Drones remain very much a hot topic and a source of drama for films that want that extra political edge. Now Eye In The Sky, a film about use of the unmanned weapons, has emerged from the depths of development hell pulled by leading man and producer Colin Firth.
With Firth’s company Raindog Films working with Entertainment One to get the film made, Ender’s Game director Gavin Hood has come aboard to call the shots for the thriller. With a script from Guy Hibbert that was originally developed at BBC Films, Sky follows the complicated chain of authority that is firmly yanked when a new wrinkle enters a drone mission.
The focus is on a few characters involved, including military intelligence officer Colonel Michelle Madden, remotely commanding a drone operation to locate terrorists in Nairobi. When the team discovers that their targets are planning a suicide mission, the targets are marked for death instead. Then, just as pilot Steve Watts is set to destroy the safe house, he spots a nine-year-old girl entering the kill zone and must pass the request for confirmation of the next step up to the highest levels, including our own foreign secretary.
“The use of unmanned aircraft in modern warfare and in the so-called 'War on Terror’ poses critical questions for us all,” Firth says in a statement picked up by Deadline. “Raindog was launched with the hope of making challenging thoughtful films, and I’m pleased to be a part of an exploration into such a crucial issue.”
The story has been floating for a while, and in 2011, it looked like Downfall** director Oliver Hirschbiegel might take it on. Now, however, Hood is in the director’s chair and Entertainment One will be offering the film to distributors at the upcoming Cannes film market.