UPDATE: It looks like Jean Stephane-Sauvaire’s name has been put back onto the Embankment site!
We’ll keep you updated if there are anymore developments

screencap from EmbankmentFilms.com

screencap from EmbankmentFilms.com

Embankment Films updated their Mission: Blacklist page and there are some notable changes:

• The film is now slated for production, late Summer 2013. That matches with the report from Eric Maddox, for an August start month.
• The film will be ready for delivery Summer 2014.
• Jean Stephane-Sauvaire’s name is removed as the director. Hmmmmmm

We’ll continue to keep you posted on the film!

Via: @BlacklistMovie

News on 6 (Oklahoma) did a great interview with Eric Maddox recently about how he became an interrogator and ultimately tracking down Saddam Hussein.
They also say something VERY interesting at the end of their report. They say that Mission:Blacklist starts filming this August!

We’re keeping everything crossed and will obviously update you if there’s anymore information on this.

In the meantime check out the interview below………

Source

Mission Blacklist France scored an awesome interview with Mission: Blacklist screenwriter, Dylan Kussman. He shared about his work on the film’s script, praised Eric Maddox, Jean Stephane Sauvaire and Robert Pattinson and more!

Tell us about your work for Mission: Blacklist and how you ended up being a part of this project?

“I became involved with Mission: Blacklist when head writer and Executive Producer Erik Jendresen contacted me about contributing to the project.  At the time, he and his co-writer Trace Sheehan were deeply immersed in adapting Staff Sergeant Maddox’s book, Mission: Black List #1, and were looking for an additional voice to help flesh out the main character and structure his remarkable story as a movie.  It was an honor to be asked to collaborate with two such accomplished and well-respected writers, on a story with such an incredible pedigree, and I accepted without a moment’s hesitation.”

Was it complicated for you to work on this book and, particularly, on this subject?

“The most challenging part about working on the project for me personally was absorbing the vast amount of research Erik and Trace had compiled before I came onboard.  On top of the book itself, there were hundreds of pages of interviews they’d conducted with the Staff Sergeant, firsthand accounts of the Iraq War and of the American presence in Baghdad and Tikrit after Saddam’s fall — I had to get up to speed in a hurry.  Once I’d gotten on top of the material, however, I was fortunately able to see a strong and clear contribution I could make towards rendering this soldier’s mind-bending ordeal into a piece of dramatic cinema.  Incredible human beings don’t always make compelling onscreen protagonists, but between the work we’ve done as writers, Jean Stephane Sauvaire’s guiding hand as director, and Robert Pattinson’s committment to playing this inspiring figure with the fearless honesty for which he’s known, I don’t think that will be the case here.”

 

Dylan Kussman

Did you work directly with Eric Maddox to sort out what to take or not take from the book?

“Both Erik Jendresen and Trace Sheehan worked more directly with Eric Maddox than I did, and Mr. Pattinson has spent an extended amount of time with him at this point.  They will be able to speak to your question better than me.”

In the story, the blue shirt is very important and during a lecture in Oklahoma University, Eric Maddox said that Robert Pattinson will probably wear it, did you include it in your work?

“Eric Maddox wore the same blue oxford shirt throughout his intelligence effort to help locate Saddam Hussein, and we included that costume choice as part of Maddox’s character in the screenplay. Whether Robert will be wearing the actual shirt during the shoot is a question for the director, actor, and Staff Sergeant Maddox to answer.”

Did you have a word in the castings? And in the choice for the place where it will be filmed?

“No, and no”

What do you think of Robert Pattinson’s choice as the lead man?

“Robert Pattinson is a phenomenal choice. We were all thrilled when he came onboard. More importantly, after spending lengthy one-on-one time with Staff Sergeant Maddox, and getting Maddox’s personal blessing to portray him in the movie … he is the only choice.”

What can you tell us (that nobody knows yet) about the movie or the project?

“All I can say is, you’ve never seen a story like this one, or experienced an intelligence, military or otherwise, like you will Staff Sergeant Maddox’s in this film. His is truly a remarkable mind; I remain as much in awe of it now as I was after I first read the book, and I remain very proud to have been a small part of the process of bringing the man and his story to the screen”

Click HERE to read the interview in its entirety. No word yet on when the film will go into production. April was the last known time frame so we’ll see if that pans out by months end.

Eric Maddox spoke at the University of Oklahoma last Wednesday and shared the story of the steps leading to the capture of Hussein.
He spoke about his book Mission:Blacklist being made into a movie, not knowing who Robert Pattinson was & more.

Check out an excerpt from the article below:

“What I’m about to tell you is not the opinion of the United States Army, it is the opinion of Eric Maddox,” he said.

