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Reel News Tim Ryan |
No isle filming
for HBO seriesDespite rumors going around in local production circles, the producers of HBO's Emmy-winning "Band of Brothers" will not be filming the series in Hawaii. Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman have been developing a yet-to-be-titled film project that follows a single company of soldiers during the Pacific island campaign. Local production officials and film commissioners hoped it meant Hawaii filming but, according to sources, HBO officials said it's not going to happen ...
Waimanalo-based South Productions partners and noted producers Frank and Margaret South are shopping two TV pilots in Los Angeles through Vision Art Management. "Diamond Head" and "Army Brats" are written by Frank South and Star-Bulletin columnist Charles Memminger. "Diamond Head" has several unique aspects: South and Memminger wrote a completed, ready-to-shoot script for presentation to the studios rather than making the traditional pitch. It's written to be an hour-long weekly series or a made-for-TV movie and the modest $2.5-million budgeted pilot is designed to be produced, funded and crewed almost all locally. The Souths hope for a pick up by November.
"Army Brats" is more extensive and would have early scenes shot in Los Angeles before setting up at a Oahu military base, ideally Schofield Barracks ...
Unity House wants the organization to get back into film and television production. Remember 1994's controversial one-hour TV movie "Heavenly Road" for a proposed TV series called "Blue Hawaii," which cost a few million dollars, sent a couple of people to prison, but never went anywhere? President and CEO Tony Rutledge and company are talking with some locals about producing three feature films and a low-budget TV show here for $20 million. This would include another "Heavenly Road," but sources say it will be completely different from the original failed project.
Unity House says it has investors, which likely means the organization will apply for Act 221 investment credits. Sources also say that actor Cary Tagawa is considering starring in Unity House's planned children's series tentatively titled "Uncle." Rutledge declined to comment ...
Some IATSE members are unhappy at what they consider heavy-handed tactics by union business leader Scott Wong toward some productions last year, especially during the recent Big Island filming for NBC's "Average Joe." Don't be surprised to see an attempt to oust Wong ...
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Contact Tim Ryan at tryan@starbulletin.com.
