Hollywood to Bring Back Famed Windows on the World for New 9/11 Movie

Windows on the World, a new film about the September 11 terrorist attacks, will focus on one of the workers in the venues that occupied the top two floors of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Variety reports that Edward James Olmos — of Stand and Deliver and Battlestar Galactica fame — will portray the Windows on the World employee, and up-and-comer Ryan Guzman will play his son, who watches the attack in Mexico on his TV, and decides to make a trip to New York City to find his father. Presumably, the producers will be recreating some of the storied dining rooms that crowned the North Tower.

Opened in 1976 by visionary restaurateur Joe Baum, Windows on the World offered an unparalleled view of the city, a menu that drew influence from around the globe, and an expansive wine list from sommelier phenom Kevin Zraly. The restaurant helped New Yorkers embrace the World Trade Center and see the city from a new perspective. In a New York cover story titled “The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World,” Gael Greene wrote about that view:

Down below are all of Manhattan and helicopters and clouds. Everything to hate and fear is invisible. Pollution is but a cloud. A fire raging below Washington Square is a dream, silent, almost unreal, though you can see the arc of water licking flame. Default is a silly nightmare. There is no doggy doo. Garbage is an illusion.

On September 11, 2001, 79 employees of the restaurant lost their lives. Chef Michael Lomonaco — who was on his way into work when the planes hit the towers — co-founded the Windows on the World Relief Fund to help support the families of the victims, and he’s employed former Windows staffers in his kitchens over the years. Some of the crew members also opened a restaurant/catering operation called Colors in downtown Manhattan.

Stay tuned for more details on Windows on the World as they become available.

• Ryan Guzman, Edward James Olmos to Star in ‘Windows on the World’ [Variety]
• Windows on the World, New York's Sky-High Restaurant [ENY]