The producer and director for this film 'Innocence of Muslims' remain in dispute but this is what we do know from a new report in the L.A. Times
'Innocence of Muslims': Mystery shrouds film's California origins
'Innocence of Muslims,' blamed for inciting mobs in Egypt and Libya, was filmed and released in Southern California. The producers' identities are in dispute.
By Phil Willon and Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times
September 12, 2012, 6:20 p.m.
Steve Klein, who said he served as a script consultant, said that he and the producers originally called the movie "Innocence of Bin Laden" in hopes of drawing underground Islamic extremists in the Los Angeles area.
"The movie was only supposed to show in Hollywood," said Klein, who described himself as "an unsophisticated James Bond."
He added, "We passed out fliers at mosques around California where we knew there was a small percentage of terrorists. And the idea was to locate … those folks who believed Osama bin Laden was a great guy and to try to get them to come to the movie."
The LA Times reports that the "Innocence of Bin Laden" had it premiere at the Vine Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in June.
Less than two weeks later, a 14-minute trailer for the movie — now called "Innocence of Muslims" — was posted on YouTube by a user identifying himself as Sam Bacile. The scenes in the trailer portrayed the prophet Muhammad as a buffoon, suicidal, gay, lascivious and condoning of pedophilia.
You don't have to be a Muslim to see how extremely repugnant this portrayal is.
A crew member told The Times the cast and crew were told the film was to be a war drama called "Desert Warrior." In his email interview with The Times, the crew member, who asked not to be identified, said the dialogue in the trailer that makes specific attacks against Islam was re-recorded after the actors left the set.
"The original actors said one word, and then the producer and editing team (whom I don't know) dubbed," he wrote. "It's unmistakable that most dubbed portions are a different voice than the original actor."
A statement released on behalf of the cast and crew deplored the movie and the deaths of the four Americans in Libya. It said those involved were duped.
This story is just starting to come out. I hope some sort of official investigation into the origins of this hate film will be getting underway.