It’s no secret that America’s love and support for the troops runs deep, which was even more apparent when directors Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh created a military film casting real-life US Navy SEALs. Americans bought right in.

“Act of Valor” (2012) earned $81 million globally ($70 million from the US), which made the film profitable for Relativity Media due to its low budget. Because it used actors with real-life experience in the field, veterans and military families hailed the film for its authentic depiction of life in the service, especially during combat-heavy scenes.

Reviews from non-military types were not as enthusiastic. “Act of Valor” is stuck with a 25 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was accused of carrying a plot more like a video game than a movie. But 73 percent of the audience polled on Rotten disagrees and says they loved the film, prompting Relativity and marketing partner LifeLock for an upcoming sequel.

Enter SWAT

There is a twist. “Act of Valor 2” (which is in pre-production, and not yet the official title of the movie) will not feature Navy SEALs, but elite law enforcement members instead. You guessed it. SWAT. But the movie will follow the same formula that made the franchise famous and will use real-world officers involved in a dangerous operation.

The Perception of Police

For some, the forgoing of US troops could be a deal breaker. Much of “Act of Valor’s” audience was made up of viewers who specifically saw the film because they were either fans of military, part of a military family, or members of the service themselves. There is no doubt a large makeup of US law enforcement will turn out to see the sequel, but Relativity and McCoy/Waugh is essentially trading off one demographic for another. It’s a risk that’s never really been taken in Hollywood before.

There is another factor to consider, perhaps even more critical. America’s modern perception of police officers is not very high compared to the military. A 2013 Gallup poll shows only 57 percent of Americans feel confident about their police as opposed to 76 percent who feel confident about the military. The media is not exactly kind to law enforcement either, often highlighting stories of corruption and even wrongful deaths at the hands of American police.

Hollywood’s Predecessors

Given some of the less-than-ideal statistics, Relativity and the film’s directors aren’t just taking a shot in the dark by focusing on SWAT for the sequel. Gritty, up-close cop films like “End of Watch” are both critically-acclaimed and successful at the box office, and Relativity has a chance to give Americans another side of the story with a more realistic depiction of the police force.

Extra details for “Act of Valor 2” are virtually non-existent. A 2016 release is likely, given production runs without many hiccups, but there is no promise on a release date at the moment. There’s also no news on law enforcement’s participation with the film (other than real SWAT members as actors), but it can be expected that they will, in some way, guide the direction of the movie.

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