Playing in theaters now is Paramount Pictures’ film, 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI.
Based on the story of the attack on the U.S compound in Libya and the security team who fought to defend the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi after the attack on September 11, 2012, 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI is directed by Michael Bay and opened in theaters on January 15.
Read Jim Batts’ review here. Check out our interview with the real-life heroes here.
WAMG is giving away 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI Run-Of-Engagement passes for our MO, IL area readers.
Not in the Gateway area? You can also enter for a chance to win a copy of the book.
13 HOURS presents, for the first time ever, the true account of the events of September 11, 2012, when terrorists attacked the US State Department Special Mission Compound and a nearby CIA station called the Annex in Benghazi, Libya. A team of six American security operators fought to repel the attackers and protect the Americans stationed there.
Those men went beyond the call of duty, performing extraordinary acts of courage and heroism, to avert tragedy on a much larger scale. This is their personal account, never before told, of what happened during the thirteen hours of that now-infamous attack.
13 HOURS sets the record straight on what happened during a night that has been shrouded in mystery and controversy. Written by New York Times bestselling author Mitchell Zuckoff, this riveting book takes readers into the action-packed story of heroes who laid their lives on the line for one another, for their countrymen, and for their country.
13 HOURS is a stunning, eye-opening, and intense book — but most importantly, it is the truth. The story of what happened to these men — and what they accomplished — is unforgettable.
Before the book debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list in Sept. 2014, Zuckoff wrote on his Facebook page that 13 Hours “is a tribute to the four brave men — Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone “Rone” Woods and Glen “Bub” Doherty — who gave their lives for our country.”
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This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Michelle McCue, Jim Batts, Cate Marquis, and Tom Stockman discuss the weekend box office. We’ll review 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI, RIDE ALONG 2, and NORM OF THE NORTH. We’ll also discuss the Oscar nominations, talk about the Alliance of Women Film Journalists awards, and pay tribute to the film careers of Alan Rickman and David Bowie.
Paramount Music will release the 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI – Music from the Motion Picture digitally on January 15, 2016. The album features the film’s original score by Lorne Balfe (TERMINATOR GENISYS, PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR).
“The film is really about the soldiers’ ordeal and how they coped with the situation at hand,” said Balfe. “Michael (Bay) does a great job keeping the film from becoming political. The film is really here to honor the soldiers and the men and women who ultimately had to step up and do everything they could to save as many people as possible.”
From director Michael Bay, 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI is the gripping true story of six elite ex-military operators assigned to protect the CIA who fought back against overwhelming odds when terrorists attacked a U.S. diplomatic compound on September 11, 2012. When everything went wrong, six men had the courage to do what was right. (Review)
13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI is directed by Michael Bay from a screenplay by Chuck Hogan, based on the book 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff and Members of the Annex Security Team. Read our interview here.
Produced by Erwin Stoff and Michael Bay. The film stars James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Pablo Schreiber and Toby Stephens.
“The music needed to reflect the complex feelings the guys were dealing with and so instead of creating a solely action-packing score, we stuck with more simple electronic soundscapes,” Balfe described. “Peter Gregson brought to the table his immense talent on electric cello and the sound we created with him, I think, evoked the feelings of isolation and abandonment that the men had to deal with.”
“Being able to work with Michael and be part of the telling of this important story, was a fantastic experience,” said Balfe.
Lorne Balfe is a Grammy Award-winning, EMMY and BAFTA nominated film composer from Inverness, Scotland. Lorne is known for composing the scores to Dreamworks Animation’s Penguins of Madagascar and Home, as well as Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media’s Terminator Genisys. (Interview)
Lorne’s credits include major studio film releases, video game franchises, beloved animated features, and highly acclaimed documentaries. In 2014 Lorne composed the score for Manny, a documentary about the life of Manny Pacquiao, eight-division world champion and ten-time world title winning boxer, which premiered at SXSW in 2015. He composed the score for Dreamworks Animation’s Penguins of Madagascar that was released worldwide in the fall of 2014. Immediately following the release of Penguins, Lorne completed the score for Dreamworks Animation’s Home starring Rihanna, Jim Parsons and Steve Martin that released in March 2015. Later that year, he composed the music for the highly anticipated, most recent installment of the Terminator franchise, Terminator Genisys.
