in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, a group of CIA paramilitary officers and US Special Forces are sent to Afghanistan to join General Abdul Rashid Dostum in the fight against the Taliban. Nicolai Fuglsig (Exfil) directs from a script by Peter Craig (The Hunger Games; Mockingjay) and Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs), and the impressive ensemble cast is led by Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon and also includes Michael Peña, Austin Stowell, Trevante Rhodes, and Rob Riggle.

This looks very much like something of a throwback war movie to the early 2000s or 1990s, which I suppose makes sense given that Jerry Bruckheimer produced it. The cinematography by Rasmus Videbæk is immediately striking, and indeed Fuglsig has a strong background in commercials, having won plenty of awards for his work in the world of advertising. It’ll be interesting to see how this story unfolds, but Hemsworth and Shannon are immediate draws.

Watch the 12 Strong trailer below via USA Today. The film also stars Elsa Pataky and Taylor Sheridan. 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers opens in theaters on January 19, 2018.