A House of Dynamite Writer Reveals Film’s Real-Life Inspiration

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The Netflix film, A House of Dynamite, centers around a dangerous situation facing the President of the United States (played by Idris Elba) and the nation. When a nuclear missile heads towards Chicago, he finds himself unprepared to respond.

While researching for the film, screenwriter Noah Oppenheim and director Kathryn Bigelow found something unsettling. The challenges faced by the main character in A House of Dynamite – and his lack of readiness for an attack – closely mirrored real-life scenarios. It turns out presidents aren’t typically involved in the detailed planning for a nuclear attack.

I’ve been reading about how past presidents handled nuclear threats, and it’s fascinating. Apparently, Ronald Reagan was the last one to really get directly involved in those decisions. Nowadays, it’s mostly left to the experts – the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs, the National Military Command Center, and Strategic Command. While I appreciate having so many qualified people ready to act, it feels a little unsettling that the president isn’t more directly engaged. It just seems like such a critical issue deserves the president’s personal attention.

In a conversation with Deadline, Oppenheim, a former president of NBC News, shared his perspective on the subject, drawing on his extensive research and network of contacts. He believes this inside knowledge makes A House of Dynamite particularly realistic compared to other films in its category.

We spoke with dedicated and highly knowledgeable public servants – people who had worked as watch officers in the White House Situation Room, civilian leaders at the Pentagon, retired military personnel, and those involved in strategic command and missile defense. These individuals devoted their careers to protecting our country, and they were remarkably unbiased in their perspectives.

The author expressed concern about the President’s limited involvement in this important process. They argued that someone with the power to authorize nuclear weapons should have a deeper understanding of both the weapons themselves and the risks associated with their use.

Early in our research, we learned something deeply concerning: a former high-ranking Pentagon official told us the president rarely practices responding to a nuclear attack scenario. This is especially troubling because the U.S. system gives the president sole authority to decide whether or not to use nuclear weapons – a decision made entirely independently, without needing approval from advisors, the Cabinet, or military leaders. The weight of this decision falls solely on the president, yet they appear to be the least prepared to make it.

You know, even though my film, A House of Dynamite, got some flak from the Pentagon, a lot of people really liked it. I was especially happy to hear that many experts thought it was actually quite accurate – that meant a lot to me.

What’s really struck me is hearing from people who actually work in these high-pressure environments – places like the White House Situation Room, Strategic Command, the Pentagon, and the CIA. They’ve told us we got it right, that we accurately portrayed their daily realities, and that meant the world to us. But even more encouraging is seeing how many people are finally ready to talk openly about the dangers of nuclear weapons and what we can do to reduce those risks. It feels like a conversation that’s been avoided for too long, and it’s amazing to see our work sparking those important discussions among experts, lawmakers, and activists.

A House of Dynamite is now available to stream on Netflix.

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2025-11-17 02:38