The dark comedy casts Fey as a war correspondent stationed in Afghanistan and Pakistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, and chronicles her fish-out-of-water experiences there as a female journalist and one of many foreign correspondents attempting to cover the conflict.
Directed by filmmaking duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Focus, Crazy, Stupid, Love) from a screenplay penned by Robert Carlock (Saturday Night Live, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Whiskey Tango Foxtrot also stars Margot Robbie as British television journalist Tanya Vanderpoel, who Fey’s character befriends during her time as a correspondent, and Oscar nominee Martin Freeman as Scottish photojournalist Iain MacKelpie, with whom she develops a relationship with while covering the war together.
The supporting cast also includes Alfred Molina as a local official enamored with Fey’s character, and Billy Bob Thornton as local American military officer Gen Hollanek. The Perks of Being a Wallflower actor Nicholas Braun, Christopher Abbott (A Most Violent Year), Sheila Vand (Argo), Stephen Peacocke (Hercules), and Evan Jonigkeit (X-Men: Days of Future Past) also play supporting roles in the film.
Filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was produced by Fey, Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live, Mean Girls), and Ian Bryce (World War Z). Fey first announced the adaptation of Barker’s memoir in 2014. The film is currently the only officially confirmed project on Fey’s schedule for 2016, although she continues to serve as a writer and producer on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the comedy series she co-created with Carlock. She will also guest-host the December 19 season finale of SNL this weekend with her longtime collaborator and fellow series alum Amy Poehler.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot hits theaters March 4, 2016.