Mark Wahlberg leads the action thriller Lone Survivor, which tells the story of the tragic Navy SEAL mission, “Operation Red Wing,” in 2005. Based on Marcus Luttrell’s bestselling book by the same name, the movie follows the events that took place when a team of four SEALs was tasked with capturing or killing infamous Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. Luttrell, portrayed by Wahlberg in the film, was the only member of the team to survive after it was ambushed by enemy forces in Afghanistan.
To survive, Luttrell, who was badly injured, crawled through rocky, mountainous terrain for four days before being taken in by villagers who put their own lives on the line to save him.
The Hollywood Reporter quoted one of the film’s producers, Norton Herrick, as saying, “Though Lone Survivor is a harrowing story, it is important to shed light on the heroism and personal histories and lives that were not lost in vain.”
Eric Banal plays Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, a character Banal described as a small supporting role; but as a fan of the book and the film’s director/writer/producer Peter Berg, he was excited to be a part of the movie. Friday Night Lights star Taylor Kitsch plays Lt. Michael Murphy. The cast also features Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games) and Emile Hirsch.
This action-packed picture is due in theaters Dec. 27, 2013.