APPROVED FCR RELEASE date: 5
Browse Entire Issue) (U) DCI Meets Director of 'The Agency" by
OPA
ior>
George Tenet recently met with the executive production team lor Thearamount Studios made-for-TV movie that will air on Showtime later this year. Theealistic and patriotic depiction of CIA's mission and personnel, is being directed by Tim Maiheson. whose extensive filiiiography includes numerous television and feature film roles. The movie is being produced by Robert Con and David Madden, whose joint Con/Madden Production company has just released Odd Couple II with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.
Script writing, pre-production, and casting for The Agency have been underway forear, filming begins this month.
Cort. Madden, and Mathcson visited Headquarters recently at Ihe invitation of the Office of Public Affairs to get what the movie team hoped would beinemagraphic flavor of CIA's Headquarters and itsathcson was also interested in looking at possible sites for some weekend location shots at Headquarters. The Hollywood trio met with DCI George Tenet to brief him on the story line of the action adventure drama.
RobertI analyst. said: "It was an honor to talk with the DCI and it was an incredible experience to walk the halls again after all theseon wrote the short story upon which the screenplay was based. Screen writer Roger Towne. remembered for his classic baseball film The Natural with Robert Rcdford. adapted the story to movie format. Director Mathcson told the DCI he was excited by the human quality of the script, and after seeing the Agency for himself he was determined "to capture on film the professionalism, dedication, and patriotism which CIA truly represents and which the American public little understands."
Towne. who visited Headquarters las! year for an insider's view, subsequently crafted an authentic, exciting story centeringulti-directorate fusion team. The team deals analytically and operationallyrisis involving the arrest of an Agency officer in North Korea, as well as the shipment of Russian ICBM's into North Korea, where they are to be used as nuclear blackmail against US forces stationed in South Korea. In the fictional story'sresidential Directive authorizes the fusion team's tactical arm toovert action operation designed to neutralize the threat.
Filming begins in Toronto onne-day, weekend location shooting inside Headquarters is tentatively planned for mid-June. The movie's set director was in Headquarters last week, gathering information needed to build realistic sets in (lie Canadian studio.
Casting is nearing completion. Actor Tom Berenger, whose many films include Platoon. Someone to Watch Over Me and MajorI. will play theDO officer who heads the fusion team. Actor Ron Silver, with numerous Broadway, television and feature credits, such as Reversal of Fortune with Glenn Close, portrays the DCI. Berenger is scheduled toay al Headquarters en route lo Toronto to get an "actor's feel" for the real Agency officers he and his colleagues willrescnting on
Original document.
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: