Argo Fake Movie Production Explained
In 1979, Iran was in chaos after its revolution. Militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. Six diplomats slipped away and hid at the Canadian ambassador’s home. The CIA needed a smart way to sneak them out without anyone noticing. They came up with a wild idea: pretend the six were part of a fake movie crew shooting a sci-fi film called Argo.https://www.avclub.com/argo-1798174556https://kevinmathews.substack.com/p/the-empire-strikes-back-or-just-strikes
A CIA agent named Tony Mendez had the plan. He knew Hollywood could help make it real. Mendez teamed up with a movie makeup artist named John Chambers, who had worked on old Planet of the Apes films. They picked a real script for a cheesy sci-fi story about a couple lost in space on a planet called Argo. The script was already floating around Hollywood, so they bought the rights and set up a fake production company called Studio Six Productions.https://www.avclub.com/argo-1798174556
To sell the cover story, they made it look legit. They took out ads in trade papers like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. These ads announced Argo as an upcoming blockbuster with big stars. They rented offices in Hollywood, printed business cards, and even held a fake press event with posters showing aliens and spaceships. Mendez flew to Tehran with the six diplomats, who had Canadian passports. They acted like a Canadian film crew scouting locations. Airport guards checked their papers and gear, but the movie story checked out. The group boarded a plane and flew home safe.https://kevinmathews.substack.com/p/the-empire-strikes-back-or-just-strikes
Years later, Ben Affleck turned this into the 2012 movie Argo. Affleck played Mendez and won an Oscar for Best Picture. The film shows every step, from the idea in Washington to the tense escape. It draws from a true Wired magazine story by Joshua Bearman that first told the full tale.https://www.avclub.com/argo-1798174556https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001410/news/
The real Argo fakeout stayed secret for years to protect CIA tricks. It worked because it mixed real Hollywood buzz with spy craft. No one in Iran doubted a crazy sci-fi crew would scout there.
Sources
https://www.avclub.com/argo-1798174556
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitewashing_in_film
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001410/news/
https://collider.com/best-spy-movies-incredible/
https://kevinmathews.substack.com/p/the-empire-strikes-back-or-just-strikes
