Ridley Scott Reveals That He Contacted King Of Morocco For Help With Resources On “Black Hawk Down”

Ridley Scott recently revealed how the King of Morocco, flew to the rescue to help him secure equipment and crew for his 2001 war film, Black Hawk Down, Screen Rant reports.

Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by journalist Mark Bowden, Black Hawk Down covers the true story of a group of American soldiers who struggled to survive after their Black Hawk helicopter was shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 during the Somali Civil War.

In an interview with GQ, Scott recalled how, during pre-production, he contacted Mohammed VI for resources, saying, “I had to get the King of Morocco …So…I can say “I want to bring in four Black Hawks and four Night Birds. But to do that, I’ve got to bring 125 rangers…Because they’ll be the insurance on the Black Hawk and I can’t have my actors fast-roping down, that’s got to be a ranger because if somebody falls, I’m in trouble.

He said, “I’ll do that, but you have to get the Pentagon to write me a note inviting us to send it because I welcome the American army and its devices.” So he did that. He wrote to the Pentagon, and the Pentagon said, “Okay, we’re on.” So he sent in four Black Hawks, four Night Birds, and 2,505 rangers.

Despite criticisms of historical inaccuracies, Black Hawk Down was a critical and financial success, grossing $172 million worldwide on a budget of $92 million. It currently has a 76% Certified Fresh Critical Rating and an 88% Audience Rating on Rotten Tomatoes.