"Every time I told my friends that I was writing a comedy in Afghanistan they said, 'WTF?!'" admitted Whiskey Tango Foxtrot screenwriter Robert Carlock. Based on a the memoir by war correspondent Kim Barker, the film tells the story of a woman who decides to take an assignment in a war zone to shake things up in her boring life. She loses and finds love, she makes and destroys friendships and she realizes she has no clue what she is doing there until she gets addicted to the adrenaline of being in war.

A very atypical romantic comedy, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot finds humor in one of the most intense and dangerous places in the world. Humor becomes a way of survival for this character. "You always have to find comedy in every situation," reflects Tina Fey, who plays Barker. "What really attracted me is the story of a woman who arrives in Kabul as a novice at reporting and a novice at the kind of sex, drugs and party lifestyles that reporters lead there. It's a total awakening for her. Also, helicopters and explosions are not a typical part of my day-to-day, so that was interesting." Fey decided to produce the film because "I am an egotistical maniac," she jokes without realizing that this movie without her would've passed by unnoticed.

Fey mastered the comedic side of Kim, as expected, but she also showed a vulnerability that audiences do not see very often. "Kim Barker is a really complex character who gives Tina a chance to spread her wings as a wide-ranging actress," says co-director John Requa ("Focus," "Crazy, Stupid, Love," "I Love You Phillip Morris"). Even the real Kim Barker was thrilled by Fey's portrayal of her, "It's so exciting to have Tina Fey playing me. I think we have very similar sense of humor but also she really wanted to do the story justice. It is a very difficult story to sell.  It is like Bridesmaids meets The Hurt Locker." Indeed. Carlock explains it in depth, "I wanted to capture that combination of living hard and partying hard, of seeing the ridiculousness in everything while being scared for your life. The book has a wonderful dark humor because that is how people cope with such situations."

Directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra agreed, "It's about the journey of a woman and a window into a unique world that Carlock made incredibly entertaining.  You don't get many opportunities to do a movie like a dark comedy that's very funny yet also realistic about war yet doesn't make a direct commentary about war.  Robert found a way to write Kim's story so that it gives a fun view into what it is to be a war reporter today."  Barker adds, "You become disconnected but it is also fascinating because you are living history unfolding in front of your eyes every day and you have the privilege to report."

The film not only has an A-lister playing the main character but the supporting cast is solid as well.  Academy Award Winner Billy Bob Thornton played a SEAL who had to take Kim into his mission.  He is annoyed by her naiveness of the war zone and is afraid that her inexperience will put his men in danger. Martin Freeman ("The Hobbit") plays Ian Mackelpie, a self-absorbed Scottish war photographer who becomes Kim's love interest.  Fey suggested Freeman for the role, "He has the perfect sense of humor to play a guy who is a bit of a jerk yet you want to root for him. That's a unique quality to have." Alfred Molina ("The Da Vinci Code," "Spider Man 2," "Frida") plays Ali Massoud Sadiq, Afghanistan Attorney General.  Sadiq has a crush on Kim and that is gold for the funniest scenes in this film. Christopher Abbott ("A Most Violent Year") plays Fahim Ahmadzai, a doctor turned local fixer because by doing that he would make more money for his family.  He is Kim's guide, eyes and savior in Afghanistan. Most of the heavy scenes are mastered by Abbott's performance giving the audience a glimpse into the painful part of their surroundings. "He did an amazing job, he did all the heavy lifting in those serious scenes. I just reacted, he made my job very easy," said Fey. 

The character that holds the pieces together is Tanya Vanderpoel played beautifully by Margot Robbie ("The Wolf of Wall Street," "Focus").  She is a more experienced and better good looking TV reporter than Kim.  Tanya takes her under her wing but only in a social aspect.  "She is wickedly smart, adaptable, and very ambitious but Tanya is also a young female reporter who people don't always take seriously so she puts on a facade.  The ratio of male and female reporters in Afghanistan is vast. They are surrounded by dudes all the time so they really have to hold their own. What's interesting is that, in real world, Tanya and Kim would likely never have been friends but in Afghanistan they rely on each other."

Tanya is a go-getter and under these circumstances is very difficult to see her as a girl's girl. "What is important to me is to play the genuine friendship that these two women have. The rest was going to fall into pieces." Playing Fey's counterpart was not an easy task. "I learned a lot from her. She is great. I also loved to work with John and Glenn again. After I did Focus I asked them if I could please work with them again. The dynamic on the set was amazing."  In talking how she prepared for the character, Robbie explains, "We shot in New Mexico, so it was very important to me to feel like a war reporter.  I read a lot of books about it.  I need to understand the adrenaline and the urgency."  She is definitely right about the adrenaline. That's how this movie feels, a rush of adrenaline full of political incorrectness.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is coming to theaters March 4, 2016.