The first images from Paramount's upcoming comedy/drama Whiskey Tango Foxtrot have arrived, and they show Tina Fey taking on a very different kind of role. Previously titled The Taliban Shuffle, the film is based Kim Barker’s memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan and follows a journalist who’s sent to Kabul on assignment and becomes “entrenched in a culture of adrenaline and parties.” Focus and Crazy, Stupid, Love. helmers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa direct from a script by Fey’s 30 Rock co-showrunner Robert Carlock, making for a pretty fascinating behind-the-scenes lineup.
During her assignment, Fey’s character crosses paths with a British TV journalist played by Margot Robbie, whom she befriends, with Martin Freeman also starring as a Scottish war photographer who may or may not be a romantic interest for Fey’s character. The ensemble is filled out by Billy Bob Thornton as a military-minded general, Alfred Molina as a local official with a crush on Fey’s character, and former Girls actor Christopher Abbot as an Afghan “fixer”.
The premise and tone is tricky to nail down for a film like this, but Carlock tells USA Today he was aiming for something along the lines of Robert Altman’s classic M*A*S*H and Mike Nichols’ adaptation Catch-22. That's certainly much more in line with what one would expect from a political dramedy from the team behind 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and I'm curious to see how Ficarra and Requa's direction handles this tone. Their caper Focus fell flat due to odd pacing and confusion over that film's tone, so maybe they've got a better handle on Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
With these first images arriving today, we should be getting a first look at the trailer soon, which will give us a much better idea of what to expect. For now, peruse the photos below via USA Today. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot opens in theaters on March 4th.
