Hollywood has a behind-the-scenes helper you might not expect
The Department of Defence sees films as a way to boost recruitment and burnish its image
A plucky marketer (Scarlett Johansson) tries to sell the lunar landing to the American people. She makes astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins “bigger than the Beatles” and falls in love with the launch director (Channing Tatum). Movie-goers will find “Fly Me to the Moon” a bit soppy. What they will miss, unless they watch to the end of the credits, is that it was made with help from the Department of Defence (DoD).
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The reel deal”
Culture August 24th 2024
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