The new movie kill the messenger, based in part on a 2006 book by a former student of mine, eulogizes webb. Kill the messenger 2014 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Gary webb was born on august 31, 1955 in corona, california, usa as gary stephen webb. Journalist gary webb s story told in kill the messenger kill the messenger is based on the true story of a reporter at the san jose mercurynews who uncovers the. Jeremy renner plays gary webb in kill the messenger. Kill the messenger recounts the life of gary webb, who reported on links. Starring jeremy renner as the late gary webb, the movie of webb s investigation of the cias contracocaine scandal and of webb s destruction by mainstream news outlets is set to begin. The film takes place in the mid1990s, when webb uncovered the cias past role. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. An awardwinning investigative reporter, gary webb 19552004 is best known for his dark alliance series that linked a northern california drug ring with the cia and the united states burgeoning crack epidemic. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb.
Kill the messenger, a film about the reporter gary webb. The real gary webb bottom owned a motorcycle and was an avid rider like jeremy renners character in the kill the messenger movie top. The film is based on the life and struggles of the reporter gary webb. Even 10 years after his tragic death, the media refuse to let him rest. Gary webb was totally in the right for reporting this, even though his reporting was not backed up later by big national news organizations. Movie about gary webb, dark alliance reporter who died. Unfortunately, schou says, that was also its undoing gary webb had become the story. Twotime academy award nominee jeremy renner the bourne legacy leads an allstar cast in a dramatic thriller based on the remarkable true. Gary webb s son on new movie kill the messenger youtube.
Rent kill the messenger 2014 on dvd and bluray dvd. Gary webb, the pulitzer prizewinning reporter who broke the story of the cias involvement in the importation of cocaine into the u. Actor jeremy renner stars as investigative journalist gary webb in the upcoming film kill the messenger. The story of gary webb, a us reporter who linked the cia to a crack cocaine conspiracy. Gary webb s son ian talks about the film in which jeremy renner plays his late journalist father.
He was sentenced to life in prison, though the sentence was shortened on appeal and ross was released in 2009. Gary webb was a pulitzer prizewinning journalist who did a lot of great work and certainly should be respected for his efforts to uncover the full extent of the ciacontracocaine connection. Webb found evidence that cia had direct contact with the smugglers, knew the proceeds funded murder, and tried to cover it up. Kill the messenger poster featuring jeremy renner b. Pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webb asks can you keep a secret.
Twotime academy award nominee jeremy renner the bourne legacy leads an allstar cast in a dramatic thriller based on the remarkable true story of pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webb. Universal studios is planning to develop a feature film based on the true story of gary webb, the san jose mercury news reporter who committed suicide years after his bombshell series on cia drug activities was questioned, variety. Get your swag on with discounted movies to stream at home, exclusive movie gear, access to advanced screenings and discounts galore. Garry webb wrote the 1996 dark alliance series for the san jose mercury news. Kill the messenger tells the story of a real investigative reporter, gary webb, whose reporting about the c. When the story first appeared in 1996 on the website of the san jose mercury news, it became an unprecedented internet sensation, receiving up to 1. It might have saved his journalism career, though it would have precluded his canonization in the new film kill the. How the cia watched over the destruction of gary webb.
The film takes place in the mid1990s, when webb uncovered the cias past role in importing huge amounts of cocaine into the u. Collect bonus rewards from our many partners, including amc, stubs, cinemark connections, regal crown club when you link accounts. Kill the messenger recalls a reporter wrongly disgraced the. Kill the messenger tells the story of the tragic death of gary webb, the controversial newspaper reporter who committed suicide in december 2004. I n 1996, journalist gary webb wrote a series of articles under the title dark alliance for the san jose mercury news suggesting a cia connection between antigovernment contras in nicaragua.
Journalist gary webb, california 1996, started investigating cias role in the. Birds of prey, bloodshot, and college basketball movies. It is based on the book of the same name by nick schou and the book dark alliance by gary webb, which focuses on cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking. Is andy garcias character, norwin meneses, based on a real person. Gary webbs son on new movie kill the messenger youtube. Get kill the messenger dvd and bluray release date, trailer, movie poster and movie stats. This is the real story behind kill the messenger i n a scene from the new movie kill the messenger, investigative reporter gary webb played by jeremy renner says that he doesnt believe in. A 1991 television movie based on barry seals life story first aired three years before the publication of reeds book comporomised. It is based on the book of the same name by nick schou and the book dark alliance by gary webb. The film stars jeremy renner in his first film as a producer.
But to continue to discredit webb and now kill the messenger, the hollywood movie about him starring jeremy renner, seems like cheap shot. The new hollywood film kill the messenger tells the story of gary webb, one of the most maligned figures in investigative journalism. Kill the messenger features performances by jeremy renner, robert patrick, jena sims. Details this disturbing, factbased thriller is based on pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webbs involvement in revealing the cias secret funding and assistance for nicaraguan contra rebels during the 1980s. The 109 minute film highlights seals transition from an outlaw drug pilot to a star informant who risks his life for the dea and cia. While denying that the cia was involved in any illegal activities at mena during the time seals drugsmuggling operation was based there, the cias inspector generals office confirmed in 1996 that the cia ran a joint training operation with another federal agency. Gary webb, a journalist at the san jose mercury news, thought it was a farfetched story to begin with, but in 1995 and 1996, he dug in and produced a deeply reported and deeply flawed threepart. Director michael cuesta went with the second, probably because its more. When investigative journalist gary webb stumbles upon evidence that links the cia to a cocaine trafficking operation led by the nicaraguan contra rebel army, he. The scandals evoked, including webb s infidelity, take a. Gary webbs son ian talks about the film in which jeremy renner plays his late journalist father. Kill the messenger is a 2014 american biographical crime thriller film directed by michael cuesta and written by peter landesman. Kill the messenger, a movie starring jeremy renner due oct. Still, when kill the messenger stays lifesized and resolutely human, the effect is devastating.
A publicist, working full time at the mercury news, fielded media inquiries. Webb is the former san jose mercury news reporter whose 1996 dark alliance series on the socalled ciacrack cocaine connection created a firestorm of controversy and. Inspired by the true story of gary webb the san jose mercury news reporter known. Movie about gary webb, dark alliance reporter who died, planned joe strupp april 3, 2008. When the story first appeared in 1996 on the website more about gary webb. With hollywood set to release a movie about the contracocaine scandal and the destruction of journalist gary webb, an internal cia report. Likewise, gary webb, a reporter who won the pulitzer prize, exposed the connections among cia, the contras, and a crack kingpin. The cia didnt really need to lift a finger to try to ruin gary webb s credibility, schou told the intercept. He was a writer, known for kill the messenger 2014, filming in georgia 2015 and crack in america 2015.
Journalist gary webbs story told in kill the messenger. As investigative journalist gary webb wrote in his book dark alliance. It was a tragic end to a brilliant, and tragic, career. When shou first contacted webb he was in washington, d. Kill the messenger 2014 is based on webbs book dark alliance and nick schous biography of webb. Gary webb movie will show him abandoned joe strupp april 4, 2008. Kill the messenger dvd release date february 10, 2015. W ebbs troubles began in august 1996, when his employer, the san jose mercury news. Kill the messenger resurrects gary webb, journalist maligned for exposing cia ties to crack trade. Gary webb, the protagonist of kill the messenger, pursued the first topic, and rightly so even if it did destroy him.
Webb stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nations streets. They just sat there and watched these journalists go after gary like a. Kill the messenger, a movie starring jeremy renner, just opened, about the life and death of pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webb, who committed suicide in 2004. Gary webb was no journalism hero, despite what kill the.