Brittney Griner is finally returning to the United States following a 10-month incarceration in Russia on suspected drug charges. The WNBA star was released as part of a prisoner exchange between President Joe Biden and the international arms dealer, also known as the “Merchant of Death,” in order to bring her home.
According to The New York Times, former Soviet military translator Viktor Bout was originally arrested by U.S. investigators in Thailand in 2008 before being convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans three years later. His extradition to the United States, despite objections from the Russian government claiming his innocence, ended in a 25-year federal prison sentence. However, Bout only served eleven years when Biden trades him for Griner.
If you believe Bout’s story seems vaguely familiar, it may be because you may have seen something similar in Nicolas Cage’s 2005 crime movie Lord of War. Here is everything we know about where the film can be viewed:
IS LORD OF WAR BASED ON AN ACTUAL EVENT?
Lord of War chronicles the life of Yuri Orlov (Cage) from his early connections with local mobsters to his much greater positions in the industry, including providing guns used to commit war crimes to Israeli and Lebanese troops during the Lebanon War of the 1980s.
While the film was released in 2005, three years before Bout’s arrest, Cage’s role was loosely modeled on the notorious arms dealer. Cage, though, is able to avoid difficulty with American authorities, whereas Bout was found guilty of his crimes.
WHERE YOU CAN VIEW LORD OF WAR:
Lord of War is available to HBO Max members on the Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service. Otherwise, the film is available for $3.99 rental on digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play.
»Where Can I Stream ‘Lord Of War’? How To Watch The Viktor Bout Film “Merchant Of Death”«