From a two minute movie trailer seen in May to “being seen in American theaters,” “Code Name Geronimo” will come out faster than a rumor about John Travolta’s sexuality.
Starring rising star Cam Gigandet (“Twilight“) and “Pimp my Ride” star (but not a Scrabble word) Xzibit, this action movie which shows the scenes behind the successful search for Osama Bin Laden is virtually Harvey Weinstein’s $2.5 million Super-Pac for President Obama. That is, after he bought the US distribution rights for $2.5 million in May after seeing the trailer, he wants to release the movie before the November election. This is a two fold strategy for Mr. Weinstein; for he is not only a staunch supporter of Obama, and the film will remind the public of the courage it took for Mr. Obama to “pull the trigger,” but this indie-style epic will also be in front of millions of eyeballs before director Kathryn (“The Hurt Locker”) Bigelow’s SEAL Team 6 movie “Zero Dark Thirty.”
That film, which has an ensemble cast including Joel Edgerton and Jessica Chastain, won’t be released until December 19, after Sony decided not to put in theaters during the presidential elections.
The movie going public will also vote: with their pocketbooks…or wallets. Will the “youth vote” for the flick with a younger, hipper cast and a “new Hollywood” director (John Stockwell, 50) or will they go for the more mainstream and established and yes, much older director (Kathryn Bigelow, 61)? Indeed, neither film has a name action star or action stars. So, inevitably, the story is the big sell.
This is similar to what happened when the two Truman Capote movies came out a year apart “Capote” (2005) vs. “Infamous” (2006). “Capote,” on the strength of a story that kicked serious ass, beat “Infamous” in the box office and at the Oscars. Now, if only Mr. Stockwell and Ms. Bigelow can time travel Truman Capote and make him a Navy Seal hunting down Bin-Laden…who needs to see “Looper?”
God knows there is no contest when it comes to the titles. “Code Name: Geronimo” is much more “action-packed” than the confusing “Zero Dark Thirty;” which sounds as if Ms. Bigelow placed 1,000 names in a hat and pulled out these three names. No truth to the rumor that an ex-President threatened a lawsuit because Ms. Bigelow was going to name her film, “Mission Accomplished.”
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