CyberWire Daily How realistic is A House of Dynamite? [T-Minus Deep Space]
Nov 24, 2025
Lieutenant General Daniel Karbler (Ret.) shares his 37-year journey in air and missile defense and insights as a technical advisor for A House of Dynamite. He reveals how a cold Zoom connection led to his role in the film. Karbler discusses the film's plausibility regarding missile launches and presidential decision-making under pressure. He emphasizes the importance of portraying servicemembers' humanity while expressing hopes for mobile interceptors in missile defense. His reflections bridge the gap between military strategy and cinematic storytelling.
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Cold-Open That Won The Role
- Lieutenant General Daniel Karbler (Ret.) improvised a chilling Zoom cold open that impressed director Catherine Bigelow and landed him an on-screen role.
- He used that unscripted moment to demonstrate how a real crisis conference might begin, which helped secure his advisor role on the film.
Unattributed Launches Force Broader Debate
- Unattributed missile launches create realistic, broad policy dilemmas because they avoid naming a clear aggressor.
- Ash Carter ran a similar exercise to test whole-of-government reactions and found civilian participants less practiced than the military.
Cyber Doubles Down On Attribution Uncertainty
- Cyber compromise is a credible contributor to early uncertainty about an incoming missile's origin.
- The script's inclusion of cyber penetration heightened plausibility and audience tension, says Karbler.