In Movies, Books and Games, 2009 Is The Year Of The Mercenary

Jan. 28, 2009 - PRLog -- Press Release:

In Movies, Books and Games, 2009 Is The Year Of The Mercenary:

2009 is turning into the year of the mercenary.

Across a range of different formats, the dogs of war are fast turning into one of the most popular subjects for film-makers, thriller writers and games designers.

The veteran Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone is currently filming ‘The Expendables’, featuring a cast of tough mercenaries on a mission to overthrow a brutal South American dictator. The all-star line of hard-men includes Jason Stratham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lungren.

Meanwhile, the big-screen version of the ‘A-Team’ is finally going into production featuring four Gulf War veterans now working as mercenaries.

In thrillers, ‘Death Force’ by Matt Lynn has just been published by Hodder Headline. The first in a new series of books, described as ‘Andy McNab meets Band of Brothers’, it tracks a gang of mercenaries in war zones around the world, and has been getting rave reviews.

And in games, the smash hit ‘Mercenaries’ has now been followed by ‘Mercenaries 2: World In Flames’. The controversial ‘Far Cry 2’ features mercenaries involved in an African civil war.

Matt Lynn says writers, film-makers and games designers are using mercenaries as characters because it reflects the way the world has changed. “Private Military Corporations are changing the face of modern warfare, and writers are just picking up on that,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of small, nasty wars, with a lot of money at stake, and that is a great setting for any kind of drama.”

Lynn’s ‘Death Force’ features a gang of mercenaries robbing a Taliban-supported drugs dealer in Helmand Province. The News of the World gave the book a four-star review, describing it as “a Boy's-Own adventure guaranteed to get the pulse racing.
“Matt Lynn's novel is up there with the finest that Andy McNab or Chris Ryan have ever penned,” it continued.

"A cracking action thriller. Lynn plans Death Force to be the first in a series. I can't wait to read the rest," said the Daily Express. “A well-told, cracking tale of manly doings in a shadowy environment," said City AM in its review.

“Mercenaries are out there, they are real people, on desperate missions, and they have great stories to tell,” said Lynn. “I’m sure we’re going to see more stories like this.”


For more information, contact Matt Lynn at matt@mattlynn.co.uk.