EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures and director Michael Bay are teaming up to tell the heroic true story behind the recent rescue mission to save two downed pilots behind enemy lines in Iran.
Sources tell Deadline that Bay is developing a feature film chronicling the extraordinary heroism of the two U.S. airmen rescued after their F-15E Strike Eagle was downed during Operation Epic Fury. The film will be based on the upcoming book by Mitchell Zuckoff, which HarperCollins will publish in 2027.
In early April, a month after Operation Epic Fury began, the U.S. military launched a massive, successful rescue operation in the Zagros Mountains of Iran after the was shot down. The daring extraction successfully recovered the pilot as well as the weapons system officer from hostile forces behind enemy lines. The mission made global headlines and caught Bay’s eye as he was deciding what might be the next thing he directs. Bay most recently directed Ambulance for Universal and has a production deal with the studio, making it the obvious choice for the package once he was on board.
The film will reunite Bay with producers Scott Gardenhour and Erwin Stoff, who all collaborated on another true war story, 13 Hours: The Secret Solders of Benhazi. Bay, Stoff and Gardenhour will produce the new pic.
Bay has spent nearly three decades collaborating with the U.S. military and law enforcement on films including The Rock, Bad Boys and Armageddon. Most notably on titles including Pearl Harbor, Transformers and 13 Hours, military leadership provided immense logistical support, equipment and personnel to ensure accurate portrayals of the U.S. Armed Forces.
When reached by Deadline for comment, Bay said: “I’ve had an amazing partnership over my 30-year career working with the Department of War and amazing U.S. military members. In my film 13 Hours, no rescue force answered the call for help. This film is about everyone who answered the call in one of the most complex, intricate and high-stakes operations in recent history. It celebrates the true heroism and unwavering dedication of our service members.”
Zuckoff is a professor of communications at Boston University. In 2014, he authored 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi, which was co-written with the surviving members of the security team involved in the 2012 Benghazi attack on the U.S. consulate and on which The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi was based.
Collectively, movies Bay has directed or produced have grossed $10 billion at the global box office.
Bay is represented by CAA, Rich Cook at Range and Robert Offer; Stoff by CAA and Mahdi Salehi at Hansen Jacobson; Gardenhour by John Kulback at Loeb; Zuckoff by Richard Abate at 3 Arts.