Live from Abbottabad: Lorne Michaels to produce film about the Navy SEAL who shot Osama Bin Laden

Aux News Lorne Michaels

Well, this is definitely one way to diversify a portfolio: Universal Pictures and Lorne Michaels’s Broadway Video have bought the feature rights to The Operator: Firing the Shots That Killed Osama Bin Laden And My Years As A SEAL Team Warrior. Per Deadline, the film will be based on the memoir of former Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill, who, as the title subtly hints, fired the shots that killed Osama Bin Laden. The script will be penned by Michael Russell Gunn, the supervising producer of Showtime’s Billions. Michaels will produce, as he is often want to do, and O’Neill himself will executive produce.

The film will chronicle the decade-long experience of O’Neill and his teammates between 9/11 and the famed raid on Bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound. While this may sound like a major departure for Michaels, we can’t forget that he kind of waded in the wartime drama pool in 2016 with Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, starring Tina Fey. It’s still too early to determine whether or not they’ll attempt to inject comedy into the takedown of a vicious terrorist mastermind, but hey, it wouldn’t be the first time Michaels’ sheer nerve made waves.

Considering that the SNL creator rarely strays from his gargantuan pool of players for any project, it’ll be interesting to see just who gets tapped for such an intense tale. Maybe Beck Bennett should get ready for his close-up.

17 Comments

  • wadddriver-av says:

    The Man Who Killed Osama Bin Laden and Then Married a Mermaid

  • battlecarcompactica-av says:

    This Pakistani safe house has everything—Osama bin Laden, bin Laden’s son Khalid, invaluable intelligence about al Qaeda’s operations and leadership structure, Dan Cortese. . . .

  • TheExplainer-av says:

    This needs to be done as a farce, with Rob Riggle using ‘Moon’-style trickery to play *all* of the SEALs, identically except for subtle differences in their choice of Oakleys.

  • kirivinokurjr-av says:

    My hot take is that I think Beck Bennett is really good, especially as the cast member who actually acts (like Phil Hartman, as opposed to Kenan Thompson). I’d watch Bennett in this movie.  Well, I’d rent it.  Maybe they can turn it into a MacGruber-style comedy!

    • alvintostig-av says:

      It’s nice that there’s someone on the show now who recognizes that sketch comedy is still acting, and not just opening your eyes extremely widely.

      • mindfultimetraveler-av says:

        I’m the guy Kenan Thompson sold his soul to in order to stay on SNL so long, and I can honestly say your eyes comment hurt Kenan’s former soul a lot.

  • j11wars-av says:

    I know it was inevitable that the team that bagged bin Laden would bask in media glory, but I’m really starting to wish the Navy would take its propaganda and fuck off already.Army SOF teams have a meta gag that they no-shit use on missions where they’ve rescued folks and yell “We’re Navy SEALs here to get you out!” There’s footage of SFOD-D yelling that during rescue missions and it’s pretty funny that even among SOF units, everyone thinks SEALs are blowhards. 

    • battlecarcompactica-av says:

      The denouement of this movie will portray multiple SEALs breaking radio silence on their way back from the raid as they compete with one another to line up agents, book deals, and TV appearances.

    • wearewithyougodspeedaquaboy-av says:

      My uncle was Delta Force.  That’s all we still know and he’s been retired for about 15 years.  The mystique around SEALs would be much more if they would learn to shut the fuck up and stop bragging to anyone that’ll listen.

    • pontiacssv-av says:

      When this guy started blabbing, I though most of that community was doing a face palm and telling him and that Bissonette guy that they should keep their pie holes shut.  

  • scoopk-av says:

    SEALs, ranked1. of approval2. baby harp3. ex-Mr. Heidi Klum4. and Crofts5. getting hit by a bunker-buster6. this fucking guy….7895. Ryan Zinke

  • qvckiii-av says:

    Why?No, seriously, why? This was a team effort and the fact that guy got the shot off that killed Bin Laden is the only thing that matters. Not who he was.This is the kind of cult of personality thing that’s a problem.  He’s special because of something that was essentially an accident?  Fuck that.

  • baloniusmonk-av says:

    Michaels will produce, as he is often want to do, and O’Neill himself will executive produce.Please, please, please hire a damn editor

  • dirtside-av says:

    As a tribute to The Daily Show’s episode after bin Laden was killed, I suggest the following titles for the film:Bye Bye BeardieHairy Plotter and the Deathly HelloDeath to DoucheyBig DeadyTo Kill a Mockingturd

  • crazylegshirsch-av says:

    Michaels will produce, as he is often want to do…This should be ‘wont.’ Carry on.

  • miked1954-av says:

    Maybe they’ll answer the nagging question: How did they immediately confirm Bin Laden’s DNA when they were literally stuck on a boat on the far side of the world in the Indian Ocean, a day’s flight away from anywhere? And please don’t tell me US aircraft carriers happen to come equipped with their own DNA labs.

  • erictan04-av says:

    Gotta ask: will this movie finally show us the aftermath, the dead body of bin Laden? Will al-Qaeda bomb cinemas that show the movie?

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