Oscar-winning filmmaker Ang Lee has committed to directing Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, based on the book by Ben Fountain. Filming’s expected to begin next spring, with Simon Beaufoy penning the script and Lee, Stephen Cornwell, Rhodri Thomas, and Simon Cornwell producing.
The film’s set up at TriStar Productions and Film4, and Tristar’s Tom Rothman announced Lee’s attachment, stating, “Ang Lee is constitutionally incapable of repeating himself. His very DNA requires him to always find new challenges. ‘More of the same’ may be the film fashion these days, but thankfully not for this exceptional artist. Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn will be a true original, and TriStar is in the business of investing in originality, here combined with innovation. Big movies come from such combinations, as witness Life of Pi. We are grateful to Ink Factory, Simon Beaufoy and Ben Fountain for trusting TriStar with Billy’s story. Having worked with my friend Tessa on Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, and many other films, I am also grateful to Film4 and sad (but only for us) that she got such a great new gig.”
“I am very excited to be going back to work and to be collaborating with my old friend Tom Rothman,” added Lee. “The most important thing to me is storytelling and Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is a story that immediately gripped me. I look forward to starting the creative process with this extraordinary team of collaborators.”
The Plot:
The film tells the funny and heartbreaking story of 19-year-old soldier Billy Lynn and his squad, who survive an Iraq battle that is captured by embedded news cameras, causing them to become celebrated as heroes. They are brought home by the US administration for a promotional tour that culminates at the halftime show of a Thanksgiving Day football game in Texas, before they are returned to the war. Almost the entire movie takes place during the game, with flashes away to other events.
-By Rebecca Murray
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