Trailer released for the movie about the Granite Mountain Hotshots

The film is due to open October 20.

title film Only the Brave

The Director of the film about the Granite Mountain Hotshots just recently completed the final edits and has released the official trailer (above).

Supposedly it tells the story of the 19 firefighters that were entrapped and killed on the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona June 30, 2013. One crewmember who was not with the others at the time of the burnover and survived, Brendan McDonough, is listed in the credits as a Creative Consultant.

The images shown here are from the website and the trailer.

scene film Only the Brave

The name of the film has changed, from No Exit, to Granite Mountain, and finally to Only The Brave: Based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. The release date has been pushed from September to October 20.

A number of books and articles have been written about the tragedy, but the producers say the film is based on an article published in GQ Magazine titled No Exit, by Sean Flynn.

scene film Only the Brave

GQ published an article today featuring an interview with the Director, Joseph Kosinski. Here’s an excerpt in which he talks about casting:

..The two roles I cast first were Eric Marsh and Brendan McDonough. Josh Brolin was always at the top of my list. I flew out to Asheville, North Carolina, where he was filming another movie, and sat down with him on a Saturday afternoon. I talked him through the vision I had for this film, and the importance of this story, and he got it instantly. He had actually worked as a volunteer firefighter at one point in his life, and he had lived in Prescott, Arizona, at one point. He felt an instant connection to the material and the story; that got him interested.

Before production began, the director hired two former members of Granite Mountain who put the 20 actors playing the parts of firefighters through a two-week “Hotshot camp”.

Here’s another excerpt from the GQ article about the reaction to the film from the Granite Mountain family members.

I just finished the film two weeks ago, so we’re just starting to show it to the family members now. The reaction so far has been everything I would have hoped and more—which, to me, is almost the most important thing. I believe so wholeheartedly in [the Granite Mountain Hotshots’] story being a heroic one, and one that needs to be told. Of all the opinions on a film, [the family members’ reaction] is one that truly matters to me on the deepest level. And so far, every reaction I’ve gotten from the family members is that we did our job.

scene film Only the Brave

cast film Only the Brave

 

The film’s website has more information.

Typos, let us know HERE, and specify which article. Please read the commenting rules before you post a comment.

Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

12 thoughts on “Trailer released for the movie about the Granite Mountain Hotshots”

  1. Emotional beyond words. I think the film was superbly done. I believe this is a film & tribute that had to be done, as painful as it was for all the loved ones and community members. A real education as to how brave these kind of firefighters are! What a hard job!!

    0
    0
  2. Elizabeth,your posting touched me. I saw the movie and was moved by the unexpected ending and your posting has refreshed my memory of how emotional the movie was.

    0
    0
  3. I lived in Prescott & lived through the gut wrenching impact this catastrophic event had on our community. I wear a bracelet engraved “Prescott Strong 19 and one heart (for the lone survivor). I’ve never removed it and don’t ever plan to take it off. Watching 19 white hearse drive into town was an overwhelming experience. I want to honor these fine men & their families by viewing the movie, but years are already streaming down my face by thinking back to that awful day and time when we lost true icons of our community. They were sons, fathers, brothers and friends – they were respected and appreciated by all in Prescott.

    0
    0
  4. This is tough, i really want to see a few factual details portrayed in this film, as for the whole story, No-Never, because only a few know all the details. As for the title of the movie….Okay, sure why not…..I have spent 20+ yrs on IHC, as a crew member, Squad boss, foreman and Supt, so it natural that this effects me in a profound way. Do some of you remember the Tri data study, recommendations that would insure that we never repeated a Storm King, we have many times since, have we not….I hope that the families finds some solace in this film, and with 100% certainty they can forever be proud of their service and sacrifice. I hope us old hotshots as well as new come away saying they did ok with this film, I will see it opening night to be sure. I never ever want to have to again have to hear tragic news such as that relayed to the world June 30,2013….it’s too, too much…and one more thing….we have an obligation to raise them right…If we choose not to learn from our past we are doomed to repeat……Thanks for letting me vent a little….

    0
    0
  5. Well movies getting it wrong is hardly something solely confined to fire. Hopefully the portrayal here will at least be made in good faith which is probably the best we could hope for given filmmakers are professionals at that, not firefighting. Even if it were a documentary, which it is not, expecting a 100% recreation is unrealistic. Just the limitations of a movies running time alone mean which details to include or leave out are matters of editorial discretion. I’ll wait and see and hopefully we’ll get a halfway decent portrayal of wildland firefighting on film.

    0
    0
  6. A professional colleague of mine is a member of a large West Coast Fire Department. He also works as a technical advisor on films. A technical advisor does what they can but in the end the final decisions are made by the Director. That is why you will see open can Crown Fire Coaches and Firefighters dressed in Los Angeles City bunker gear and helmets operating at an incident taking place in NYC on film and vice versa, you will see tower ladders and other FDNY apparatus and firefighters in leather helmets and FDNY bunkers working a fire in Ls Angeles on film. Yes, it drives a lot of us nuts but that is the movie industry….

    0
    0
    1. or that on 6.30.13— there was TWO red helmets…not like in photo up above…

      that was probably how it should of been…but Steed and Marsh were in the red helmets…

      my photos even show guy on side walking wearing black helmet.

      0
      0
  7. First audio from the trailer: “We’re gonna take the fire head-on.” Looks like Firestorm 2 to me, except now capitalizing on the deaths of actual people.

    0
    0
    1. Firefighters are going to point out things in this movie about firefighters — that are unrealistic and say that they would have done things differently. But I suggest that we don’t judge this film by the two-minute trailer, and give it a chance. Maybe it will be terrible (in spite of the excellent cast) or it could be very good. If anyone chooses not to see it because they discovered “capitalizing on the deaths of actual people” in the trailer, that’s up to them. I missed that part in the trailer. But think about it. Have you ever seen a movie where someone died? Or even large groups of people? Ever seen a film about World War II? Maybe this will bring more awareness to our battles with wildfires.

      0
      0
      1. or maybe it will bring more awareness that LIVES MATTER and SAFETY MATTERS!

        I almost missed the trailer (3rd name change) so thank you Bill Gabbert for your great site awareness-

        …In 2009 Starz Media LLC has a movie called the same ONLY THE BRAVE…

        as the eyewitness and last civilian hiker who took the photo of those men I can state Amanda Marsh and others who contributed to the making of the movie did a superb job so far based on the trailer— I want to see the movie just do not know if I can handle it in a public format. I get choked up- but thank you for all who took the time to make a movie format.

        May people embrace the film-

        0
        0
      2. Agreed Bill. My only wish is that the families of the Granite Mountain Hotshots are given reparations for their part in this story.

        0
        0

Comments are closed.