I am writing to you to ask for your permission in turning your book, American Sniper, into a movie. There are 3 main things I wish to discuss with you.
1. I want this movie to remain as close to your actual experience in combat as possible, with that being said I want to omit Taya's thoughts from the movie. I want to solely focus on what you experienced- not your wife. I hope to offend neither you or your wife, I just picture this film showing the life of war as precisely as it actually happens. While I want to let the audience relate to you as well as they can, I want them to relate to the war within you, not the war within Taya.
2. I wish to keep the movie as close to accurate as I possibly can. With that I would like to do filming, if possible, in any of the exact buildings you remember. I always want the actors we pick to have a deep understanding of the life of a SEAL so they can correctly portray the role, with that I want you and any SEAL buddies to be on set to help with the structure of filming. I want it to look as if my actors went through the same training as you. I want it to be as real as possible. Also with this I am asking you to be apart of the casting. I want you to help us pick the actors that are like the men you served with.
3. I will show all of your confirmed kills. Any kill that was confirmed will be in the movie. I want to include all 160. I understand that some may have happened at the same time and multiple people in a short time, but if you killed 4 men in 47 seconds, we will show 4 men falling in 47 seconds. It might be something only those of us involved in production notice, but like I said- this needs to be as accurate as possible and even if we are the only people who know that 160 people "died" in this movie than so be it. But I will have 160 actors fall.
I greatly appreciate any help you wish to give us. If none at all I understand that too.Thank you for your service to our country.
Sincerely,
Erin McElhenny
