Reel News
$140 million sets
isle film industry markHawaii Film Office manager Donne Dawson made it official at last week's Film Industry Day: 2002 production revenues statewide set a record of about $140 million and are expected to climb higher as the tally is completed. The year surpasses 2000's $136 million.
The biggest spender was Sony/Revolution's $80-million-plus "Tears of the Sun," which filmed on Oahu for more than four months, dropping $40 million. Real tears may be flowing at the studio, though, as last weekend's box office grosses saw the film fall a huge 48 percent from its opening weekend to $8.8 million, giving it a 10-day cumulative of $30.8 million -- which just covers Bruce Willis' reported $25 million paycheck.
The tentative title for the Chuck Norris/Lions Gate /NBC-TV series set in Hawaii is "The Guard," a post Sept. 11 Coast Guard-based actioner with Norris starring as a CG commander. The script by Dave Peckinpah goes to the network for final approval this month. The Norrises are reserving the Hawaii Film Studio for several weeks beginning in June ...
"The Break" Fox pilot filmed Monday at Halawa Correctional Facility in scenes where star Dylan Bruno's character Dane introduces his father/inmate, played by Kris Kristofferson, to his son Alexander, played by teenage North Shore resident Chas Chidester. It's Maui-resident Kristofferson's only day of acting on the three-week production in his reoccurring role.
Several guards took the day off to take roles as extras. Another 100 extras played prisoners. Director John Stockwell hoped to use actual prisoners as extras, but the warden nixed the idea for safety concerns.
"The Break" films through Friday in Mokuleia, then next week in Waikiki, including a crash scene on Kalakaua Avenue at the Duke Kahanamoku statue ...
NBC's "ER" begins filming two episodes here for about three weeks, beginning later this month. The episodes will be this season's closer and the following season's opener ...
Sources say Don Johnson is still interested in producing and starring in a Hawaii TV series, even after his run-in with Swiss authorities last November. Customs inspectors reportedly found $8 billion in cash, bonds and share certificates in his car, raising suspicions of money-laundering. Johnson denies all.
Reel News unspools every Wednesday.
Contact Tim Ryan at tryan@starbulletin.com.