Details

Release year: 1998

Storyline

The secret U.S. abduction of a suspected terrorist leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York City, which leads to the declaration of martial-law.

Top credits

Directors

Edward Zwick

Writers

Cast

Denzel Washington — Anthony Hubbard
Bruce Willis — General William Devereaux
Annette Bening — Elise Kraft, Sharon Bridger
Tony Shalhoub — Frank Haddad

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Did you know

• According to an interview that screenwriter Lawrence Wright gave to CBS in 2007, the film was a box-office failure upon its theatrical release, "but it was the most-rented movie in America after 9/11." Wright also claimed that the initial release bombed because "Muslim and Arab protesters picketed the theaters. They were furious at being stereotyped as terrorists."

• Bruce Willis was welcomed to the Pentagon where he received a crash course in briefings and information that, while unclassified, did give him a sense of what General Devereaux would deal with, both in general, and in the event of a major national crisis.

• In a similar scenario to the 9/11 hijackings, one of the perpetrators of the bus bombing was on the State Departments Terrorists Watchlist and was not supposed to be admitted into the country.