We’ve been reporting on Hunter Killer since 2011, but it took until 2018 for the movie to finally hit theaters. So what changed? In an exclusive clip from the upcoming 4K and Blu-ray, the filmmakers and star Gerard Butler reveal that the world did. The script had remained largely intact, but in 2013, the studio didn’t see the relevance of a movie where there’s a central conflict with Russia. But then the world changed, Russia meddled in the 2016 Election, and suddenly Hunter Killer now had a real-world hook. It was “relevant”, and that loose relevance got the movie a greenlight. When people say that it’s a miracle that anything even gets made in Hollywood, this is what they’re talking about. No one in production had any control over geopolitics, but those shifting geopolitics helped Hunter Killer get in front of cameras.

Also, Butler says he had a dream about this movie and that helped reaffirm his commitment to the project, which I think is actually kind of neat. More movies should be made based on what Gerard Butler is dreaming about.

Check out the Hunter Killer clip below. The film arrives on Digital January 15th and 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on January 29th. Special features include an audio commentary with director Donovan Marsh and the two-part featurette “Surface Tension: Declassifying Hunter Killer”.

Here’s the official synopsis for Hunter Killer:

Deep under the Arctic Ocean, American submarine Captain Joe Glass (Butler) is on the hunt for a U.S. sub in distress when he uncovers a secret Russian coup threatening to dismantle the world order. With crew and country on the line, Captain Glass must now assemble an elite group of Navy SEALs to rescue the kidnapped Russian president and sneak through enemy waters to stop WWIII.