Lance Reddick, Monica Raymund, Griffin Dunne, Elizabeth Anweis, Lewis Pullman, Francois Battiste and Gabe Kessler will join the previously announced Kiefer Sutherland, Jake Lacy, and Jason Clarke in William Friedkin’s “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial” for Paramount Global Content Distribution and Showtime.
Marking Friedkin’s first narrative film since 2011’s “Killer Joe,” the project will use a 50-year-old play script written by Herman Wouk based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Friedkin’s film will deliver some updates, switching the setting from WW2 to contemporary times and having the incident happening in the Strait of Hormuz separating the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The story sees the USS Caine engulfed in a deadly typhoon off the coast of Iran. Lt. Steve Maryk (Lacy) invokes Article 184 of Naval Regulations to relieve his superior, Lt. Commander Phillip Francis Queeg (Sutherland), of duty.
Maryk is self-righteous and insistent his actions were justified, argued Queeg was mentally unstable and endangered the ship and crew. Maryk took command, steering directly into the storm. The ship and crew survived. In the trial, through a series of witness examinations, Maryk’s defense attorney Lt. Barney Greenwald (Clarke) is able to poke holes in the mutiny charge against his client.
Reddick will portray the court-martial’s chief judge Captain Blakely. Dunne is naval hospital psychiatrist Dr. Bird with Anweis as his boss Dr. Lundeen. Raymund is the prosecuting attorney Challee. Pullman is the snooty communications officer Lt. Keeferm. Battiste is experienced naval veteran Captain Southard. Kessler is skittish operations specialist Junius Urban.
Humphrey Bogart led a prior 1954 film adaptation of the novel, famed actor/filmmaker Charles Laughton directed the original stage play version, and Robert Altman helmed a 1988 telemovie based on the play.
Annabelle Dunne and Matt Parker are producing the new take.
Source: Deadline
