There has been talk of Tom Hardy playing Don McCullin in a movie for a while, but it has now been confirmed that Angelina Jolie is onboard to direct the new movie. It is being adapted by Gregory Burke, who wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed movie 71 about the Northern Ireland troubles, and is based on McCullin’s biography, Unreasonable Behaviour.
“I am humbled to have a chance to bring Don McCullin’s life to film,” Jolie said in a press statement. “I was drawn to his unique combination of fearlessness and humanity – his absolute commitment to witnessing the truth of war, and his empathy and respect for those who suffer its consequences. We hope to make a film that is as uncompromising as Don’s photography, about the extraordinary people and events he witnessed, and the rise and fall of a unique era in journalism.”
Don McCullin in front of his most famous picture from the Vietnam War. Credit: Geoff Harris
Previously, Jolie directed First They Killed My Father, a harrowing tale of the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. “Having viewed Angelina’s last film on Cambodia, and having spent so much time during the war there, I was very impressed at how she made such a powerful and accurate representation of the place at that time,” McCullin told The Guardian. “I feel as if I am in safe, capable and professional hands with her.” She also made Unbroken, about a US Olympic track record holder who is held prisoner of war by the Japanese during the Pacific war.
The movie is to be produced by Working Title alongside Tom Hardy’s production company, Hardy Son & Baker, and the title and release date have yet to be confirmed.
Further reading
Don McCullin interview: a life in black and white
