Humphrey Hawksley's "Operation Icebreaker"

Humphrey Hawksley has reported on key trends, events and conflicts from all over the world.

His work as a BBC foreign correspondent has taken him to crises on every continent.

Here Hawksley dreamcasts an adaptation of his new Rake Ozenna thriller, Operation Icebreaker:

The key for an Operation Icebreaker movie is casting a compelling lead character whose script demands he is economical with words yet has a vivid screen presence that will hold a movie theatre. He should also be an Alaskan native. I’m looking for a modern-day blend of Charles Bronson in Chato’s Land, Clint Eastwood in Where Eagles Dare and Yul Brunner in The Magnificent Seven. Martin Sensemeier would work well playing Red Harvest the Comanche Warriot in the 2016 Magnificent Seven remake. Kiowa Gordon, who plays Jim Chee, the tribal police officer in Dark Winds would be great, and he’s mid-thirties, Rake’s age. Asivak Koostachin could also work well. He was in Red Snow, about an Inuit soldier captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan who draws on his Indigenous heritage to survive. Another idea would be to screen test unknown actors in Alaska itself and surround the lead with famous names.

Kelly Reilly from Yellowstone could play Rake’s on-off girlfriend, Carrie Walker, emotionally complex but highly skilled at her work as a trauma surgeon. Michelle Dockery, Lady Mary from Downton Abbey, would be superb as Stephanie Lucas, projecting authority and warmth. Rufus Sewell from his roles in The Diplomat and Man in the High Castle is exactly the Harry Lucas character. Mark Strong could portray Brett Laine’s emotional coldness and contradictions that allow him to morally justify evil.

The idea directors would be Taylor Sheridan (Wind River, Yellowstone) brilliant at capturing American wilderness and culture clashes; Paul Greengass (the Bourne series, United 93) is really good at tension and pace; and Katherine Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, A House of Dynamite) completely understands building tension and how political big pictures impact individuals.

Visit Humphrey Hawksley's website.

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--Marshal Zeringue