According to a new report, Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) and Jennifer Aniston (Friends) have joined the cast of upcoming Iraq war drama, The Yellow Birds. Huston’s role was originally set to be taken by Benedict Cumberbatch, but the actor departed not too long ago, likely because his schedule is becoming increasingly busy and Doctor Strange is now on the horizon.
David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) was originally supposed to be directing this one from his own script, which revolves around two young soldiers – Tye Sheridan and Alden Ehrenreich – who are taken under the wing of an older sergeant, played by Huston, as they’re deployed to Iraq. Aniston is portraying the mother of Ehrenreich’s character. Now, however, Alexandre Moors (Blue Caprice) will take the helm.
Of course, the question here is do we really need another Iraq war drama? It seems like we’ve been flooded with them lately and I’m not sure that this one will bring anything new to the table. Then again, The Yellow Birds seems like a movie with a lot of potential, and the book found widespread acclaim, so it’s at least based on strong source material. I suppose only time will tell how this one plays out.
A release date has yet to be revealed, but production is expected to begin fairly soon, so stay tuned for more updates.
