Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Oliver Stone's September 11 Will Film Mostly in L.A.
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 31, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 31, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Call it sensitivity or call it fear: Olive Stone's much talked about September 11 movie, based on the rescue of two Port Authority officers, is shooting only a few scenes in New York, with most of the filming on Hollywood soundstages. The movie is based only on the accounts of Sergeant John McCouglin (to be played by Nicolas Cage -yes, that's why he's been sporting the 'stache) and Officer William Jimeno (played by Michael Pena), who were trapped under World Trade Center debris for 22 hours. Producer Michael Shamberg says, "We're not doing the `Towering Inferno-Titanic' version...we just felt after discussing it that frankly, it's easier to do it in Los Angeles." Yeah, like the September 11 miniseries was easier to film in Toronto. But the film is shooting until mid-November, with a tentative release date of August 11, just in time for the fifth anniversary. Director Paul Greengrass's film about Flight 93 (titled Flight 93), the flight that crashed in Pennsylvannia, may be released before the Stone movie, which means it'll be the summer of 9/11 - just in time for the midterm elections.
Gothamist was at a NY Film Festival event right after September 11 where Oliver Stone said that the attacks were because of corporate America. He was heartily booed. And we just found some pictures of Cage as McLoughlin on Just Jared.
Tagged
9/11
america
Angeles
film
film festival
gothamist
headlines
hollywood
jen chung
Just Jared
Los
los angeles
movies
new york
nicolas cage
ny film festival
oliver stone
paul greengrass
pictures
port authority
september 11
shooting
toronto
Trade Center
world trade center
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .