ANTHROPOID Opens Today!
ANTHROPOID is based on the extraordinary true story of "Operation Anthropoid," the code name for the Czechoslovakian operatives' mission to assassinate SS officer Reinhard Heydrich. Heydrich, the main architect behind the Final Solution, was the Reich's third in command behind Hitler and Himmler and the leader of Nazi forces in Czechoslovakia.
The film follows two soldiers from the Czechoslovakian army-in-exile, Josef Gabcík (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubiš (Jamie Dornan), who are parachuted into their occupied homeland in December 1941. With limited intelligence and little equipment in a city under lockdown, they must find a way to assassinate Heydrich, an operation that would change the face of Europe forever.
An extraordinary story of wartime heroism, ANTHROPOID fulfils a long-held dream for filmmaker Sean Ellis. The writer-director-cinematographer first learned about the little-known chapter of history in 2001 when he saw a documentary about the assassination of brutal SS General Reinhard Heydrich. "I've always been interested in everything having to do with World War II so I was astounded that I had never come across this moving story before," recalls Ellis. Immersing himself in research, he spent years assembling an archive of photographs and other historical materials to understand the details and context surrounding "Operation Anthropoid."
To bring the heroes of "Operation Anthropoid" to life, Ellis cast Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan in the lead roles of resistance fighters Josef Gabcík and Jan Kubiš. "I could not be happier with what Jamie and Cillian accomplished," says the director. "As Jan, Jamie does a masterful job of exuding rash vulnerability under intense pressure. Cillian found brilliant ways to manifest confidence and a cold-hearted determination that also masked a kind of moral anxiety that Josef seemed to experience."
ANTHROPOID shot for 39 days in Prague, Czech Republic, beginning in July 2015. "I wanted to honor the soldiers and give the film the authenticity the story deserved," Ellis says. "Prague has changed much in recent years, but many parts of the City Center are just like they were during the war. We were able to film some scenes exactly where they actually took place over 70 years ago."
ANTHROPOID is directed by Sean Ellis and written by Ellis & Anthony Frewin. 120 Minutes/ 2016/ Rated R. For more information, please visit: bleeckerstreetmedia.com/anthropoid.
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