PLATTSBURGH, NY. — The 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape and its aftermath quickly became a story that captured the nation’s attention that summer — details of the harrowing breakout, the love triangle that preceded it and the profiles of the players involved reached far beyond the communities at the center of one of that year’s leading stories.

But for a retired Upstate New York lawman, the days of the epic happening will once again feel like reality if actor and director Ben Stiller has his way.

The prisoners’ escape from the Dannemora, New York, facility and the captivating 23-day manhunt across the region ultimately resulted in the death of escapee Richard Matt and prison time for escapee David Sweat and accomplice Joyce Mitchell. 

The shooting of Matt and the take-down of Sweat will really come to life in “Escape at Dannemora,” says retired State Police Troop B Commander Charles Guess.

Stiller, Guess said, is zealously focusing on accuracy for the manhunt aspect of the eight-part mini-series. Stiller serves as producer and director of the project, which is expected to air on Showtime in 2018.

“He is really trying to get it right,” Guess said.

Guess, who was incident commander throughout the manhunt for the two Clinton Correctional Facility escapees in June 2015, is a technical consultant on the project.

RIGHT ON CUE

On day 21 of the manhunt, Matt was shot and killed in the woods off Route 30 in Malone, New York.

The actual Border Patrol Tactical Unit that made that happen, including sharpshooter Chris Voss, was brought in for the scene.

“The helicopter lands right on cue in the middle of Route 30,” Guess said.

And the team executed the same search that took place in the woods before Voss shot Matt.

That scene was filmed last week. This week, the production company is shooting earlier happenings in the breakout saga in the Village of Dannemora.

The Clinton County Sheriff’s Department and State Police are at roadblocks on Route 374 and other streets, directing traffic around the filming.

“Things are shot out of sequence for a variety of reasons,” Guess noted.

THE LIFETIME TAKE

In 2016, Lifetime released the made-for-TV movie “New York Prison Break: The Seduction of Joyce Mitchell,” which was panned by a number of critics for its take on the escape and its focus on the reported relationship between Mitchell, Matt and Sweat.

Guess is not a fan of the Lifetime Network effort.

“We suffered through the movie to see the last four minutes to see how they portrayed the BORTAC team and Jay (Cook),” he said. “It was awful.”

That made him all the more determined to do what he could to contribute to the accuracy of “Escape at Dannemora.”

So far, so good, Guess said.

“I’m so deeply impressed with the director.”

PROFESSIONAL INPUT

In efforts to respect Stiller’s dedication to accurately portraying the memorable escape and resulting manhunt, a number of local law enforcement officers, in addition to Guess, have been brought in to lend their personal experience to what audiences will ultimately see on screen.

State Police Troop B Sgt. Jay Cook, Guess said, was an adviser for the scene he played in real life — identifying Sweat walking along the side a road in Constable, New York, chasing him through a hay field and then shooting and wounding the fugitive when he neared some woods where he might have eluded capture.

“I knew intuitively what his role was,” Guess said.

But it was far better to have Cook walk the production company through it all — where he spotted Sweat, where the inmate dropped his backpack, just how close he got to the forest.

Cook assisted with the planning of the scene last week; it was filmed later, Guess said, with a retired state trooper playing the police sergeant who brought down Sweat.

RE-LIVING MEMORIES

Retracing steps in exact locations while trying to recreate a memorable event like the manhunt can certainly inspire a bit of déjà vu in those like Guess and Cook.

“It really takes you back,” Guess said.

So, too, he said, did seeing Academy Award-winning actress Patricia Arquette as Joyce Mitchell, the woman who provided tools that aided Matt and Sweat in their escape.

“I was stunned (at the resemblance),” he said.

Other high-profile cast members are Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actress Bonnie Hunt, as New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott; Academy Award-winner Benicio del Toro, as Matt; and Golden Globe nominee Paul Dano, in the role of Sweat.

A FAMILIAR ROLE

The retired Troop B commander will contribute in another way, as well — he will be playing himself in the mini-series.

“They gave me a little trailer — like I was somebody,” Guess said, chuckling.

Just how true to life will his performance be?

Guess was provided a uniform that just about matched the one he handed in upon his retirement.

He found it hanging beside the vanity mirror in his trailer and, putting it on, “felt very comfortable.

“I snapped right back into it.”

Moore is the editor of the Plattsburgh, New York Press-Republican.