In addition to recognition earned for producing two of Hans Zimmer’s Oscar-nominated scores, Sherlock Holmes and Inception, Lorne has also received significant recognition for his work in the United Kingdom. In 2009, Lorne was nominated for the Discovery of the Year World Soundtrack Award for his score in the BAFTA award-winning film, Crying With Laughter. The same year he was nominated for the prestigious Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award.
While working in the UK, Lorne composed the scores for Ironclad, The Sweeney, Not Another Happy Ending (starring Karen Gillan of Doctor Who) and Side by Side. His music is featured in the BBC and Sundance Channel TV mini-series, Restless, starring Hayley Atwell and Rufus Sewell, for which Lorne received the 2013 EMMY nomination for Outstanding Music Composition. Lorne continues his work with director Nick Love (The Sweeney) with the score for Love’s latest film starring Stephen Dorff, AMERICAN HERO.
In the U.S. Lorne worked alongside director Scott Walker for Walker’s film The Frozen Ground, starring John Cusack, Nicolas Cage and Vanessa Hudgens. In collaboration with composer Rachel Portman, Lorne completed the music for 10×10′s feature documentary Girl Rising, directed by Academy Award nominee Richard E. Robbins that features narration by Hollywood actresses such as Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett. After years of work with director Shane Salerno, Lorne’s music in the highly secretive feature documentary, Salinger, was finally released in September 2013.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Check out the photos and images from the world premiere of 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX.
A tribute to service, the night honored the real-life heroes who lost their lives on September 11, 2012 and the brave men who have shared their story of what happened that day.
The premiere featured appearances by the real-life heroes, director Michael Bay and cast members, as well as performances by Chris Cornell, Madison Rising, and The Band Perry.
Read our interview with members of the Annex Security Team John Tiegen and Mark Geist here.
(L-R) John “Tig” Tiegen, Mark “Oz” Geist, and Kris “Tanto” Paronto. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)Director/producer Michael Bay(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)John Krasinski (L) and Emily Blunt. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)Mark “Oz” Geist (L) and director/producer Michael Bay. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)Musician Chris Cornell. (Photo by Peter Larsen/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)(L-R) Musicians Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry, and Reid Perry of The Band Perry. (Photo by Peter Larsen/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)Actor James Badge Dale. (Photo by Peter Larsen/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
John Tiegen (L) and writer Mitchell Zuckoff (Photo by Peter Larsen/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)Director/producer Michael Bay. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
From director Michael Bay, 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI is the gripping true story of six elite ex-military operators assigned to protect the CIA who fought back against overwhelming odds when terrorists attacked a U.S. diplomatic compound on September 11, 2012. When everything went wrong, six men had the courage to do what was right. (Trailer)
The film is written by Chuck Hogan, based on the book 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff and Members of the Annex Security Team. Produced by Erwin Stoff and Michael Bay. Starring James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Pablo Schreiber, Toby Stephens, David Denman, and Dominic Fumusa.
A must-see film, 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI opens in theaters on Friday, January 15th, 2016.
Paramount Pictures and Cinemark Theatres present an exclusive 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI movie event in more than 100 Cinemark Theatre locations across the U.S. for one-night-only on Thursday, January 14th.
Director Michael Bay, producer Erwin Stoff, and the real life heroes of Benghazi, Mark “Oz” Geist, Kris “Tanto” Paronto and John “Tig” Tiegen, will appear live at the Cinemark Playa Vista and XD theatre in Los Angeles for a Q&A following the 5:00 p.m. screening of the film.
The Q&A will stream live to other participating Cinemark locations, including Century, Tinseltown and Rave presented in XD at select locations, following the event screenings starting at 5:00 p.m. PT, 6:00 p.m. MT, 7:00 p.m. CT and 8:00 p.m. ET. Scott Mantz will moderate the Q&A.
Tickets are on sale now for the regular price of admission at www.Cinemark.com and participating theatre box offices.
