An upcoming legal drama will see a DC universe superhero in a much grimmer setting -- Guantánamo Bay. Titled ‘Prisoner 760’, the film is an adaptation of a New York Times bestselling memoir by Mohamedou Ould Slahi called ‘Guantánamo Diary’. It will star ‘Shazam!’ actor Zachary Levi along with an ensemble cast. Slahi’s book, according to its website was “the first and only memoir by a still-imprisoned Guantánamo detainee.” It was published in January 2015 — with numerous redactions — from a 466-page handwritten manuscript. It was an international bestseller and has since been translated into multiple languages for publication in more than 25 countries.

Release Date

According to Deadline, production was slated to begin in South Africa on December 2, but a release date is yet to be revealed.

Plot

According to the ACLU, the memoir describes “an odyssey that began in 2001 when, at the behest of the U.S. government, Mauritanian authorities detained Slahi after he voluntarily went in for questioning. The U.S. transferred him to prisons in Jordan and Afghanistan before Guantánamo, where he was tortured.”

As per ACLU, Slahi was born in Mauritania in 1970 and won a scholarship to attend college in Germany. In the early 1990s, Slahi fought with al-Qaida when it was part of the Afghan anti-communist resistance. He worked in Germany for several years as an engineer and returned to Mauritania in 2000. The following year he was detained by Mauritanian authorities and rendered by the U.S. to a prison in Jordan.

According to a Guardian review of the book, which Slahi handwrote in English, he was subjected to sleep deprivation, death threats, sexual humiliation and intimations that his torturers would go after his mother.

He was subjected to “additional interrogation techniques” -- he was blindfolded, forced to drink saltwater, and then taken out to sea on a high-speed boat where he was beaten for three hours while immersed in ice.

Slahi claimed that he had made a number of false confessions in an attempt to end the torment, telling interrogators he planned to blow up the CN Tower in Toronto. Asked if he was telling the truth, he replied: “I don’t care as long as you are pleased. So if you want to buy, I am selling.”

He was released in October 2016.

Cast

Zachary Levi as federal agent Neil Buckland

The 39-year-old American actor is well-known for his performance as the titular character in the DC Extended Universe film 'Shazam!'. He has also appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films 'Thor: The Dark World' and 'Thor: Ragnarok' as Fandral. 

Jodie Foster as defense attorney Nancy Hollander

The multiple award-winning actress has a huge legacy in Hollywood. Her notable roles include 'The Silence of the Lambs', 'Panic Room', 'Flightplan', 'Inside Man', 'Maverick' and more.

Benedict Cumberbatch as military prosecutor Lt. Stuart Couch

Perhaps most famous for his portrayal of the fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes in the modern retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle's books, Cumberbatch is also well-known for his role as Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films 'Doctor Strange', 'Thor: Ragnarok', 'Avengers: Infinity War', and 'Avengers: Endgame'.

Tahar Rahim as Mohamedou Ould Slahi

The 38-year-old French actor of Algerian descent is most well-known for starring as Malik El Djebena in the 2009 award-winning French movie 'A Prophet'. He has also worked with the film's director before in 'The Eagle'. 

Creator

‘Prisoner 760’ will be directed by Kevin Macdonald. The Scottish director's most famous work is the James McAvoy, Forrest Whittaker-starrer 'The Last King of Scotland'.

Trailer

No trailer for the film has been released yet. Watch this space for more information. 

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