The story of Navy pilot Dieter Dengler, released on July 4, got the attention of Los Angeles Clippers basketball player Elton Brand. He was interested enough to make "Rescue Me" the first offering of his new production company Gibralter Films, which he cofounded.
When asked how he would convince people that he is serious about his movie interests, Brand responded:
"I think I took the right step in convincing the world that this is something I take seriously by doing a serious movie. It's an intense film. You know, it's action and it's exciting but it's very intense and very current. It's about a POW in Laos getting shot down, and he's at a POW camp, and how they survive, and the bravery and kinship that was formed, the bond that was formed. And it portrays Dieter Dengler — that's who Christian Bale plays — as he was."
The film is a continuation of the documentary by Verner Herzog "Little Dieter Needs to Fly." Herzog also directed "Rescue Dawn" as well.
While Brand says he'll probably be connected to basketball full-time throughout his life, if the right project comes along and he wants to tell that story, he would be open to working on it. He said he isn't looking to become a movie mogul, or make five films a year.
Even so, he adds that he loves to write, and has a screenplay he's completed that he's not giving out any information on at this time.
If he continues to pick quality subjects like the Dieter Dengler story, he will find himself very successful in the business, whether he continues it a part or full-time interest.
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