{"id":873895,"date":"2025-12-01T10:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T15:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/?p=873895"},"modified":"2025-12-01T10:05:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T15:05:03","slug":"battle-los-angeles-wtf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/battle-los-angeles-wtf\/","title":{"rendered":"Battle: Los Angeles &#8211; The Story Behind the 2011 Alien Invasion Film"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WTF Happened to Battle: Los Angeles?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W6dAWM2ineU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/author\/cody-hamman\/\" title=\"Read Author's News Posts\" class=\"originals-author\">\n    <div class=\"staff-photo\"><img width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/joblo-headshot-cody-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"border-color: #ffd400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/joblo-headshot-cody-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/joblo-headshot-cody-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/joblo-headshot-cody-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/joblo-headshot-cody-688x688.jpg 688w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/joblo-headshot-cody.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div>\n    <div class=\"staff-name\">Cody<\/div>\n<\/a>\n<p>The\u00a0<em>What Happened to This Horror Movie<\/em>\u00a0episode on\u00a0<em>Battle: Los Angeles<\/em>\u00a0was written by Jaime Vasquez:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With extraterrestrial thrillers like <em>2012<\/em>, <em>The Day the Earth Stood Still<\/em>, and especially the well-received mockumentary <em>District 9<\/em> arriving just a couple of years before, 2011\u2019s <em>Battle: Los Angeles<\/em> really had to step things up if it wanted to stand out. Director Jonathan Liebesman, lead actor Aaron Eckhart, and a strong supporting cast set out to bring the alien-invasion concept to a gritty, realistic level. But did they actually nail it, or was it a misfire? How did the cast train to play Marines? What real historical event inspired the story? Which character was added at the last minute? And which legendary critic didn\u2019t just take shots at the film, he basically implied it could ruin relationships? Plus, we can\u2019t ignore the <em>other<\/em> battle: a 2010s rematch of <em>Armageddon vs. Deep Impact<\/em>\u2014this time it was <em>Skyline <\/em>vs.<em> Battle: Los Angeles<\/em>, and the fight went all the way to court. Lots of incoming battleships here, so grab your combat gear and let\u2019s figure out what happened to <em>Battle: Los Angeles<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-origins-of-the-story\"><strong>The Origins of the Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Screenwriter Chris Bertolini already had experience with military narratives, having written <em>The General\u2019s Daughter<\/em> starring John Travolta. That film, centered on a military mystery, earned $150 million at the box office despite mixed reviews. He also wrote the made-for-TV mafia drama <em>Madso\u2019s War<\/em>. Think <em>The Departed<\/em>, but without the swearing, violence, DiCaprio, or Scorsese\u2026 actually, never mind. Don\u2019t picture that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Director Liebesman became known for scaring audiences with the shadow-heavy horror <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/darkness-falls-what-happened\/\">Darkness Falls<\/a><\/em>, which somehow made the Tooth Fairy terrifying. He followed up with <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/tcm-beginning-black-sheep\/\">The Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Beginning<\/a><\/em>, a prequel no one asked for, yet plenty of people still watched. After giving the Tooth Fairy and Leatherface their cinematic moments, Liebesman wanted a different flavor of horror, something like <em>28 Days Later<\/em>, but with aliens instead of virus-infected humans infecting other humans in an infection cycle that\u2026 yeah, let\u2019s move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-real-battle-of-los-angeles\"><strong>The Real \u201cBattle of Los Angeles\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Believe it or not, <em>Battle: Los Angeles<\/em> wasn\u2019t entirely fiction. It was inspired by the real 1942 incident known as The Battle of Los Angeles. On February 25, 1942, just after 2 a.m., military radar detected an unidentified aircraft 120 miles off the L.A. coast. Reports of a Japanese plane crashing in Hollywood followed, and the military opened fire into the night sky. By morning? No wreckage, no confirmed planes, just confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-1024x538.jpg\" alt=\"Battle: Los Angeles WTF\" class=\"wp-image-873899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-1024x538.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Authorities later admitted it was a false alarm, but reportedly arrested around 20 Japanese-Americans, accusing them of signaling enemy aircraft. Historians today chalk it up to wartime panic after Pearl Harbor and a submarine attack on Santa Barbara the day before. The actual culprit: a weather balloon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But before we realize humanity absolutely learns nothing from history\u2026 back to the alien universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-setting-the-tone-and-training-the-cast\"><strong>Setting the Tone and Training the Cast<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After reading Bertolini\u2019s script, Liebesman studied films like <em>Black Hawk Down<\/em> and <em>Saving Private Ryan<\/em> to capture that boots-on-the-ground, chaos-of-war feeling. To sell the realism, the actors had work to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-boot-camp\"><strong>Boot Camp<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Marines at Camp Pendleton put the cast through a condensed but intense Marine-style boot camp. They woke at 5:30 a.m., trained with Senior Military Advisor Sergeant Major Jim Dever, learned Marine protocols, and handled real weapons (M4 Carbines, M16 rifles, but with blanks). They were asked not to \u201cgo full Rambo\u201d in between takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"468\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michael-pena-aaron-eckhart-1-1024x468.jpg\" alt=\"Battle: Los Angeles WTF\" class=\"wp-image-873903\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michael-pena-aaron-eckhart-1-1024x468.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michael-pena-aaron-eckhart-1-300x137.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michael-pena-aaron-eckhart-1-768x351.