From director Michael Bay, 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI is the gripping true story of six elite ex-military operators assigned to protect the CIA who fought back against overwhelming odds when terrorists attacked a U.S. diplomatic compound on September 11, 2012. When everything went wrong, six men had the courage to do what was right.
The film is written by Chuck Hogan, based on the book 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff and Members of the Annex Security Team. Produced by Erwin Stoff and Michael Bay. Starring James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Pablo Schreiber, Toby Stephens, David Denman, and Dominic Fumusa.
13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI opens in theaters on Friday, January 15th, 2016.
This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Michelle McCue, Jim Batts and Tom Stockman discuss the weekend box office. We’ll review THE FOREST, THE REVENANT, and ANOMALISA. We’ll preview 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI and RIDE ALONG 2. We’ll also talk about theGolden Globe Awards program and predict what films will be nominated for what Oscars when those are announced this week.
“If you guys do not get here, we’re going to die.” – excerpt 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi
On the night of September 11, 2012, four Americans lost their lives in Benghazi – Ambassador Christopher Stevens (U.S. Ambassador to Libya), Sean Smith (Information Management Officer, U.S. Foreign Service), Tyrone “Rone” Woods (GRS Operator for Annex Security Team in Benghazi), Glen “Bub” Doherty (GRS Operator in Tripoli, Libya – part of the Quick Reaction Force sent from Tripoli to Benghazi after the compound was under attack).
13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI, is based on the book 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi, written by New York Times bestselling author Mitchell Zuckoff and co-authored by five members of the Annex Security Team, including Kris “Tanto” Paronto, John “Tig” Tiegen and Mark “Oz” Geist.
13 HOURS tells the true account of the events of when Islamic militants attacked the U.S. State Department Special Mission Compound (or simply – the American diplomatic compound, it was not the U.S. Embassy) and a CIA station called The Annex in Benghazi, Libya from the personal stories of five of the surviving American private security operators that were on the ground that day.
While it was not their job to protect the state department, when the Annex Security Team found out that the U.S. diplomatic compound was under attack, they knew they had to help the fellow Americans (including U.S. Ambassador Stevens) that were in jeopardy. These operators live by the code that Americans help other Americans overseas.
Audiences embraced the film adaptations of LONE SURVIVOR and AMERICAN SNIPER. Now comes 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI.
Michael Bay’s new movie tells the true account of the events.
Readers truly got a sense of the chronology of the events in their thoroughly detailed book and their account provided chilling details of what really took place that night.
Former Marines who were not active duty military at the time of the attack, both Tiegen and Geist were members of the Annex Security Team hired by the CIA. Recently I had the profound honor of sitting down one to one with these real life American heroes to discuss the film and what’s happened since.
WAMG: For those who haven’t read the book, what does the title 13 Hours represent?
John “Tig” Tiegen: “13 Hours” means from when we got the call to when the last guy went wheels up from Benghazi. It was a 13 hour ordeal.
WAMG: When were you first approached about the movie?
Mark “Oz” Geist: 3 Arts is our agent and they have a literary division who represented us for the book. I think we all had the idea that this could be adapted into a great movie, but the biggest thing for us was that we didn’t lose the story in the making of the movie.
It’s what compelled us to write the book and the politics of this has taken the subject matter and split it apart to the far right, to the far left, and what happened that night and the fact that four Americans lost their lives, at least to us the honor and respect that should be brought to them wasn’t because of the politics.
The only way for us to truly get that right was to initially write the book. We could’ve gone on FOX or CNN or whichever other news station and they would have taken soundbites and made it into whatever they story they wanted to tell and not ours. The book is like putting it in stone – it’s there forever.
JT: Plus the history. It’s been 30 years since we lost an U.S. ambassador in a conflict, so now it’s written down and 30 years from now our kids will know it.
Left to right: John Krasinski, James Badge Dale and Director Michael Bay on the set.
WAMG: I like how respectful Michael Bay is of the military. This is his third drama film based on real-life events, after PEARL HARBOR and PAIN & GAIN. What was your first thought when you were told Bay was directing the film? What sort of input did you have throughout the process?
