Bruckheimer considers 9/11 film

NEWTON, N.J., Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Action movie king Jerry Bruckheimer, whose new film "Black Hawk Down" opened this week, says there were so many acts of bravery surrounding the tragic events of Sept. 11, he believes he will one day make a movie about some of them.

"I love making pictures that make a difference, about people who make a difference," Bruckheimer said in a phone interview with United Press International Monday.

Asked if that meant he could make a movie about the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon four months ago, he replied: "Sure. I think there will be stories that will come out of [the terrorist attacks on the United States] and they will be very heroic and worthwhile telling and somebody is going to have to sit down and write it. I'm sure it will be a journalist just like Mark Bowden [the author of 'Black Hawk Down,' the non-fiction book on which Bruckheimer's new movie is based,] who saw these young men being dragged through the streets back in 1993 and said, 'Boy, I bet there's a real story about that' and he went out and researched the book."

Famous for producing "Top Gun," "Armageddon" and "Pearl Harbor"--blockbusters about real and imagined American heroes -- Bruckheimer did, however, admit that the wounds inflicted on America last year are still too fresh to turn into a movie any time soon.

"Black Hawk Down," which stars "Pearl Harbor" cast members Josh Hartnett and Tom Sizemore, hits theaters almost nine years after a group of U.S. soldiers were killed during a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

Bruckheimer pointed out that that movie's release while the United States is fighting a war in Afghanistan is particularly meaningful "because it shows you what [the soldiers] might be doing or are doing over there."

"When you turn on your television and you watch the news, what you see is a journalist and maybe behind him you see a puff of smoke and that's as close as you get to warfare," he explained. "['Black Hawk Down' takes you inside the world of these Rangers and these Delta guys and shows you what a day in their lives is like."

Bruckheimer went on to say: "There hasn't been a movie made about modern warfare and what these special forces do and, for me, it is very comforting to know that you have these men who will go into these horrific situations to protect our country and our freedoms and I really felt it was really important first to set the record straight on Somalia and how courageous these men were and also to show how they operate in such difficult warfare, which is urban warfare, which they say is the most difficult to do because it is building by building, block by block... This is the biggest fire fight we've been in since the Viet Nam war. It lasted 18 hours."

Before Bruckheimer and director Ridley Scott ("Gladiator") began filming "Black Hawk Down," they studied Bowden's meticulously researched book and interviewed dozens of special services soldiers who survived the mission. Several veterans were also hired to act as technical advisers on the set.

"According to the Rangers from Delta that saw the picture, they were overwhelmed by how accurate it was. We also showed it to the families of the men that died over there... a couple of women were pretty angry that we were going to make the movie and after they saw it, one of the women came up to me with tears in her eyes and hugged me and said, 'Thank you so much for making such a wonderful, powerful movie that my husband will never be forgotten,'" Bruckheimer recalled. "That made it all worthwhile."

In addition to a great story and terrific dramatic performances by its cast, the film also boasts the kind of heart-pounding action fans have some to expect from a "Jerry Bruckheimer" movie.

Asked to describe what a "Jerry Bruckheimer" movie entails, the producer whose movies have grossed a total of $12.5 billion, explained: "When you see the name and the logo, I think what's important is that you're going to be entertained. Whether it's something powerful and realistic like 'Black Hawk Down' and brutal or something like 'Pearl Harbor,' which is more romantic or something like 'Remember the Titans' which is exceedingly emotional or 'The Rock,' which is all-out entertainment... We like to hit them all, but the one thing, hopefully, is you'll never bored."

Bruckheimer went on to say that he has been trying to broaden his horizons in recent years with films like the true-life dramas "Remember the Titans" and the upcoming "Chasing the Dragon" and the comedies "Down and Under" and "Bad Company."

"I like all kinds of movies," the producer declared. "I'd hate to make just one type of film. I like to try different genres because it makes it more exciting because you learn more... When you attack another genre, it's all fresh and you have to start all over again."

Whether it's because of his track record at the box office or his innovative and open-minded producing style, one thing is for sure: Hollywood's hottest actors all seem to want to work with Bruckheimer and those who have already worked with him leap at the chance to do it again.

The producer has a simple explanation for this.

"I listen," he revealed. "I know I don't know anything. You work with these young actors or directors or writers and you have got to listen to them because they come up with phenomenal ideas. And to shut the script and say you read these lines and just go out there and go to work is not how we operate. We invite their input and their collaboration and that's why they want to come back. Because they know their voice will be heard. When I tell them something they know it's going to happen."