Three Kings

Three Kings (1999)

Timing: 1:54 (114 min)

6.658/10
1985

7.117/10
24706

7.1/10
187000

All about film

Video 3

Photo 16

Actors and characters

Release date

1999-09-27

Country

United States

Production

Atlas Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures, Village-A.M. Partnership, Coast Ridge, Junger Witt Productions

Genre

Action, Comedy, War

Budget

$75 000 000

Revenue

$107 752 036

Website

Director

David O. Russell

Actors

George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Cliff Curtis, Nora Dunn, Jamie Kennedy, Saïd Taghmaoui, Mykelti Williamson, Holt McCallany
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Charles Roven, Paul Junger Witt, Edward McDonnell, Bruce Berman

Operator

Newton Thomas Sigel

Composer

Carter Burwell

Artist

Audition

Mary Vernieu, Anne McCarthy

Editing

Robert K. Lambert
All team (100)

• Director David O. Russell planned a re-release of the film in connection with the second Iraq War, but the studio abandoned the idea at the last moment in November 2004. The re-release was to be accompanied by a documentary short film, “Soldiers Pay,” which he had filmed specifically for the occasion.
• Matt Damon and Matthew McConaughey turned down the offer to play the role that ultimately went to Mark Wahlberg.
• The character of Archie Gates was written with Clint Eastwood in mind, but the director wanted a younger actor. George Clooney persistently offered his services, but Nicholas Cage was ultimately preferred, and his efforts were successful only after he signed a contract for another project.
• The role of Major Archie Gates was offered to Nick Nolte, but the actor declined, stating that he was too old for it. Jeff Bridges also wanted to play this character, but was rejected due to the low box office receipts of his previous film, 'The Big Lebowski'.
• Sayed Mustafa Al-Kazwini, who played the fugitive Iraqi selling stolen cars from Kuwait to Major Gates, was actually tortured by Iraqi secret services in real life, as a result of which he lost an eye. He, like many other consultants and extras, was a refugee from Iraq, fleeing persecution by the Saddam Hussein regime.
• The film was officially banned from screening in Iraq.
• George Clooney combined work on the film with filming the series "ER". As a rule, he worked on the film set four days a week, with the remaining three days dedicated to the series.
• The propaganda leaflet with pictograms, held by the officer with a megaphone, was actually used during the Persian Gulf War, distributing appeals to Iraqi soldiers to surrender without resistance.
• The voice of the helicopter pilot at the beginning of the film belongs to director David O. Russell.
• On the original film posters, director David O. Russell was credited as the sole screenwriter, which caused great dissatisfaction from John Ridley, who wrote the main elements of the plot in his version. As a result of a legal process, his rights were restored, and his name was included in the film credits. He wrote the script with the sole purpose of testing his abilities, how quickly he could do it and then sell it. It took 7 days to write, and another 18 days later the script was bought by Warner Bros. studio.
• The author of the original screenplay, John Ridley, banned the publication of a novelization accompanying the film's release.
• Filming took place from November 12, 1998 to February 15, 1999.
• Matt Damon and Matthew McConaughey declined the offer to play the role that ultimately went to Mark Wahlberg.
• Sayed Mustafa Al-Kazwini, who played a fugitive Iraqi selling cars stolen from Kuwait to Major Gates, was in real life tortured by Iraqi secret services, as a result of which he lost an eye. He, like many other consultants and extras, was a refugee from Iraq, fleeing persecution by the Saddam Hussein regime.
• On the original film posters, director David O. Russell was also credited as the sole screenwriter, which caused great dissatisfaction from John Ridley, who had written the main elements of the plot in his version. As a result of a legal process, his rights were restored, and his name was included in the film’s credits. He wrote the screenplay with the sole purpose of testing his abilities, how quickly he could do it and then sell it. It took 7 days to write, and another 18 days later the screenplay was purchased by Warner Bros. studio.
• The author of the initial screenplay, John Ridley, forbade the publication of a novelization accompanying the film's release.