Chris Pratt taps military veterans for "The Terminal List"
Chris Pratt (James Reece) in "The Terminal List." Photo: Courtesy Amazon Studios
Amazon enlisted multiple military veterans to help with producing the new Chris Pratt series "The Terminal List."
Driving the news: Pratt portrays a Navy SEAL named James Reece in the new Prime Video series, which is based on a book of the same title by author Jack Carr.
- In the series, Reece returns home from a covert operation and begins to question his memories of what happened.
Details: Pratt, who previously portrayed a Navy SEAL in the 2013 film “Zero Dark Thirty," learned about "The Terminal List" book from his friend Jared Shaw, a real Navy SEAL, AP reports.
- He loved the book so much he decided to option it for a series with Amazon, AP reports. Pratt's team then hired multiple special ops members to act in a combat scene in the first episode.
- The show also added former military members for behind-the-scene roles, including those working in props, wardrobe, hair and makeup, and other acting capacities, Amazon Studios confirmed to Axios.
Zoom in: Former Navy SEALs, Air Force veterans and Marine veterans were hired for the series, an Amazon spokesperson told Axios.
- The spokesperson said more than 25 veterans were given on-screen roles for the show.
- The production team prioritized hiring former Navy SEALS and military veterans for roles in order to "weave elements of camaraderie and authenticity into every layer of production," the spokesperson added.
- Executive producer David DiGilio told Military.com the writers' room had seven military veterans alone.
The big picture: Pratt told AP the goal for hiring was “to try to honor that community and make this for that community, So they’d watch us and go, 'Wow. That’s actually very accurate.'"
- “I love that transition for people getting out of the service and joining the film and television industry. It’s a really great place for them. It’s very similar in a chain of command," he said.
What to watch: "The Terminal List" premieres on Prime Video on July 1.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Amazon.