Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
By JOHN D. GONZALEZ | gonzo@mlive.com
TRAVERSE CITY, MI -- Michigan author Doug Stanton is still a little overwhelmed with the response to "12 Strong," a movie based on his 2009 New York Times bestseller "Horse Soldiers."
He's is seeing his name in lights for the first time.
"Never thought I'd see this on a marquee," he said on Instagram after a special screening at the State Theater Thursday night in his hometown.
He called the Tuesday premiere at Lincoln Center "an awesome party."
"The audience was clapping throughout the movie," he said. "It was such a thrill."
dougstanton.com
Released this weekend (Jan. 19, 2018), "12 Strong" is a Jerry Bruckheimer film starring Chris Hemsworth, Michael Pena, Trevante Rhodes, Michael Shannon, and others, and tells the story of a Special Forces group that was deployed into Afghanistan shortly after 9/11 to fight the Taliban.
dougstanton.com
At the world premiere of "12 Strong" at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, Doug brought his family, including his wife, Anne, and their children Kate, Will, John (who worked as a production assistant on the film), and mom, Bonnie. Who loved meeting Chris Hemsworth.
dougstanton.com
He also got to hang out with Tom Brokaw, who is a fan of his latest book, "Odyssey of Echo Company," about Vietnam.
Seated across from him was actor Matt Damon.
"I was surprised to hear he read 'Horse Soldiers'; he was incredibly great. Everyone was gracious, and it was a lot of fun, I didn't eat anything, but I heard the food was fantastic."
dougstanton.com
Here is Doug with his family at the Lincoln Center premiere.
He wrote: "Arrived Lincoln Center, red carpet awaits. I never would’ve gotten here without this family. Mom, you look beautiful. Sis, you too. Anne, mmmwhah. Katherine, amazing. Will, you’re in a dapper suit! John, cant tell you how proud I am."
The premiere felt like a "once in a lifetime experience," said the Traverse City author, whose book "In Harm's Way" about the USS Indianapolis could also turn into a Hollywood movie.
"I hope it's not a once in a lifetime experience, but it felt that way," he said.
Simon & Schuster
The release of the movie has sparked an interest in "Horse Soldiers," the book. Simon & Schuster re-released the book in paperback and tied it into movie with a "12 Strong" title. It has been No. 1 on the NY Times Paperback Bestsellers for 3 weeks in a row.
It's a compelling read with more details about how heroic of a mission these 12 soldiers endured.
Warner Bros.
The movie opened on Thursday, Jan. 18, in a preview, and expanded nationally on Friday, Jan. 19. The early numbers look impressive for a big weekend at the box office, according to boxofficemojo.com:
"Warner Bros.' release of 12 Strong brought in $900,000 from Thursday previews in ~2,700 locations. Using the films we used as comparisons in our weekend preview below, this is better than the $560k Patriots Day brought in, same goes for the $575k for In the Heart of the Sea and even better than the $750k for Hacksaw Ridge, which is to say if the preview grosses are any indicator 12 Strong is on its way to an opening in the high teens."
Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Learn more about Doug Stanton at:
On Instagram
On Twitter
On Facebook
Doug and his wife Ann are co-founders of the National Writers Series in Traverse City.
He also one of the founders of the Traverse City Film Festival.
Check out the movie trailers below:
Amy Sherman and I talked to Doug Stanton about "12 Strong" on our radio show "Behind the Mitten." CLICK ON THE PODCAST ABOVE. Listen at the 10:08 mark.
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