Eric Maddox – interrogator, author and OU alumnus explained the process of finding and capturing Saddam Hussein and detailed the dilemmas he faced to about 300 people in Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom. The audience ranged from students to faculty to Maddox’s father.

“My faith plays an absolute role in every single thing I do,” Maddox said.

A devout Christian who had planned on going to law school after graduating from OU, Maddox decided to change his plans during a run near his hometown of Sapulpa.

“I joined the army because I was running in Tulsa between semesters, and I heard a voice that said, ‘you need to be an airborne ranger,’” Maddox said.

After talking with his dad about what he would have done differently with his life, Maddox said he decided he needed to be an airborne ranger.

Maddox shared the story of the steps leading to the capture of Hussein in chronological order, only leaving out “little bitty elements” he was asked not to discuss due to the classified nature of these elements.

This same story is encapsulated in his book, “Mission: Blacklist #1,” on which a movie will be based starring Robert Pattinson, who will play Maddox.

“Somebody wants to make a movie about my story – it’s very exciting,” Maddox said.

Maddox said he has already met and gotten to know Pattinson.

“He’s a great guy,” Maddox said. “When they brought his name up to me, I had never heard of him before. I don’t believe in vampire movies and stories. I just didn’t know who he was.”

Maddox said he wore a single blue shirt for months in his search for Hussein, with no other changes of clothes. The shirt has a bigmouth bass embossed on it, Velcro pockets and bloodstains.

“I’ve still got it [the shirt.] I think Rob is gonna wear it in the movie,” Maddox said.

Maddox had to wait five years to tell his story and write the book due to the U.S. government preferring to keep it classified, he said.

“Since then, the United States government wanted me to endorse the movie, and wanted me to say who I am and what I do,” he said.

Maddox also explained what characteristics make good interrogators.

“I love to listen to people talk. If you like to do that too, you possibly might be a good interrogator,” Maddox said. “You also have to be self-critiquing to be a good interrogator – ‘what did I do to screw that up? And what can I do better?’”

Head over to OUDaily.com to read the full article and also check out pics & tweets from the night  HERE

Eric Maddox spoke at the University of Oklahoma last night and saying he was well received is an understatement.

Eric Maddox at OU

From the Oklahoma Daily:

Sooners learned Wednesday about the incredible impact people can have after leaving OU from a graduate who went on to become the military interrogator responsible for orchestrating the capture of Saddam Hussein.

Eric Maddox explained the process of finding and capturing Saddam Hussein and detailed the dilemmas he faced to about 300 people in Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom. The audience ranged from students to faculty to Maddox’s own father.

One student was struck by the thought that someone who walked the same campus as she does went on to have such an impact on the world.

“Seeing someone who went to the same school, walked down the same halls and experienced the same things and then went on and did something great for your country — I think that’s really inspiring,” said Alexis Taitel, international studies junior and president of the Campus Activities Council Speakers’ Bureau, which organized the lecture.

The event included a presentation of colors by the ROTC, a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and a question and answer session between Maddox and the audience.

After all he’s been through, Maddox wrapped up the event by saying how important it is that after you graduate you are still a Sooner, and that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

The tweets about the event were filled with awe and respect for the American hero:

Not everyday do you get to meet a real hero. Thank you Eric Maddox for serving our country. #respect #usa

March 27, 2013 9:31 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@Jordanmaun

Jordan Maun

So honored to have alumnus like Eric Maddox who have made such an impact on our country #Boomer

March 27, 2013 9:52 pm via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite

@farrahfahim

Farrah Fahim

Hearing Eric Maddox speak about how he led the main interrogations to find Saddam Hussein was incredible. #impressive #OUAlum

March 27, 2013 8:58 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@_JulieFaye

Julie Stark

if you didn’t go listen to Eric Maddox you made a mistake. #CAC

March 27, 2013 9:11 pm via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite

@alisoneva

Ali Nutt

So amazing hearing Eric Maddox speak about the capturing of Saddam Hussein and how god influenced him to do it!

March 27, 2013 9:03 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@HayleyRenee12

Hayley Luckock

Well Eric Maddox is definitely a pretty cool guy. #USmilitary

March 27, 2013 9:13 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@MelanieeOlson

Melanie Olson

People like Eric Maddox make me proud to be a Sooner! So blown away by his story! Thank you @OUCAC Speakers Bureau for an amazing event!

March 27, 2013 9:33 pm via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite

@erinbret16

Erin Bret

Thank you @OUCAC for such an amazing event tonight! Absolutely LOVED listening to Eric Maddox this evening!

March 27, 2013 9:41 pm via Twitter for AndroidReplyRetweetFavorite

@mkono10

Miranda Konowitz

If you were an OU Intl. Security major and didn’t see Eric Maddox, you missed out….

