dpScott Eastwood and writer-director Rod Davis Lurie first collaborated on “The Outpost” (2020), a highly praised, fact-inspired Afghanistan war drama.
“Lucky Strike,” in theaters nationwide Friday, reunites the two in another drama inspired by real events.
“It started with Rob telling me, ‘I have this little script I’d really like you to read. You’re perfect for it.’
“Then he said, ‘It’s World War II.’ I said, ‘Rod, I’m gonna stop you right there. I’m so happy for you — you’re going to make this movie. But you’re not going to make it with me.’
“I’ve done my Pacific tour,” Eastwood, 40, explained in a Zoom interview. “I did my Eastern European tour with ‘Flags of Our Fathers’ and ‘Fury.’ I’ve done this genre.’
“Then my agent bugged me. And bugged me. Just read the script! Finally I did, and of course I loved it. A cool survival story. A great examination of what war does to the human spirit. So I was, I guess I’m going back to war.”
“Lucky Strike” – a title with multiple meanings – is set in the last months of WWII where Eastwood’s John Castle is his regiment’s lone survivor. He’s trapped behind enemy lines, armed only with a wireless radio and his wits as he dodges the Nazis.
Making this survival story often felt elemental.
“We were out in Eastern Europe in freezing cold temperatures. It was pretty brutal. Luckily we had a lot of the crew and people from ‘The Outpost,’ so I already had a shorthand with them. We were all doing it together, which was good.”
Does he worry that if you say “World War II” a Gen Z audience hasn’t a clue?
“Not really. Actually, I think so many people are infatuated with this war. Because it’s so clear what was right and what was wrong.
“Most people know World War II was about fighting the Nazis and fighting evil. Good versus evil and right versus wrong. It was very clear.
“And then it happens to be a true story. That’s always interesting to me.”
Eastwood has another true story to tell. “Probably the most interesting thing happened when we premiered this film at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Our guest of honor was a Colonel Stern, he’s 107 years old, the second oldest living person in World War II.
“He was also in the Battle of the Bulge and getting to have him talk about what we got right in the film — I don’t want to give away too much. But there’s some espionage stuff happening and he was, ‘We nailed it!’
“And listening to him speak about it gives me chills, even telling it here. Getting to hear his take on what they went through was really powerful.”
“Lucky Strike” opens June 26
