An event that catapulted the Special Air Service (SAS) into the public eye that happened 37 years ago, is about to be told again in a movie this summer. “6 Days” is an action thriller about the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege in London starring Jamie Bells (Fantastic Four) as Rusty Firmin, the SAS Blue Team Assault Team Leader, and Mark Strong, as the hostage negotiator Max Vernon.

Set to premiere on the 4th of August 2017 in the United Kingdom, “6 Days” is directed by Toa Fraser (The Dead Lands) and shot on location in Princes Gate, Knightsbridge. The first trailer just got released early this week:

The siege happened on the 30th of April to the 5th of May 1980, when members of the Democratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Arabistan (DRFLA) took over the Iraninan Embassy, seizing 26 persons as hostages, demanding for the release of Arab prisoners from prisons in Khūzestān. The British Government under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, refused to grant safe passage to the hostage takers, but were able to secure the release of several hostages in exchange for minor concessions, including allowing that their demands be broadcasted.

On the 6th day, the hostage takers already frustrated due to the lack of progress of their demands, killed one of the hostages, who was the Press Officer of the Iranian Embassy, leading to Thatcher giving the green light for the SAS to execute Operation Nimrod. The rest was history and the world saw the hostage rescue operation live via news television.

During the assault, another hostage was killed whilst two were wounded and one SAS member was wounded. Five of the hostage takers were killed and one was captured alive. The SAS were accused of killing two of the hostage takers unnecessarily but were cleared after an inquest.

The aftermath of the siege for the SAS was something that they did not welcome as they prefer to be in rather an obscure unit. Now that they are known, there was an increase in demand from friendly countries to learn more about their training and expertise as well as applications to join the unit. The SAS by this time is one of the most feared elite units in the world.