MG: When it all first started developing, our biggest concern and what we expressed to Paramount and Michael Bay was, in no uncertain terms, if you do anything that brings disrespect to the four Americans, there will be issues.
At the same time they made it very clear in how they wanted to approach it and they wanted to do it the right way. We didn’t want anything of the story lost. Of course there will be certain things changed for the movie.
JT: Just to make it flow, but all the events in those 13 hours happened and are in the context of the movie. That’s what was important to us.
WAMG: As we saw in the featurette Paramount released, you all were on the set. How much of the movie have you seen?
MG: We’ve seen an extended piece of footage – about 20 minutes of it.
WAMG: Recent war-themed adaptations such as LONE SURVIVOR and AMERICAN SNIPER have been unbelievably successful and hit that perfect emotional note with moviegoers. In your opinion, has Bay captured the essence of your book?
MG: I think he has. He shows the emotional side of the family’s stories and those relationships, along with the camaraderie, the action and the undying service to duty that LONE SURVIVOR, AMERICAN SNIPER and even BLACK HAWK DOWN did. He’s really brought that respectful approach to the whole thing.
Left to right: Director Michael Bay, Mark “Oz” Geist, Author Mitchell Zuckoff and John “Tig” Tiegen on the set.
WAMG: What was it like being on the set in Malta and watching that night being played out?
JT: It was great to see how the whole thing was done. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together. I had the chance to meet with Dominic Fumusa who plays me in the movie. They all got to know us and our personalities – the actors really wanted to get all the details right. It’ll be really accurate.
“The situation is beyond serious, people need our help, and we’re the only ones available. We need to go.” – excerpt 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi
WAMG: Was there any time while on set and during filming that you had to walk away?
JT: There was definitely a flashback when we walked onto the set that was The Annex – it was really close to how it was.
MG: This isn’t the first time either of us have been in a firefight like this, maybe not to this extent, but to me being on set was all about making a movie, so I was watching from a technical aspect. Michael Bay really gets it right.
WAMG: From what we’ve seen in the trailers, this will be a very visual film, for which Michael Bay is known for.
MG: I’ve read some reports saying, “Oh, it’s a Michael Bay film and there will be a lot of explosions.” I was there and there were a lot of explosions going on.
WAMG: I’ve spoken at great length to U.S. Marines who have read the book and are still bothered, even hostile, over the whole incident and what happened during the Benghazi hearings. While your book doesn’t take a political stance on either side, what was your take on those hearings?
JT: I didn’t watch it, but I did call Rone’s mom that night and she was pretty upset and very disappointed with the whole thing (Tyrone “Rone” Woods, GRS Operator for Annex Security Team in Benghazi).
WAMG: What are your thoughts about when Paramount Pictures will release the film in theaters?
JT: It’s the same time when AMERICAN SNIPER was released and they had really great reviews. (pauses) And it’s also Rone’s birthday.
MG: They didn’t know that when they decided on a date. The studio didn’t know it was his birthday, because when we both heard it was going to be released on January 15th, we said to each other – what are the odds? It’s appropriate.
WAMG: Was there ever a public ceremony to honor all of you?
JT: The State Department invited us and gave us awards, but the day before the ceremony we were uninvited. We went to the agency and did a private ceremony there. To me it’s a smack in the face because the cook and the maintenance guy got the same exact medal we did.
It was our jobs to provide security and we didn’t do it for awards or medals, but now I’d really rather have not received anything.
“We need to go. Right Now.” – excerpt 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi
WAMG: What do you want people seeing the movie and reading your book to take away from your courage and that tragic night?
MG: For me, I want people to know that there are private military security contractors working all over the world putting their lives on the line. Most of them are Veterans who have served their country for extended periods of time and have chosen another way of serving their country. The numbers that most people don’t realize is that there are between 3,500 and 5,000 contractors that have died since 2001 in 80 countries, and over 30,000 wounded.
