Synopsis

Based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, Only the Brave follows Prescott firefighter Eric Marsh as he leads an ordinary municipal crew through rigorous training to earn elite hotshot status. As the team battles increasingly dangerous wildfires and builds a close-knit brotherhood, their courage is tested during the catastrophic 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on Sean Flynn's GQ article "No Exit," which examined the Granite Mountain Hotshots and the Yarnell Hill Fire.

• The production was made under the working title Granite Mountain. It was retitled Only the Brave when the first trailer was released in July 2017.

• Principal photography began in New Mexico on June 13, 2016. Filming took place around Santa Fe and Los Alamos, standing in for locations in Arizona.

• Industrial Light & Magic created the film's large-scale wildfire effects. The production combined practical fire effects with visual effects, and the film was shot and finished in HDR 4K.

• Jennifer Connelly spent time with Amanda Marsh, the real-life woman portrayed in the film. Connelly also wore Marsh's actual boots during filming.

• Josh Brolin had previously worked as a volunteer firefighter near Tucson, Arizona, and had personal familiarity with firefighters connected to the Granite Mountain crew.

• The film's soundtrack includes "Hold the Light," a song by Dierks Bentley featuring S. Carey. It was released as a single and accompanied by a music video in October 2017.

• Only the Brave was dedicated to the memory of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died in the Yarnell Hill Fire.

• The film won two Visual Effects Society awards in 2018, including honors for supporting visual effects and fire-and-smoke simulations.