Ha'aretz: Hollywood is Always on the Lookout for Blockbuster Stories, and This Coming Monday it will get the Juicy Details

Although this is the first time that Milchan has spoken about the subject since the publication of 'Confidential'....

This isn’t the first time Milchan's role in Israeli arms dealings and intelligence has surfaced: Just two years ago authors Meir Doron and Joseph Gelman published a book titled “Confidential: The Life of Secret Agent Turned Hollywood Tycoon Arnon Milchan" – which alleged that Milchan was an operative for Israel's Bureau of Scientific Relations. The bureau, headed by spy-masters Benjamin Blumberg and Rafi Eitan, gathered information for secret defense-related programs, including Israel's alleged nuclear program. The bureau was closed after Jonathan Pollard was arrested for spying on behalf of Israel in 1986.

The "Uvda" report does, however, contain some shocking new details about Milchan's work, including claims that other Hollywood bigwigs like the legendary, late director Sydney Pollack and at least one other Academy Award-winning actor, both figured into his work for Israel.

Based on The Book 'Confidential', Israel's Channel 2 Delivers an Explosive Investigative Report on the Life of Arnon Milchan in Prime Time

Israel's Channel Two will premier its top investigative show with an explosive report based on the book 'Confidential'. The show, Uvda meaning 'fact' in Hebrew, will be aired on Monday, November 25 at 9:00 PM. Below is the lead promo that will be aired in heavy rotation until show time. Uvda is Israel's number-one rated investigative journalism show:

Post by ‎עובדה‎.

Arnon Milchan to Back Development of a Large Israeli Film Studio

Arnon Milchan and former Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Leiberman, swooped in to the Israeli desert city of Arad in Milchan's private helicopter to inspect the location for the proposed new studio, promoted as Israel's future 'Hollywood'.

 “If the studio would have been here, the movies would have been here,” Milchan told NJJN at the follow-up press conference. “If I pay Brad Pitt $20 million for a movie, I can tell him where I’m shooting it. You think Brad Pitt would rather shoot in Budapest than here? Brad will have a good time here.”

Milchan said that his new film Noah, a biblical blockbuster, would have been filmed in Israel and not Iceland had the Jewish state had a studio of the kind that he is proposing (Russell Crowe is to star in the movie, due next March.). Milchan also stated that Israel should have been the site of a forthcoming production by British director Ridley Scott based on the biblical Book of Exodus.

“There are zero worries about Israel,” he said. “Hollywood considers it the safest place in the world. And it’s no secret that Hollywood has many proud Jews and non-Jewish Zionists who make key decisions.” Milchan is clearly one of them.

An expert on how much movies cost to make and how much money they can earn, Milchan believes entering the movie-making industry could bring Israel a windfall of $5-10 billion if the state can offer tax breaks that can compete with what producers receive from other countries. Given that his good friend and protégé, Yair Lapid, is now Israeli Finance Minister, he will certainly find an open mind on that front.

“The money invested by countries comes back in jobs, hotels, restaurants, construction, tourism, etc.,” he said. “It’s also important public relations for the country. It is possible to build a first-class studio here in Arad. If we do, and there is cooperation from all sides, there is no reason why the biggest productions won’t come to Arad instead of Budapest.”

Russell Crowe Signs on to Arnon Milchan's Co-production of 'Noah'

Of course, Russell Crowe got his breakthrough roll in Arnon Milchan's L.A. Confidential, a title that inspired the title of the book Confidential: The life of Secret Agent Turned Hollywood Tycoon Arnon Milchan, so there is a history there. The photo above, which has never been published, is reflective of the close relationship between the mega-producer and the a-list actor, No surprise that Crowe would sign up for Noah, a complicated production of the biblical character.