Firefox (film)

Firefox is a 1982 American action techno-thriller film produced, directed by, and starring Clint Eastwood. The cast also includes Freddie Jones, Kenneth Colley, Warren Clarke, and Nigel Hawthorne. Based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Craig Thomas, Firefox is the only film appearance of Thomas' character Mitchell Gant. The film recounts Gant's mission to secretly enter the Soviet Union, hijack a cutting-edge fighter plane, and fly the aircraft back into American hands.

Although the story is largely set in the Soviet Union, Cold War considerations meant that Eastwood's and Fritz Manes' Malpaso Company used several locations in Austria, including Vienna, for many scenes. One source states that the film was shot on a $21 million budget, the largest-ever production budget for Malpaso. Another source indicates that over $20 million was spent on special effects. The effects have been called "particularly innovative," as the "reverse bluescreen" technique was invented for the film.

Firefox was also inspired by the 1976 defection of Viktor Belenko, a Soviet Air Defense pilot who flew his MiG-25 Foxbat to Japan. Belenko's defection took place shortly before Thomas finished writing his novel. The film continues to be discussed, and its futuristic "thought-control" helmet has been compared to 21st century brain-computer interface devices. Considered one of Eastwood's "most personal" works, it was praised for its special effects, flying scenes, and thriller aspects, although critics took issue with the film's pacing, running time, and character development. Grossing $47 million domestically, the film "was a modest box-office success."