Fact check: Is Land of Bad based on a true story? 

Ever since Land of Bad was released in theatres on February 16, 2024, many have wondered if the plot of the American war film is based on a true story.

The plot of the Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, and Luke Hemsworth starrer action film is fictional. Having said that, although the film does not rely on a true story, it uses several common war film tropes that could have led the audiences to believe that the incidents depicted are true.

The clarification on whether Land of Bad was based on a true story was given by writer and director William Eubank during a conversation with Task & Purpose dated February 11, 2024. During the interview, he mentioned that he had written the script for the movie while filming for The Signal was still underway.

He also discussed the impetus behind making such a movie, remarking that films exploring "drone warfare were becoming more mainstream."

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Land of Bad is not based on a true story

As previously stated, Land of Bad is not based on a true story. The plot of the film has been entirely fictionalized for the screen. However, this does not imply that the depicted events are completely untrue.

The physical and mental tribulations of people working in the United States Army Delta Force have been depicted in the film, as has the constant state of urgency characteristic of such volatile settings. The film also explores the insidious harmony between several factions of the force.

During William Eubank's interview with Task & Purpose, when asked how he ended up creating a military thriller like Land of Bad, Eubank said:

"We wrote this film when we were filming The Signal, which is kind of crazy. At the time my co-writer and I were trying to make movies that can get made."

He further elucidated on the writing process and said:

"When we were making The Signal we thought “this is too crazy.” We had this idea for a military thriller; at the time drone warfare was becoming more mainstream. People were talking about it. We thought it would be exciting to see the viewpoint between the drone pilot and the operators on the ground. We thought that would be unique."

He also spoke about how the initial script they wrote for the movie got shelved, and they had to write another one with a fresh outlook. Eubank mentioned that when they got on the story the second time, they found that there were several other aspects to touch upon.

Additionally, their close contact with real drone pilots and real JTAC instructors had made them believe that they were not doing justice to their stories. He said during the interview:

"we found we had the story all wrong anyway. So we rewrote it and made it more about the guys and their relationship rather than the psychological disconnect the pilot could feel."

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About Land of Bad

The Land of Bad chronicles the rescue mission of a CIA spy withheld in the southern Philippines. Tasked with the rescue mission, the US Army Delta Force, who are being instructed by Captain Eddie Grimm, a US Air Force drone pilot from a Reaper.

The film stars Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, Luke Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle, and Milo Ventimiglia in pivotal roles. Others featured in the movie include Chika Ikogwe, Robert Rabiah, Daniel MacPherson, Lincoln Lewis, and Jack Finsterer.

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Land of Bad is streaming on Netflix in selective regions.