Helkon Media-Produktion "Rollerball" der nächste "Gladiator" ? - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[BoxofficeGuru]

Hallo Filmfans,

anbei Bericht über "Rollerball", der voraussichtlich am 13.9.01 in die deutschen Kinos kommt.



Rollerball the Next Gladiator?
SOURCE: Mr. Showbiz
CANNES —
Rollerball: `The Hockey Game From Hell`
John McTiernan was aboard producer Andrew
Vajna`s yacht at Cannes, trying to get a bigger
dose of caffeine than what usually comes in a tiny
espresso cup.

He`s going to need lots of caffeine this summer
when he begins filming his remake of 1975`s
Rollerball in Montreal. Interestingly, the
ultra-violent sci-fi original, with James Caan as an
over-the-hill "Rollerball" athlete, was a major
box-office disappointment. McTiernan, who had a
hit remaking The Thomas Crown Affair last year,
hopes to get it right this time. "You take
something that is a still-fascinating premise and
figure out how to collect on the premise," said the
man still best known for Die Hard.

McTiernan said that the original suffered because
"we thought were going to see the hockey game
from hell, and instead it was science fiction
sociology. I just am going back and pulling that
stuff out. The studio [MGM] had a rewrite that
had even more nonsense about explaining a world
where people get hurt regularly so other people
can get money from others watching them get
hurt. It`s my premise [that] you don`t have to go
into the future, into this never-never land for that
situation."

Does that mean Rollerball, due summer 2001 and
starring Election`s Chris Klein in a role for which
Wes Bentley was considered, is really Gladiator
minus togas and sandals? "It`s not Gladiator;
that`s a different story. But it is Spartacus. [That
is, it`s Spartacus] up through the rebellion. We
don`t get to the crucifixion."

For the five months that he`ll spend filming in
Montreal, McTiernan is actually constructing his
own sports stadium. Apparently, a real one won`t
do, even though he scouted real stadiums in
Eastern Europe, the U.S., and Canada. "I want
something that feels like a cockfight. I want a
building where what you`re going to see feels illicit,
what you`re going to see feels immoral and
spooky."

— Stephen Schaefer

Wie man sieht läßt Helkon Media auch in Kanada drehen, weil solche Filme dort erheblich günstiger zu drehen sind als Hollywood. Dadurch wird die Kriegskasse natürlich geschont. Den Anleger freut´s.

Ciao BoxofficeGuru

[Zypernzocker]

Hallo Guru,

wenn ich mich recht erinnere, hatte Helkon im letzten Jahr
waehrend des Cannes-Festival bekanntgegeben, dass die Kosten fuer
Rollerball von immerhin 75 Millionen Dollar durch Vorverkaeufe
voll gedeckt worden sind. (Da gab es eine Meldung!!!)

Vor diesem Hintergrund kann Rollerball sicherlich kein Flopp
werden;
koennte gut laufen, wenn man bedenkt, dass Action - siehe
Pearl Habour , Mumie etc.. fantastisch laeuft, obwohl
die Kritiker sich eher negativ auesserten.
Auch The Mexican war ein grosser Erfolg...trotz mittelmaessiger
Kritiken
Alles Gute

Tschuess
ZZ