A major Hollywood director, Michael Bay, is collaborating with Universal Pictures to make a movie about the rescue of two downed US airmen during Operation Epic Fury.
Deadline announced that Bay was working on a feature film about the rescue mission of the American aviators after their F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft was shot down in the war in April.
A book by Mitchell Zuckoff, set to be published in 2027, will serve as the basis for the screenplay, according to Deadline.
About a month after the conflict began, the US Armed Forces mounted a daring and successful rescue mission in the Zagros Mountains to rescue the crew of the plane that Iranian forces shot down.
Bay is known for some of the most thrilling action movies of all time, including The Rock, Bad Boys, Transformers, and Armageddon.
His fact-based war movies, such as Pearl Harbor and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, are also widely recognized.
He worked with the US military on the latter two films to make them as accurate as possible, and he will now collaborate again with the military on the Epic Fury movie.
Bay told Deadline: “I’ve had an amazing partnership, over my 30-year career, working with the Department of War and amazing US military members.
“In my film 13 Hours, no rescue force answered the call for help. This film is about everyone who answered the call in one of the most complex, intricate, and high-stakes operations in recent history. It celebrates the true heroism and unwavering dedication of our service members,” he continued.
Bay speculated to consult with IDF on Epic Fury film
Bay, who was raised Jewish by his adoptive parents, visited Israel in 2019, when he was directing Fauda creator and star Lior Raz in the Netflix film 6 Underground.
The director visited Tel Aviv and Jaffa, where he met celebrity restaurateur Eyal Shani and had a drink with Raz. Next, he headed to Jerusalem, where he had a Krav Maga workout with Guy Katan.
Sources in the Israeli film industry speculated that Bay would consult with the IDF, which helped the US with intelligence during the complex rescue operation, on the upcoming film.
Notably, Bay is one of the most commercially successful directors of all time. Films he directed and produced have grossed $10 billion around the world.
Critics have accused him of making lowbrow movies full of explosions, car chases, and fights that appeal primarily to young, male audiences, to which he reportedly replied, “I make movies for teenage boys. Oh, dear, what a crime.”