Buzz
Following a request from Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), the CIA and Department of Defense launched an inquiry into Kathryn Bigelow’s film depicting the mission to eliminate Osama bin Laden. King and others suspected that the White House had shared classified details with the filmmakers, prompting the CIA to step in.
This isn’t the first instance of government involvement in the film industry. The FBI, for example, has a well-documented history of probing actors, executives, and specific films. Take their reaction to Steve McQueen’s heist movie "The Thomas Crown Affair." Initially titled The Crown Caper, the film’s producers requested permission to film the exterior of the FBI’s Boston headquarters. However, after a detailed review, the FBI denied the request, citing the movie’s "outrageous depiction of the FBI." This decision was added to McQueen’s extensive FBI file, which also included records of threats against him.
The CIA, too, has a storied history with Hollywood. Under the covert initiative "Operation Mockingbird" (explored in Carl Bernstein’s Rolling Stone article and various books), the agency aimed to shape American media narratives by recruiting journalists and publishers to influence Cold War coverage. This program also extended to Hollywood, where the CIA worked to ensure films aligned with government interests and prevented the release of unfavorable information.
One of the CIA’s notable projects was The Quiet American, a film adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel set in Vietnam. Reports indicate the agency influenced the script to attribute a bombing to Communist forces, despite the book suggesting American involvement. Greene was outraged, calling the CIA-influenced version "propaganda" for removing his anti-war themes.
The agency reportedly intervened in other films, such as 1984, making script adjustments and adding racial diversity to portray America as more inclusive.
Perhaps their most significant effort under Operation Mockingbird was their deep involvement in adapting George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” into a film. The CIA aimed to transform the allegory into an anti-communist tool, altering the story to vilify communism exclusively. They rewrote the ending to show the animals rebelling against the pigs, rather than humans, diverging from Orwell’s critique of both systems.
The animated film was produced by Halas and Batchelor in England, possibly to obscure CIA involvement or due to the agency’s connections with the studio. The film included Disney-style humor to widen its appeal and amplify its message. While it received critical acclaim and pleased the CIA, it faced backlash from Orwell’s fans. Howard Beckerman, an author, later told the London Guardian that Orwell would have likely opposed the film’s production if he were alive.
Some theories suggest the CIA played a darker role in filmmaking, including potential involvement in the death of screenwriter Gary DeVore. DeVore disappeared while working on a film about the U.S. invasion of Panama, his directorial debut. His car and body were later discovered in an aqueduct. His wife, Wendy, claimed he was troubled by his research into the CIA’s role in the invasion and seemed distressed during their last conversation. Speculation persists that the CIA staged his death as an accident to halt the film’s production, though no concrete evidence exists.
