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NRA Foe Harvey Weinstein Backs Sniper Series

For now, the producer is putting his clout behind a sniper-based miniseries. Funny what an unexpected smash like “American Sniper” will do to a filmmaker’s priorities.

A five-night miniseries based on Nicholas Irving’s “The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers” is in development at The Weinstein Company, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Special Operations Direct Action Sniper Irving was the U.S. Army 3rd Ranger Battalion’s deadliest sniper. He was the first African American to serve as a sniper in his battalion, and became known as “The Reaper” by the end of his active service. During a 4-month period in mid-2009, Irving tallied 33 kills as a master sniper.

Weinstein’s statement announcing the project sounded like it was ghost written by Sean Hannity:

“Nick Irving’s true bravery and heroism will make for some of the most riveting television ever seen and inspire patriotism in anyone who experiences it.”

Weinstein’s sniper series doesn’t directly contradict his anger at the gun lobby. Yet the producer’s work routinely reflects stories where guns are either lovingly displayed or used for heroic measures. Consider his professional ties to director Quentin Tarantino, a filmmaker known for his unrelenting gun violence.

Early last year, Weinstein told Howard Stern he planned to make “The Senator’s Wife” with Meryl Streep. The political drama would expose the NRA for all to see, he promised. The announcement generated significant press yet TWC hasn’t released much more on the project since then.

In 2012, Weinstein vowed to gather some of Hollywood’s most powerful storytellers to see what impact screen violence had on off-screen violence. The news came shortly after the Aurora, Colo. theater shooting which killed 12 audience members. That summit never materialized.

photo credit: betancourt via photopin cc

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