'Promised Land': Matt Damon's Fracking Film To Highlight Controversial Drilling Process

Environmentalists are giddy over the news that Matt Damon is starring in an anti-fracking film.

Damon's agency confirmed to Politico that the actor is slated to star in "The Promised Land," an "anti-fracking movie" that he co-wrote with actor John Krasinski ("The Office"), based on a draft by Dave Eggers ("Where The Wild Things Are").

According to Variety, Damon and Krasinski will star "as rival corporate executives, with the former thesp playing a character whose life is thrown into disarray after he arrives in a small town."

The film will also feature Frances McDormand "who prefers to follow the rules as opposed to breaking protocol," Rosemarie DeWitt as "a schoolteacher caught between Damon's and Krasinski's character" and possibly Hal Holbrook who "will play an engineer who lives in the town and opposes a corporate takeover being led by Damon." The movie will be directed by Gus Van Sant ("Good Will Hunting").

A casting agency posted a call for extras on their Facebook page this past Monday, specifically searching for "great, character faces, farmer looks, senior citizens, and kids" in the Pittsburgh, Penn. area where the film is shooting "from late April through early June, 2012."

This isn't the first film to tackle the hydraulic fracturing debate. In 2010, the film "Gasland" documented the health concerns of citizens affected by the fracking industry, and featured a flammable water scene which caused quite the stir.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a drilling process for extracting natural gas from shale rock. The procedure has caused concern due in part to the chemicals injected into the wells for drilling, which may taint nearby drinking water. President Obama touted "safe" natural gas drilling in his State of the Union address, but also said, "I’m requiring all companies that drill for gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use. Because America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk."

The feasibility of protecting the health of Americans while conducting hydraulic fracturing operations is debatable. Dimock, Pennsylvania has been at the heart of this discussion. The small town's wells were tainted by fracking operations, and the drilling company and the EPA have (at times) delivered clean water to the residents.

According to ProPublica, recent EPA tests of Dimock's water reveal "dangerous quantities of methane gas" and "dozens of other contaminants, including low levels of chemicals known to cause cancer and heavy metals that exceed the agency's "trigger level" and could lead to illness if consumed over an extended period of time. The EPA's assurances suggest that the substances detected do not violate specific drinking water standards, but no such standards exist for some of the contaminants and some experts said the agency should have acknowledged that they were detected at all."

Not everyone is concerned about fracking, nor are all groups excited about the film, including the creators of pro-fracking film "FrackNation." The film's co-producer Phelim McAleer is known for attacking Al Gore about climate change and recently told HuffPost's Lucia Graves, "when you strip away the emotions and the hyperbole, the answer seems to be that we need to investigate further."

As Politico pointed out, FrackNation posted on their KickStarter site: "It will not be easy getting the message out with a sequel to Gasland in the works and now a big budget Hollywood movie concentrating on scare stories rather than true stories. Now, we recognize Hollywood movies don't have to be truthful - they just have to be entertaining, but it's likely that PROMISED LAND will increase unfounded concerns about fracking."

Many would argue that concerns about fracking are not "unfounded," including Damon himself -- In 2010, the actor posted a short video promoting the Working Family's Party "working to prevent risky natural gas drilling" and keep water clean in New York.

From our partners

• Widespread Greenland Melting A Sign Of Things To Come - Climate Central
• How Two Determined Sisters Set Up A Pet Rescue Pipeline To Colorado - Mother Nature Network
• 11 Images And Facts About A Misunderstood Creature - Mother Nature Network

Comments

[Drobinsac]

12:31 AM on 12/22/2012

CA Governor announces new oil industry fracking regs ahead of Promised Land - examiner.com's Dan Aiello

"Promised Land's writers, producers, cast and crew should rightfully credit their collaboration for the 2012 release of California's new fracking regulations that have been long-delayed."

http://www.examiner.com/article/brown-announces-new-oil-industry-regulations-ahead-of-promise-land-release?cid=rss

[Rolling Wind]

12:42 PM on 12/21/2012

An important political tour de force...
The movie 'Gasland' by Josh Fox is of global importance and seeing it is necessary to grasp the scope of the 'drilling boom'. If you have missed it, view it on YouTube in English with Russian subtitles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCMhTJYx6eQ

Since 2010 it has won many awards and in Feb 2012: Josh Fox was arrested as a journalist!

