‘House of Dynamite‘ Writer Defends Film’s Realistic Depiction of US Missile Defense System
LOS ANGELES – The writer of the new nuclear thriller House of Dynamite is standing by the film’s stark portrayal of the US missile defense system,following complaints from the Pentagon regarding its accuracy. Writer and director Kathryn bigelow stated, “all on the record … our missile defence system is highly imperfect,” and affirmed, “What we show in the movie is accurate.”
The film depicts a scenario where ground-based interceptor missiles launched from Alaska fail to prevent a nuclear strike on Chicago,a depiction the Pentagon reportedly disputes. Though, nuclear physicist Laura Grego of the Union of Concerned Scientists argues the film’s scenario, while dramatic, represents a relatively simple threat compared to the complexities the US might actually face. “A robust defence should anticipate facing multiple incoming ICBMs and credible decoys, and direct attacks on missile defense elements, but none of those were part of the story in this film. The fictional threat is arguably about as easy as they come,” Grego told Bloomberg.
Bigelow emphasized the film’s independence,stating they sought no endorsement or cooperation from the Pentagon.”Our nuclear armoury is a fallible structure. Within it are men and women working thanklessly behind the scenes, whose competence means you and I can sit and have this conversation. But competence doesn’t mean they’re infallible,” she told The Guardian.
The US currently maintains 44 ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California. In 2020, the Pentagon awarded Northrop grumman a $13.3 billion contract for a new generation of ground-based missiles, slated for delivery in 2029. The debate over the effectiveness of US missile defense comes amid proposals for more ambitious systems,such as Donald Trump’s May 2025 suggestion of a “Golden Dome” featuring space-based weapons. House of Dynamite arrives as the US continues to grapple with modernizing its nuclear defenses and the ongoing threat of nuclear conflict.
