Sand Castle (film)

Sand Castle is a American war drama film directed by Fernando Coimbra and written by Chris Roessner. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill, Logan Marshall-Green, Tommy Flanagan, Glen Powell, Beau Knapp, and Neil Brown Jr. The film centers on Matt Ocre, a young machine gunner, tasked to save a village in Iraq. It is based on the true events and the experience of the film's writer Roessner during the Iraq War. It was released on 21 April 2017 on Netflix.

Set in 2003 in Iraq, about a young machine gunner, Matt Ocre (Nicholas Hoult), who is among a platoon which is tasked to repair a broken water system in the dangerous village, Baqubah.

Chris Roessner's script Sand Castle, based on his own experience as a machine gunner in Iraq's Sunni Triangle, appeared among the 2012 unproduced Black List screenplays. On 13 March 2014 it was announced that Nicholas Hoult would lead the cast of the Iraq war drama to play the role of Matt Ocre, a young machine gunner. The film would be produced by Mark Gordon through The Mark Gordon Company, who had bought the script. Commercial director Seb Edwards was hired to direct the film centered on Sergeant Harper, the leader of a platoon, and one of his soldiers, Ocre. On 9 May 2014 uMedia came on board to finance the film and handle the international sales. Additionally. Toby Kebbell was cast in the film to play Sergeant Harper.

On 8 October 2015 Luke Evans and Henry Cavill joined the film with Evans playing Sergeant Harper and Cavill playing Captain Syverson from Special Forces who runs the operation in the dangerous village of Baqubah. Fernando Coimbra, director of A Wolf at the Door, was now set to direct the film which Treehouse Pictures would fully finance and produce, while other producers would be Roessner, Gordon, Justin Nappi, and 42's Ben Pugh. Voltage Pictures took over handling the international sales. On 9 October 2015 Beau Knapp joined the film to play a sergeant who has to repair a broken water system in village. On 14 October 2015 Glen Powell was cast in the film to play Sergeant Falvy, a tough-minded soldier. On 26 October 2015 The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Logan Marshall-Green had replaced Evans for his role of Sergeant Harper, the leader of a platoon. On 29 October 2015 Neil Brown, Jr. joined the film to play the role of Enzo.Tommy Flanagan was cast in the film for a lead role of Sgt. McGregor.