"Today's hearing in the House Energy and Environment subcommittee was called to examine EPAs findings that hydraulic fracturing fluids had contaminated groundwater in the town of Pavillion, Wyoming."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPrxdXuKhQE
Uploaded on Feb 1, 2012Josh Fox, director of Gasland, being arrested at meeting of the panel of the House Science Committee. Members of the committee objected to Fox filming a hearing on a natural-gas drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." They also objected to the presence of an ABC News crew. Fox did not have the proper press credentials and the ABC News crew had not given adequate notice that they would be filming, according to committee staff.
This video is provided courtesy of a democratic staffer.

An unregulated and unprecedented boom.

[wlennon]

11:36 AM on 12/19/2012

I stopped doing fracking jobs for environmental groups when I did a core sample a quarter mile from a water well in a small community in Pennsylvania when my findings were that the natural gas and methane were natural from within the water table dome. They had wanted me to testify in court that fracking caused the water to catch fire at the surface. Since I was absolutely positive that is was natural, and what was making many ill was the fact that there were trace amounts of H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide gas also in the formation), H2S is very poisonous and deadly in amounts in 10 parts per million or more. A day later I went back to my hotel after dinner, slid under my door was an envelope with a $250,000 bank check to change my results to blame it on fracking and testify, the letter was unsigned and computer printed. I made copies of the letter which I wrote on one that the answer was NO, and give it to the Environmental Company when they tried to contact me along with a check, I left town after phoning the Co. and where they could find their money. Looking back, I should have contacted the police and given them the original letter and the Bank Check, in which I had written "VOID" on the front.

[bluesuperman]

11:31 AM on 12/20/2012

In a court case a judge throw out the so call water catching fire Judge note that the so called video was not showing water catching fire at all.Seem the Environmental group was trying to be sneaky and really was using a gas line making it look like a water line . Matt why don't go over to a oil rich Islamic country and tell them How evil they are for drilling for oil .

[wlennon]

11:40 AM on 02/09/2013

Sorry,
been out of country...The Trial was about Fracking causing the problem with
gas/methane in water pipes. I will not lie for anyone for any amount, a
reputation cannot be bought (at least mine). The indisputable scientific data
is that the gas didn't come from Fracking. I am sure Matt Damon would keep the
money if he had land with a vast amount of oil or natural gas. Odd that all
these Environmentalists are not driving Electric Cars or Hybrids, rather the
gas guzzlers are faster or more comfortable with all the gadgets. Most of my clients are oil and nat. gas companies.

[wlennon]

11:35 AM on 12/19/2012

Focus Features announced that production has commenced on the drama "Promised Land". The screenplay was written by Matt Damon and John Krasinski, based on a story by Dave Eggers. Mr. Damon and Mr. Krasinski are producing the movie with Chris Moore.

Therefore we have Matt Damon as co-writing the screen play, (stepped aside as Director), Producer, and star of the film on anti-fracking.

The problem here is, we have the United Arab Eremites (a large member of 11 nations which make up OPEC) funding the film for their own interests. In a recent interview, Damon claimed he knew nothing about the UAE funding. This is a problem for Damon, since his signature is on the UAE funding agreements as co-producer of the film.

I received my degree in Geology and minored in Engineering, to which have used both in my job in more than the past 45 years. Having done work for Environmental Orgs., drilling core samples in the Arctic and Antarctic (reading the cores and carbon dating when needed), Archeological Digs (primarily carbon dating), oil & gas co.'s. All the w working for Smith Int'l / Schlumberger, a tool design and rental Service Co.--especially manufacturing equipment which made the process more environmentally safe (oil, gas, and water wells).

