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Fire Birds (originally titled Wings of the Apache and released internationally under that name) is a 1990 action-thriller film directed by David Green and produced by William Badalato, Keith Barish and Arnold Kopelson. The storyline was conceived by retired Lt. Colonels Step Tyner and John K. Swensson and retired Marine Capt. Dale Dye and developed into a screenplay written by Paul F. Edwards, Nick Thiel and uncredited David Taylor. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Tommy Lee Jones and Sean Young. Cage is cast as a helicopter pilot attempting to help dismantle a drug cartel in South America. Jones plays his pilot instructor and senior ranked military officer during his flight training, while Young portrays his love interest. Production of the film was a co-production between the Walt Disney Studios and Nova International Films. It was commercially released under Disney's Touchstone Pictures label. The movie featured elaborate aerial stunt sequences, involving combat helicopters. Fire Birds premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on May 25, 1990 grossing a modest $14,760,451 in domestic ticket receipts. The film was met with negative critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas; generally due to its melancholy dialogue and striking plot similarities to the more popular 1986 action film Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis.
Original Release
05/25/1990
US Release
05/25/1990
Links
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Nicolas Cage | Jake Preston |
Tommy Lee Jones | Brad Little |
Sean Young | Billie Lee Guthrie / Billie Lee Guthries |
Bryan Kestner | Breaker |
Illana Diamant | Sharon Geller |
Dale Dye | A.K. McNeil |
Mary Ellen Trainor | Janet Little |
J.A. Preston | General Olcott |
Peter Onorati | Rice |
Charles Lanyer | Darren Phillips |
Directors
Writers
Step Tyner, Dale Dye, Nick Thiel, Paul F. Edwards, John K. Swensson
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Nicolas Cage | Jake Preston |
Tommy Lee Jones | Brad Little |
Sean Young | Billie Lee Guthrie / Billie Lee Guthries |
Bryan Kestner | Breaker |
Illana Diamant | Sharon Geller |
Dale Dye | A.K. McNeil |
Mary Ellen Trainor | Janet Little |
J.A. Preston | General Olcott |
Peter Onorati | Rice |
Charles Lanyer | Darren Phillips |
Marshall R. Teague | Doug Daniels |
Cylk Cozart | Dewar Proctor |
Charles Kahlenberg | Oscar De Marco |
Gregory Vahanian | Tom Davis |
Robert Lujan | Steward Rives |
Scott Williamson | Scott Buzz |
Mickey Yablans | Butch Tippet |
Bert Rhine | Eric Stoller |
Peter Michaels | Steve Dobbs |
Richard Soto | Captain Tejada |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Keith Barish | Executive Producer |
Arnold Kopelson | Executive Producer |
Dale Dye | Producer |
John K. Swensson | Producer |
Bill Badalato | Producer |
Bettina Gilois | Producer |