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Reel News Tim Ryan |
‘Rundown’ could be big
Universal Pictures' execs believe "The Rundown" -- formerly "Helldorado," which filmed for six weeks on Oahu last year -- will be one of fall's biggest box office hits. The U last Saturday held 700 sneak previews nationwide, including Honolulu. In the film, which opens nationwide Friday in 3,000 theaters, Hawaii doubles for the Amazon.
Hawaii got the $85 million production -- its original budget was $65 million to $68 million -- after three of the film's execs had gone to the Amazon to scout and got robbed by banditos. Producer Marc Abraham says filming in Hawaii "is not cheap ... but it has a lot of benefits being part of the United States.
"When you take in hardware, weaponry and things like that, it's a lot easier to get them in and (to get) production support, as well. It turned out to be a really good idea (to shoot there) and we were happy about the way the movie ended up looking."
The movie is a huge step in acting for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who lived in Honolulu as a kid. The former pro wrestler says he even lost 25 pounds for the part to look less intimidating.
In Johnson's first two films "The Mummy Returns" and "The Scorpion King," he barely spoke, and when he did it was caricature. But in "The Rundown," he talks in complete sentences and his character occasionally wears a suit. More importantly, each action scene is matched with an equal dose of comedy.
In a Star-Bulletin interview, Johnson said that as a professional wrestler, "I was always very over-the-top with my facial expressions ... Everything was very big, animated. On this film I wanted to make everything smaller. I just (kept) telling myself to keep it real."
Johnson, who is black and Samoan, is the grandson of wrestler Peter Maivia and son of wrestler Rocky Johnson.
Universal paid Johnson $5.5 million to star in "The Scorpion King," $12.5 million for "The Rundown." MGM handed him $15 million for the "Walking Tall" remake. Now Universal sources say the studio is developing "at least" three movies for the star.
Where does that leave Johnson's big budget biopic "Kamehameha," to be filmed in Hawaii? No one's talking -- not Rock, his agent, publicist or writer Greg Poirier. It appears Universal pretty much has Johnson under wraps.
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Contact Tim Ryan at tryan@starbulletin.com.
