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♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.
WE'RE BACK HERE WITH JAKE TAPPER, HOST OF THE L -- HOST OF
TLEAD "THE LEAD" AND "STATE OF THE UNION."
YOU HAD A FILM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO OPEN AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST
WHICH DIDN'T HAPPEN.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE FILM NOW?
>> IT'S COMING OUT ON JULY 3.
IT'S GOING TO BE IN TH THEATERS JULY 3rd.
I'M MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME.
IF THEATERS ARE OPEN AND SAFE, THEY CAN SEE IT THERE.
IF NOT, THEY WANT TO STAY HOME, THEY COULD WATCH IT, YOU KNOW,
WITH iTunes OR AMAZON, ANY VIDEO ON DEMAND SERVICE, AND
THEY COULD WATCH IT, AND I HAVE TO SAY, LIKE, THEY DID A REALLY
GOOD JOB.
THE DIRECTOR AND THE CAST, YOU MENTIONED SCOTT EASTWOOD,
ORLANDO BLOOM, LANDRY JONES, THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB.
IT IS VERY IMMERSIVE, VERY INTENSE, AND I'VE SEEN IT NOW A
COUPLE OF TIMES, ANDETH REALLY POWERFUL.
>> Stephen: DID YOU GO SEE THE SHOOTING ON LOCATION?
>> I DID, AND THEY SHOT IT.
SO MILLENNIUM FILMS MAKES THIS, AND THEY USUALLY MAKE THESE HUGE
BLOCK BURSTERS LIKE "THE EXPENDABLES" OR "LONDON HAS
FALLEN."
THEY SHOOT OUT OF BULGARIA.
IT TOOK A WHILE, BUT I CONVINCED MY WIFE FOR US TO GO, AND WE
TOOK OUR KIDS, AND WE FLEW TO BULGARIA, AND THEY HAD
RE-CREATED THE ENTIRE OUTPOST, WHICH I NEVER NOT TO VISIT
BECAUSE, BY THE TIME I HEARD ABOUT THE MAJOR BATTLE THAT TOOK
PLACE THERE IN 2009, THE U.S.
HAD ABANDONED THE BASE AND BOMBED IT, SO I NEVER SAW IT
EVEN WHEN I WENT TO AFGHANISTAN TWICE TO RESEARCH THE BOOK, I
GOT CLOSE TO IT, I GOT TO THE CLOSEST BASE, BUT IT WAS STILL
ABOUT 10 OR 15 MILES AWAY.
SO THEY RE-CREATED THE WHOLE THING IN BULGARIA AND IT WAS
UNBELIEVABLE BECAUSE THIS HAD BEEN A MAJOR FOCUS OF MY LIFE'S
WORK FOR YEARS BUT, OF COURSE, I NEVER GOT TO SEE IT.
THREE OF THE GUYS WHO WORKED ON THE MOVIE SERVED AT COMBAT
OUTPOST KEATING.
THEY ARE ALL IN THE MOVIE, AND A COUPLE OF THEM SERVED AS
TECHNICAL DIRECTORS AS WELL, TECHNICAL ADVISORS, AND THEY ALL
SAID IT WAS SURREAL AND WEIRD, BUT IT ALSO HELPED THEM WITH A
SENSE OF CLOSURE TO VISIT THIS RECREATION OF IT.
BUT ROD LEERY DID AN AMAZING JOB.
HE JUST THROWS YOU INTO THE OUTPOST, WHICH AS YOU KNOW,
STEPHEN, BECAUSE YOU'VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME, AND
THE STORY, WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THREE STEEP MOUNTAINS, 14 MILES
FROM THE PAKISTAN BORDER, IS NOT THE KIND OF PLACE ANYONE SHOULD
EVER SET UP A BASE, AND WHEN YOU WATCH THE MOVIE, IT REALLY FEELS
LIKE YOU'RE EXPERIENCING THE BATTLE, AND THE ACTORS DO A
GREAT JOB.
SO I WAS WORRIED ABOUT IT BECAUSE -- YOU KNOW, IT'S A TRUE
STORY, RIGHT.
IT'S A TRUE STORY, AND WE HAD A SPECIAL SCREENING IN OCTOBER
RIGHT AROUND THE TIME OF THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ACTUAL
MAJOR BATTLE THERE, AND WE INVITED THE STUDIO AND OTHERS,
WE INVITED GOLD STAR FAMILIES, SO PEOPLE WHO HAD LOST SOMEBODY
AT COMBAT OUTPOST KEATING AND SOME OF THE VETERANS WHO HAD
SERVED THERE, AND WE SHOWED THEM THE MOVIE.
AND I WAS SO NERVES BECAUSE -- I WAS SO NERVOUS BECAUSE I KNEW
HOW I FELT ABOUT IT BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW SOMEBODY'S GOING TO
TAKE SEEING AN EXPERIENCE THEY ACTUALLY LIVED RE-CREATED, OR
SEEING SOMEBODY PORTRAYING THEIR FALLEN SON OR HUSBAND, NOT ONLY
PLAYING THAT PERSON BUT THEN DYING ON FILM.
SO, AFTERWARDS, I SHEEPISHLY WENT OVER TO EACH ONE OF THEM
AND SAID, HOW DO YOU THINK IT WAS?
DO YOU THINK WE HONORED YOUR SERVICE OR TUNING WE HONORED
YOUR SON'S SERVICE OR HUSBAND'S SERVICE?
AND IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL NIGHTS OF MY LIFE
BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM SAID YES, AND I HOPE MORE PEOPLE
WHO SEE THIS, INCLUDING OTHERS WHO ARE PART OF THE FAMILY BUT
WEREN'T THERE THAT NIGHT ALL FEEL THAT WAY.
I FEEL IT HONORS THEM BY TELLING THIS STORY THAT REMAINS FAIRLY
OBSCURE, EVEN THOUGH ONE TO HAVE THE MOST DECORATED UNITS IN
AFGHANISTA AND TWO OF THE SURVIVORS WENT ON TO BE AWARDED
MEDALS OF HONOR.
PEOPLE STILL DON'T KNOW THE STORY IS THAT AND PEOPLE CAN SEE
IT STARTING JULY 3 EITHER IN THEATERS OR STREAMING.
JAKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR DOGS, AND THANKS
SO MUCH FOR BEING OUT THERE TELLING US WHAT'S HAPPENING AND
REMINDING OUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE.
>> AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING US LAUGH.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT MEANS AT THE END OF A BRUTAL DAY
TO COME AND TO TURN YOU ON AND WATCH YOU TRYING TO MAKE SENSE
OF IT ALL AND TRY TO MAKE US LAUGH AND ENTERTAINED.
MORE EVIE IN THE SHOW WOULD BE GREAT, BY THE WAY.
>> Stephen: I TOTALLY AGREE.
A LITTLE LESS OF YOU, MORE OF HER.
IT'S LIKE MAKING A GOOD MARTINI.
>> Stephen: 100%.
100%, YEAH.
JUST THROW UP MY PICTURE EVERY SO OFTEN, WILL BE FINE.
JAKE TAPPER, THE HOST OF "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" ON CNN.
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