[DeadZones]

11:56 AM on 12/08/2012

Glad to see Hollywood getting on board this huge issue. Find out where oil and gas drilling issues exist in a town near year by going to http://drillingmaps.com

[Janina Rafalska]

02:19 AM on 11/30/2012

Many scenes in "Gasland" are misleading. Especially the notorious scene of 'burning' water coming out of a faucet. In fact, this water was produced from a poorly designed shallow water well where bacteria abund and generate methane. It had nothing to do with gas drilling. Typical fracking takes place 7000-10000 feet below surface and gas cannot move through so much rock to enter shallow water wells. If it could--it would not be there--it had millions of years to migrate and dissipate. But it has not. Why? Because nature sealed it. Could things go wrong ? Yes. But compare it with the coal mining where the mountain ranges are wiped out; the ground pulverized, and the local streams choked with black slurry. Coal production is million years worse. Moreover, coal burning is toxic many many times more than gas. Same for oil: while better than coal--it is also worse that gas production or burning. Remember BP horror in the Gulf? Gas contains nothing but carbon and hydrogen molecules. Oil and especially coal contain so many contaminants: sulfur, nitrogen, metals.
I was so happy when shale gas became a viable energy source: and I could not believe when my fellow environmentalists started to protest. Ignorance and brainwashing that all fossil fuels are death lead to absolutely ridiculous statements.
But it is to late. Well meaning people are fighting for dirty, dirty coal and do not even know it.

[sallen7117]

10:20 PM on 10/01/2012

Matt Damon is a wonderful actor but a miserable activist!

[Roondog]

08:02 PM on 09/28/2012

Have you at least seen the trailer for this film. Its not a Michael Moore mock-up. This is a really well acted dramatic full length film with people the movie industry and movie going public admire. It is as down to earth as "Field Of Dreams" and as challenging as "Erin Brockovich" It is a movie that stirs the REAL heartstrings of the American Public. It shows what happens when big money and wimpy Politicians have to deal with real American values. 4 Thumbs UP

[David Hauser]

04:22 PM on 09/28/2012

The movie was produced and paid for in part by Image Media Abu Dhabi, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media - owned by the United Arab Emirates government. Wonder why they would finance this movie? Hmmm. Maybe because fracking is bad for their business?

[yahooserious]

06:56 PM on 05/20/2012

it's a shame that all the frackers have to do is wave money in someone's face and there they go... ok, lets frack! Good luck to the people whose health and land both are ruined.

[realityCheckInTheMail]

10:32 PM on 04/19/2012

Here is President Obama's endorsement of fracking by official proclamation.

http://1.usa.gov/IKL69X

[Jeffrey Chase]

02:59 PM on 06/12/2012

While the proclamation does open the door for interpretation, nothing explicitly states that fracking is ok. In fact, at one point the proclamation states that safe and responsible extraction of natural gas will be a priority. Whatever that means...

[Roondog]

10:11 PM on 09/28/2012

All this shows is that he is willing to go out on a limb to advance the Nations ability to produce the supply of energy that it needs. Greater harm and incontrovertible consequences are able to override the energy whenever they become evident. In today's interconnected and informed world, such questions are a part of the core elements of the debate. To which devil do we sell our soul...be energy self-sufficient and permanently harmed and wrongfully manipulated and enslaved to foreign interests

[Random Action]

07:48 PM on 04/16/2012

We need to join together and BAN Fracking like VT is about to, Quebec, France and Bulgaria have done! SIGN 3 important PETITIONS: 20 seconds, a lifetime of difference.

1. http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-natural-gas-development-in-the-susquehanna-river-basin
2. http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6125&track=hp-051811-actioncenter
3.http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/mothers-against-fracking/

[Roosevelt Democrat]

03:16 PM on 04/11/2012

Well he did "Dogma" also.

[jenniferkizzy]

02:53 PM on 04/11/2012

loner for a reason loner's are happy normal people who just don't think it wise too join anyone it's nice too know that people just don't get it bye

[jenniferkizzy]

02:10 PM on 04/11/2012

yep