I want people to know there are people who have chosen to serve their country and they are doing great things, and you never hear about it – this is a way to bring their story to light. Not only them, but the Ambassador who, even though he was appointed, came up through the ranks as a foreign service officer and served several different pots. He and Sean Smith had long histories of service to this country and they weren’t being honored after it was over. There was too much spin by the politicians.
JT: The first memorial ever done for the guys in Benghazi was done by a firefighter out of California. Why wasn’t our government doing it?
MG: He felt compelled. When he didn’t see anything being done, he made a plaque. He got the granite up by Whitefish, Montana and this plaque, which weighs about two or three tons, is now sitting up at that ranch. It has a bronze eagle mounted over it.
JT: It’s awesome.
MG: It took a civilian who had nothing to do with Benghazi to do that.
A tribute to service, the world premiere of Michael Bay’s upcoming film 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI will be held at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on January 12, 2016.
The night will honor the real-life heroes who lost their lives on September 11, 2012, including veteran Navy SEALs Tyrone ‘Rone’ Woods and Glen ‘Bub’ Doherty; Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens; veteran Air Force airman, Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith; along with the brave men who have shared their story of what happened that day, including veteran Marines Dave ‘D.B.’ Benton, Mark ‘Oz’ Geist and John ‘Tig’ Tiegen; veteran Army Ranger Kris ‘Tanto’ Paronto; veteran Navy SEAL Jack Silva; and their families.
As part of the evening’s salute to these courageous men and all those who serve so selflessly at home and abroad, premiere guests will be encouraged to make a $1 donation to benefit a number of important organizations, including The Shadow Warriors Project Fund of The Dallas Foundation, Fisher House Foundation, the Navy SEAL Museum, and other worthy charitable groups designated by the survivors and the families of those lost that night. Paramount Pictures will match all funds raised.
Bay and these real-life heroes will be joined by cast members James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Pablo Schreiber, Toby Stephens, Dominic Fumusa, David Denman, David Costabile and Alexia Barlier.
The premiere will feature special musical performances by Chris Cornell, whose original song “Till the Sun Comes Back Around” appears in the film; patriotic rock band Madison Rising, led by Navy veteran Dave Bray; and The Band Perry.
13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI, directed by Michael Bay, is the gripping true story of six elite ex-military operators assigned to protect the CIA who fought back against overwhelming odds when terrorists attacked a U.S. diplomatic compound on September 11, 2012. When everything went wrong, six men had the courage to do what was right.
The film is written by Chuck Hogan, based on the book 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff and Members of the Annex Security Team. Produced by Erwin Stoff and Michael Bay. Starring James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Pablo Schreiber and Toby Stephens.
13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI opens nationwide on January 15, 2016.
Hear from the cast of 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI what it is like to be directed by Michael Bay and his respect for the U.S. military in two new featurettes.
Based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi, the upcoming film is based on the true account of the events of September 11, 2012, when terrorists attacked the US State Department Special Mission Compound and a nearby CIA station called the Annex in Benghazi, Libya. A team of six American security operators fought to repel the attackers and protect the Americans stationed there.
Left to right: David Denman plays Dave “Boon” Benton, John Krasinski plays Jack Silva, Pablo Schreiber plays Kris “Tanto” Paronto and Max Martini plays Mark “Oz” Geist.
With a screenplay by Chuck Hogan, the film stars John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, David Denman, Dominic Fumusa, Max Martini, Pablo Schreiber, and Toby Stephens.
13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI will open in theaters on January 15, 2016.
Paramount Pictures is releasing the film 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI – based on the book 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi, written by New York Times bestselling author Mitchell Zuckoff and co-authored by five members of the Annex Security Team.
Based on the story of the attack on the U.S compound in Libya and the security team who fought to defend the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi after the attack on September 11, 2012, 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI is directed by Michael Bay and opens in theaters on January 15, 2016.
WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI on Tuesday, January 12 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
We will contact the winners by email.
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
Left to Right: Pablo Schreiber plays Kris “Tanto” Paronto, John Krasinski plays Jack Silva, David Denman plays Dave “Boon” Benton and Dominic Fumusa plays John “Tig” Tiegen.
