Could Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama bin Laden Movie Be the 2012 Election’s October Surprise?
Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow’s forthcoming Osama bin Laden assassination movie—which is rumored to star Dennis Farina as Vice President Joe Biden, Garry Shandling as British Prime Minister David Cameron, and Vin Diesel as Man with Gun No. 2—has just been assigned a release date of October 12, 2012. Not only is October 12, 2012, just about the day it becomes O.K. to start thinking about Halloween, it’s also prime timing for the 2012 election’s October Surprise.
According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, the movie has become “the hottest project in town” since bin Laden’s death on May 2. In terms of publicity and rollout, Sony Pictures “is using a strategy similar to the one employed on The Social Network.” Let’s assume the film is a huge hit: Bigelow is not too far removed from her 2009 Oscar win, and interest in seeing the death of bin Laden is, as we know, appreciable. If the “Barack Obama” character is portrayed as a strong leader whose military savvy wrought great success and security, it could improve the president’s image among audience members. It might even convert some undecideds.