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michael-pena-aaron-eckhart-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The cast also lived in tents for five days\u2014no phones, no showers, no clean clothes. A method-acting dream\u2026 or nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sergeant Major Dever appears in the film, and real Camp Pendleton Marines were used as extras. As thanks, the base received an early screening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cast-and-characters\"><strong>Cast and Characters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-aaron-eckhart\"><strong>Aaron Eckhart<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Eckhart stars as Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz, a Marine carrying survivor\u2019s guilt and a retirement plan. While the clich\u00e9s are heavy, his performance brings intensity that elevates even the roughest dialogue. The man can make bad lines sound good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-michelle-rodriguez\"><strong>Michelle Rodriguez<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Rodriguez plays Tech Sergeant Elena Santos, a character added just a month before filming. She skipped some boot-camp training, which actually fit her role. She arrives around the 45-minute mark to explain alien tech and deliver exposition so the Marines don\u2019t have to. Basically, she\u2019s a walking Area 51 Wikipedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-michael-pena-and-bridget-moynahan\"><strong>Michael Pe\u00f1a and Bridget Moynahan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>They play civilians holed up with children, offering rare, much-needed emotional breaks from nonstop action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-marine-squad\"><strong>The Marine Squad<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ne-Yo (in his second major film role), Noel Fisher, Will Rothhaar, Jim Parrack, and Ramon Rodriguez round out the squad and create a believable brotherhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-wtf-1024x538.jpg\" alt=\"Battle: Los Angeles WTF\" class=\"wp-image-873900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-wtf-1024x538.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-wtf-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-wtf-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-wtf.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-aliens\"><strong>The Aliens<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The aliens don\u2019t get as much screen time as expected. Mostly we see their ships blowing stuff up. When shown up close, they\u2019re almost entirely CGI, except for one unfortunate alien dragged down a hallway for a gooey autopsy scene (because every alien movie needs slime).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chris Bertolini originally envisioned aliens swarming like birds or fish but left specifics to the VFX team. Their designs changed constantly throughout production, which might explain why the aliens\u2019 look is oddly hard to remember. Like Pok\u00e9mon evolutions, but louder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-filming-injuries-and-3d-that-never-happened\"><strong>Filming, Injuries, and 3D That Never Happened<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite its title, most of the film was shot in Louisiana, not Los Angeles, thanks to tax incentives. The team recreated L.A. streets there, since <em>Battle: Baton Rouge<\/em> doesn\u2019t exactly scream blockbuster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aaron Eckhart was injured during a stunt; he slipped, fell seven feet, broke his upper arm, and nearly hit his head. Instead of halting production, he finished the scene and returned two days later. Marine energy activated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The production considered 3D, but with all the handheld shots (under cars, underwater, inside explosions), it would\u2019ve been sensory overload. Honestly, viewers were already dealing with more shaky cam than <em>The Blair Witch Project<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-aaron-eckhart-1024x538.jpg\" alt=\"Battle: Los Angeles WTF\" class=\"wp-image-873901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-aaron-eckhart-1024x538.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-aaron-eckhart-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-aaron-eckhart-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-aaron-eckhart.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-release-box-office-and-critical-response\"><strong>Release, Box Office, and Critical Response<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Battle: Los Angeles<\/em> premiered on March 11, 2011, a nod to the Marine Corps\u2019 0311 Rifleman MOS code. It debuted at #1 with $35 million and eventually grossed $212 million worldwide on a $70 million budget. Not bad for a film that should\u2019ve included free Dramamine with every ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Critics? Not as enthusiastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rotten Tomatoes: 37%<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Audience score: 48%<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IMDb: 5.7\/10<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Most critics praised the ambition but criticized the dialogue and predictability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-roger-ebert-s-brutal-review\"><strong>Roger Ebert\u2019s Brutal Review<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Roger Ebert gave it <strong>\u00bd star out of 4<\/strong>, calling it: \u201cAn insult to the words science, fiction, and the hyphen in science-fiction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He hated the alien designs, mocked the dialogue, and even said if your date liked the movie, you should reconsider the relationship. Yikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-skyline-controversy\"><strong>The Skyline Controversy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sony filed a legal complaint against <em>Skyline<\/em> directors Greg and Colin Strause (who were also working on VFX for <em>Battle: Los Angeles<\/em>). Since they had access to scripts and storyboards, Sony worried they\u2019d steal ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After <em>Skyline<\/em> premiered, Sony dropped the complaint, finding no evidence of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Disaster-movie d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu is nothing new. Just ask <em>Volcano<\/em> vs. <em>Dante\u2019s Peak<\/em> or <em>Armageddon<\/em> vs. <em>Deep Impact<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michelle-rodriguez-1024x538.jpg\" alt=\"Battle: Los Angeles WTF\" class=\"wp-image-873904\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michelle-rodriguez-1024x538.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michelle-rodriguez-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michelle-rodriguez-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/battle-los-angeles-michelle-rodriguez.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-legacy-4k-release-and-possible-sequel\"><strong>Legacy, 4K Release, and Possible Sequel<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Battle: Los Angeles<\/em> was one of the first films released in 4K, and critics universally agreed the visuals and sound design were incredible, even if they didn\u2019t love the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aaron Eckhart has said it was the toughest shoot of his career but also the most fun. He\u2019s expressed interest in a sequel, maybe set in Paris. An alien-invasion version of MTV\u2019s <em>The Real World<\/em> does sound kind of great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The film shines in its grounded, documentary-style moments. But the shaky cam, repeated dialogue, and sudden jokes sometimes break tension rather than build it. Still, the cast delivers, and Eckhart stands out. If a sequel ever materializes, hopefully he returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that, my friends, is what happened to <em>Battle: Los Angeles<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A couple of previous episodes of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.joblo.com\/tag\/wtf-happened-to-this-movie\/\">this show<\/a>&nbsp;can be seen below. For more, check out the&nbsp;<strong>JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel<\/strong>\u2014and don\u2019t forget to subscribe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WTF Happened to Highlander?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dYb_PD87ycc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WTF Happened to Maniac Cop 2?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DoBeERXDE4o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; 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