EXCLUSIVE: Brad Pitt found his military sidekick in his new Netflix feature War Machine. Anthony Michael Hall has been cast to star opposite Pitt in the satirical comedy from writer-director David Michôd (The Rover, Animal Kingdom). The project, which was inspired by the bestselling book The Operators: The Wild And Terrifying Inside Story Of America’s War In Afghanistan by the late journalist Michael Hastings, concerns a four star, “rock star” general whose lethal reputation and impeccable track record vaults him to command the American war in Afghanistan. While Pitt plays a character loosely based on Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Hall portrays the No. 2 in the military regime — Gen. Hank Pulver, who is also loosely based on McChrystal’s second in command Gen. Mike Flynn.
War Machine was acquired by Netflix earlier this year in an industry eyebrow-raising move that was considered a game-changer for the company. It not only marked the largest investment the company has made so far in a feature (around $30M), but they were able to grab hold of A-lister Pitt. The actor is producing with his Plan B Entertainment partners Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, and producer Ian Bryce (World War Z, Saving Private Ryan).
Hall, who started out years ago as a John Hughes favorite, is now an actor, film producer, and director. He had the leading role and served as co-exec producer for the USA Network series Stephen King’s The Dead Zone for five years. During its run, he directed an episode. He also co-starred in the Oscar-nominated Foxcatcher in 2014 and most recently, he played the menacing Russian “kettle bell master” Grigory alongside Guy Pearce in the film Results, a comedy about a team of personal trainers.
Hall is represented by manager Jonathan Brandstein and attorneys Jeff Frankel and Scott Whitehead.
