Movie online media release
Action
superstar Mark Wahlberg (“2 Guns”) leads the cast of the critically acclaimed
war thriller “Lone Survivor” as Marcus Luttrell, a real-life Navy SEAL whose
book has become a motivational resource for its lessons on how the power of the
human spirit is tested when we are pushed beyond our mental and physical
limits.
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| Photo courtesy Walt Disney Studios |
Based
on The New York Times bestselling true story of heroism, courage and
resilience, “Lone Survivor” tells the incredible tale of four Navy SEALs on a
covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative who are ambushed
by the enemy in the mountains of Afghanistan. Faced with an impossible moral
decision, the small band is isolated from help and surrounded by a much larger
force of Taliban ready for war. As they confront unthinkable odds together, the
four men find reserves of strength and bravery as they stay in the fight to the
finish.
Early
during the development of the action-thriller, director Peter Berg mentioned to
Mark Wahlberg that “Lone Survivor” was a film he wanted to tackle, but at the
time, they each had other projects in various stages of production.
Once
Berg had the script at a place where he felt comfortable, he sent it to
Wahlberg, who had purposely chosen not to read Luttrell’s book in advance. “The
problem when adapting a piece of material like that,” says the actor, “is that
you always feel like something is missing. I wanted to come at it from this
perspective.”
As
both a producer and an actor, Wahlberg’s reaction to the script was
enthusiastic, and he agreed to portray Luttrell, the team’s medic and one of
its snipers. “I was moved by the screenplay, so I felt like we were on the
right track. I loved the balance of the drama, action, humor and emotion,” he
says. “In the first act, you’re meeting these guys, seeing how much they love
each other and what they’re doing out there. Then when Red Wings is a go, you
see the shift from playful to all business.”
Wahlberg
admits that the selflessness of both the SEALs and the Afghan villagers shook
him deeply: “What makes this story so special is the bond and the camaraderie
between the guys, but also the state of where we are in the world today. The
act of heroism by Gulab and his fellow villagers moved me the most. I found it
so inspiring, and it gave me so much hope for the world.”
Although
Wahlberg has played characters based on real people before, in such films as
“The Fighter” and “Invincible,” he admits that it’s never easy to do this kind
of story justice: “I always feel some weight when portraying somebody in real
life, whether they’re alive or not. I want to make sure that I make them and
their family members proud.”
Knowing that Luttrell would be available to offer
guidance proved to be a welcome bonus. Says Wahlberg: “I loved speaking with
Marcus about his relationship with those guys, because it always made him feel
good to talk about how much he loved them, how much they loved him and how
tight they were.”
When
Wahlberg considers his time spent with the cast and crew, he reflects that
working on “Lone Survivor” ranks at the top of his professional achievements as
an actor and producer. He says: “This is the best working experience I’ve ever
had, under the toughest conditions. I remember early on as an actor, you worked
a long, hard day, but you did something you felt was special, and that car ride
home you couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had that feeling every day on this
movie.”
When
discussing what it was like to watch someone else play him, Luttrell admits
that it was initially odd. He says: “Wahlberg is a consummate professional, and
he’s a great actor. It was a little strange watching somebody trying to play
me, but we talked about it and I knew it would turn out great. I was more
worried about the other guys because they’re not around to speak for
themselves.”
Opening
across the Philippines on Jan.
8, 2014, “Lone Survivor” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures International.
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