March 27, 2013 10:08 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@Lester_Asamoah

Lester Asamoah

Had an awesome time hearing the inspiring story of Eric Maddox, lead interrogator of the Saddam Hussein capture and @OUATO alum tonight!

March 27, 2013 10:17 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@A_Rob38

Andrew Roberts

Mind blown from Eric Maddox’s story.

March 27, 2013 10:23 pm via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite

@EvanSchlinke

Evan Schlinke

Not much was revealed yet about the film but an official OU twitter shared this:

@blacklistmovie He did! He mentioned meeting Rob pattinson and that he’s honored that someone wants to make a movie out of his story.

March 27, 2013 9:34 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@OUCAC

CAC

Red Dawn is already associated with a film from 2012 as well as one in the 80s so this seems like a misunderstanding, which the student confirmed. More pictures from tweets and instagram were just as great – Eric with proud Sooners.

Photo Source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Robert Pattinson, who will play Eric Maddox in Mission: Blacklist, photographed with Eric in an undated photo. Mission: Blacklist is rumored to begin filming in April 2013.

Eric Maddox wrote the book Mission Blacklist #1 – his real life story about being a military interrogator which chronicles the capture of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Eric Maddox and Robert Pattinson

Source | Via

Embankment Films have listed Misson:Blacklist on their line-up for Filmart.
FilmMart, Hong Kong’s International Film & TV Market, takes place between 18-23 March

Source

UPDATE: The Improper suggests that location shooting for Mission:Blacklist could take place in Morocco or Jordan.
Obviously if there is anymore news or official confirmation of this we’ll update and let you know all about it.

From The Improper:

A source confirms to The Improper that the movie won’t be shot in Iraq as originally reported. The film will likely do its location shooting in Morocco or Jordan.

A number of period desert films have been shot the North African country, including 2001′s “Black Hawk Down.” In the last few years, Michael Patrick King’s “Sex and the City 2,” Disney’s “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” and “Inception” have been filmed there.

But Director Kathryn Bigelow chose to film her Oscar-winning Iraq war epic, “The Hurt Locker,” in Jordan. She wanted to be as close to Iraq as possible, while avoiding the war-torn country. “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” also filmed in Jordan in 1988.

Check out the rest of the article over at The Improper

Embankment Films have updated their website and added the delivery date for Mission:Blackist as Summer 2014.

As we reported before the start date for Principal Photography is April 2013.

But there’s an update also on location, BlacklistMovie spoke via email to Embankment Films about the location and were told “It will not be Iraq, they start shooting in April.”

Source / BlacklistMovie

UPDATE: April 2013 has been removed from STATUS on Embankment Films site:

Embankment Films have Mission:Blacklist on their line up of films at AFM 2012 and they have a start date Of April 2013 listed

Source

Metro had a chance to speak to Robert Pattinson during Breaking Dawn Part 2 promo and he mentioned Mission: Blacklist. We excerpted the portion with the mentions and bolded the ones specific to MB:

What drives him

As evidenced by recent choices — including David Cronenberg’s challenging “Cosmopolis,” which featured him getting a prostate exam — he’s not afraid of risk. “I signed up for a lot of stuff in the last year. I was really fixated on working with a lot of people who are kind of dangerous,” he says. “The business part of show business has really just taken a big s– on the show aspect of it, and so I think anyone who has any visibility should be trying to do something that is really, really subversive. I think it would be interesting trying to get really subversive stuff into the mainstream. You’re in the cinema not just as a consumer but as a participant.”

It’s that sensibility that led him to sign up for the lead in “Mission: Blacklist,” a film to be made in Iraq next year. “That’s probably out of anybody’s comfort zone,” Pattinson offers of the film, which is based on a true story. “It’s about this guy call Eric Maddox who was an Army interrogator who almost single-handedly found Saddam Hussein. No one really knows the story of it, and the story’s absolutely amazing and kind of hilarious in some ways and bizarre.”

Comfort zones

That project teams Pattinson with French director Jean-Stephane Sauvaire, who used real Liberian child soldiers for his last film. “I think that’s like his thing,” says Pattinson. “I wanted him to be in his comfort zone, so we were both pushing, saying we need to shoot this in Iraq — that’s the whole point.”

You can tell where his passions lie by the fact that, during this interview, the actor talks more about “Mission: Blacklist” than “Twilight.” But promotion for “Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ must be done. The story finds his Edward and Stewart’s Bella protecting their child from killer vampires. It’s already predicted to be the highest-grossing effort in the series. And the actor is busy lining up another high-profile project, lest he lose his ability to get the riskier ones made. “This year I’m thinking I should probably try to do a movie which at least one person will see,” he says, “so I’m trying to figure that out now.”

Click HERE to read the article in its entirety