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Director Nicolai Fuglsig’s adaptation of Doug Stanton’s book HORSE SOLDIERS has enlisted Michael Pena to join Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon in the war drama. Fuglsig will direct the script adapted by Peter Craig and Ted Tally.
Based on a true story, the movie is set weeks after 9/11 when special forces soldiers are sent to Afghanistan. The small team’s mission is to take over the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, but modern-day weapons prove useless in the rugged terrain. With the help of the Northern Alliance, these soldiers are retrained to become a deadly force, using only their personal supplies and weapons on horseback.
Pena will play Diller, a member of Mitch’s (Hemsworth) team that was assigned to join forces with a Northern Alliance warlord to fight against overwhelming odds to drive out the Taliban.
Diller is described as a West Virginia hick who would have been a history teacher if his temper didn’t get the best of him. His character shows great bravery when he volunteers to lead a group around the mountains into life-threatening terrain to attempt to cut of the Taliban’s supply line.
The Tracking Board broke the story last year that Lionsgate would be taking the development reins from Disney. Jerry Bruckheimer has been on this project 2011, and he is producing alongside Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill as well as Molly Smith at Black Label Media. Geoff Shaevitz and James Myers will be overseeing for Lionsgate.
Pena can be seen opposite Alexander Skarsgard in the film festival favorite War on Everyone. He is set to appear in the David Frankel-directed ensemble drama Collateral Beauty and the big screen adaptation of CHiPs. He was also recently cast in Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming Murder on the Orient Express remake.
He is repped by CAA and Management 360.
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Dino-Ray Ramos | Staff Writer
