EXCLUSIVE: Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider director Simon West is set to direct Fortitude, a World War II espionage action-adventure from producer Simon Afram (Lear Rex).
Principal photography is slated to begin this summer in London. Bride Hard and The Expendables 2 filmmaker West will direct the screenplay written by Afram. Casting is in process.
Pic will tell the true story of British Intelligence operatives using unprecedented strategic operations that fool Nazi leadership, ultimately changing the course of World War II. With historical consultation from Joshua Levine (Dunkirk, Blitz), the film follows the brilliance of British Army officers Dudley Clarke and Thomas Argyll “Tar” Robertson, who deployed an elaborate web of deception campaigns including fictitious armies, fake military equipment, and a network of double agents to mislead Nazi Intelligence. Among them was Yugoslavian playboy Dusko Popov, a real-life double agent. He helped laid the blueprint for James Bond, turning real-life espionage into legend, which ultimately inspired Ian Fleming’s novels.
Afram is producing alongside Georgette Turner (Fantastic Beasts Franchise), Reza Roohi (ATL Hustle), and Edward Kahl (Queen of Manhattan), with executive producers Bianca Goodloe (Mission: Impossible II), and David Scaramanga. Bianca Goodloe Esq. at Goodloe Law is legal counsel for the production.
“Fortitude is a tribute to the power of ingenuity, imagination, and the human spirit against all odds,” said West. “In a moment when bullets couldn’t win the battle, it was creativity that turned the tide. I’m truly excited to bring this untold chapter of history to life.”
