Scott Eastwood reveals why he nearly turned down 'Lucky Strike'

Ralphie Aversa, USA TODAYThu, June 25, 2026 at 7:14 PM UTC

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NEW YORK – Scott Eastwood is no stranger to war movies.

His first credited film is 2006's "Flags of Our Fathers," directed by his father Clint Eastwood. Other films about wars he's worked on include 2014's "Fury," which starred Brad Pitt, and 2020's "The Outpost."

So when director Rod Davis Lurie, with whom Eastwood collaborated on "Outpost," called the actor with another war movie, he politely declined.

However, Eastwood's agent was persistent. And once the actor read the script, he signed on to both star in and produce "Lucky Strike" (in theaters Friday).

Scott Eastwood stars in "Lucky Strike," a film inspired by the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.

"I'm really glad I reconsidered because getting to make movies like this, although tough, they're always more meaningful," Eastwood, 40, tells USA TODAY. "You get to tell a true story, you get to honor our veterans, you get to do something that means something."

"Lucky Strike," which gets its name in part from the cigarette brand, is inspired by the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Eastwood plays Captain Jack Castle, whose military unit is wiped out and finds himself alone behind enemy lines.

The film also stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Colin Hanks, the son of Tom Hanks. While the actors' fathers worked together on the 2016 film "Sully," Eastwood and Hanks hadn't met until "Lucky Strike."

Eastwood recalls tough conditions during the film's production, which took place in Eastern Europe. The commute to set was an hour drive each way, down narrow roads. Shoots were typically 12-hour days, in which the cast and crew were fighting through the cold weather of Bulgaria.

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Needless to say, there wasn't much time for Eastwood and Hanks to commiserate about any shared experiences growing up with famous parents.

"We didn't intellectualize too much about that," Eastwood notes. "I met [Colin's] father. He comes from good stock, a guy who is just hardworking, kind of like my dad."

(From left) Colin Hanks and Scott Eastwood star in "Lucky Strike," a film inspired by a real-life battle during World War II.Here's how one World War II veteran reacted to Scott Eastwood's new film

While the physical conditions and scripted material proved for heavy, long days, Eastwood has done enough research about war and met enough veterans to put things in perspective. He says that his "tough" days on set weren't "nearly as tough as what our heroes have gone through."

And despite that research over the last two decades in film, Eastwood reveals that he still learned a few things about World War II.

"Without giving out too much away about the film, there's some espionage that went on during World War II," he says. "I knew there was spy stuff going on, but there were German soldiers posing as Americans, and I didn't know too much about that."

Ahead of the film's release, "Lucky Strike" was screened at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The event's guest of honor was Colonel Herbert Stern. At 107 years old, he's the oldest living graduate of West Point. Colonel Stern was awarded a Silver Star Medal for his actions in the Battle of the Bulge.

"He held my hand and told me that we got this one right, and that was extremely powerful," Eastwood recalls. "Getting to listen to him speak, getting to hear his experience made it all worth it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Scott Eastwood on WWII drama 'Lucky Strike,' working with Colin Hanks

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