Brad Pitt’s latest production War Machine has wrapped in the UAE after 22 days of filming.
The satirical comedy, produced by Netflix and Pitt’s production company, Plan B Entertainment, is inspired by the bestselling book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan by the late American journalist Michael Hastings. The book is based on Hastings’ interviews with general Stanley McChrystal who was appointed to command the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2009. McChrystal was forced to resign after an article was published in 2010 which described his less-than-stellar views of the Barack Obama management.
Pitt stars in the film along with Anthony Michael Hall, Will Poulter and Topher Grace.
The team behind War Machine arrived in Abu Dhabi in August to set up the production office in advance of the UAE filming, which began in Abu Dhabi in October, said twofour54, which facilitated the production. Streets around the Abu Dhabi Media compound were transformed in order to create a fictional American embassy in Kabul. The production also filmed at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), the Abu Dhabi New York Film Academy and in remote areas of the Abu Dhabi desert. The film included 500 extras representing 20-plus nationalities. Seven Emirati interns also worked on the set of the film.
War Machine is the latest film after Furious 7 and Bollywood films Bang Bang! and Baby to take advantage of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30 per cent cashback on production spend if shooting in Abu Dhabi.
