Image: Supplied
The makers of the first Hollywood movie about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing said they felt enormous pressure to get the tone and the story right for the sake of all those who were killed and injured in the attack.
At the Los Angeles premiere of Patriots Day in November, Mark Wahlberg, its Boston-born star and producer, said local expectations were high.
"I'm going to be accountable and they're going to hold me to the highest standards and the expectations are beyond," Wahlberg said on the red carpet.
Three people were killed and 264 were injured when two homemade bombs went off in the crowd near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15 2013.
The HBO documentary Marathon focused largely on the struggles of the survivors. Patriots Day focuses on the hunt for the bombers, who turned out to be brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Tamerlan was killed during his capture and Dzhokhar was sentenced to death.
"To make movies like Patriots Day, there's definitely pressure," said director Peter Berg. "I want to get it right for the people, the members of law enforcement, the members of government, the citizens who were hurt, the citizens that had loved ones killed."
Asked if it was too soon to be making a Hollywood movie out of the tragedy, Wahlberg said people had to stand up against fear and hatred.
"It's not soon enough," he said. "These things are happening all over the world and they will continue to happen and the only way we can combat these things is with love and people coming together. You can't live in fear, you have to stand up and we have to fight together."
'Patriots Day' is in cinemas in South Africa on January 13. Watch the trailer below:
SPECIAL PREVIEW FOR SUNDAY TIMES READERS...
Sunday Times Lifestyle readers can win tickets to complimentary screenings of Patriots Day in Johannesburg and Cape Town; popcorn and cola included.
Time: 8pm
Date: Thursday January 12
Johannesburg: Nu Metro Hyde Park, cinema No 2 (105 seats available)
Cape Town: Nu Metro V&A Waterfront, cinema No 4 (95 seats available)
TO ENTER: SMS the keyword PATRIOT, followed by your FULL NAME and either JHB or CPT to the number 39710 (example: PATRIOT – JANE KHUMALO – CPT )
• Each SMS Costs R1.50
• Lines close at noon on Wednesday January 11
• Winners will be notified by SMS
• Terms and conditions apply