When Kathryn Bigelow released her 2012 thriller Zero Dark Thirty, she did more than dramatize the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden. The film triggered a formal investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee, sparked a national debate over the use of torture, and compelled intelligence agencies to reconsider their relationships with Hollywood.
Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal faced questions from Congress about whether they were granted access to classified information. A movie project about a successful raid quickly evolved into a political conflict, raising questions about journalism, entertainment, and national security.
Zero Dark Thirty Sparked a Senate Intelligence Investigation
The controversy began in August 2011, when Republican Congressman Peter T. King called for an investigation into the filmmakers’ work with government agencies (via ABC News). King worried the Obama administration was leaking sensitive details about the May 2011 raid to bolster the president’s reelection campaign. The film’s initial release was set for October 2012, just weeks before the presidential election, which intensified claims of political motivation.
In response, both the CIA and the Department of Defense launched internal reviews of their contact with Bigelow and Boal (via New York Times). A CIA spokesperson stated the agency’s participation aimed for an accurate depiction of its personnel while protecting national security. To distance the project from the election, Sony Pictures postponed the release to December 19, 2012, after votes were cast.
Documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests showed significant government cooperation. CIA Director Leon Panetta shared classified details during a June 2011 ceremony at CIA headquarters, which Boal attended. In front of 1,300 people, Panetta identified the special operations unit behind the raid and named its ground commander. Under Secretary of Defense Michael Vickers also reportedly disclosed the name of a key planner to the filmmakers (via ABC News).
The Senate Intelligence Committee started a formal inquiry in January 2013 to determine if classified material was improperly shared. After reviewing documents from the CIA, Bigelow, and Boal, the committee ended its investigation on February 25, 2013 (via Reuters as related by The Independent). The review concluded that no laws were broken, and no charges were pursued. Bigelow and Boal always maintained that their script was based on unclassified interviews and publicly available information.
Zero Dark Thirty’s Journalism Approach Tested Hollywood’s National Security Limits
Mark Boal applied an investigative journalist’s methods to his screenwriting, a style that pushed the boundaries of studio filmmaking. His experience reporting from Iraq in 2004 for Rolling Stone became the basis for the film The Hurt Locker. For Zero Dark Thirty, Boal was already researching a movie about the unsuccessful search for bin Laden when the Al-Qaeda leader was killed. He immediately shifted his focus to the successful raid, using his reporting skills to gather information from sources.
First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus, who has represented both journalists and filmmakers, defended the production. He noted that there was no public evidence to justify the claims of wrongdoing against A House of Dynamite director Bigelow, and the screenwriter Mark Boal. The situation highlighted the difficulties of creating films about sensitive government operations while the events are still politically charged.
The investigation led to new protocols for how intelligence agencies engage with the entertainment industry. The CIA and Department of Defense implemented stricter guidelines for granting access to filmmakers, as per The Hollywood Reporter. A 2015 CIA inspector general report criticized the agency for its disorganized interactions with the filmmakers but confirmed no illegal activity occurred.
Zero Dark Thirty grossed $132.8 million globally and earned five Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Sound Editing. The film also appeared on the Film Critic Top Ten List for 2012. Despite the political storm it created, the Katheryn Bigelow movie found widespread critical and commercial success and permanently changed how Washington and Hollywood interact.
Zero Dark Thirty is currently streaming on Paramount+.
