|
Written by Sheldon Lettich and
Jan Fulin. Starring either Patrick
Swayse (Roadhouse, Ghost, Point
Break, City of Joy), Dolph Lundgren or
Stephen
Baldwin (Usual Suspects), and Jan Fulin. Not
confirmed that Lundgren was really involved in this project,
helmed by his Last Patrol director, but he was
apparently part of the actors tipped for the lead. A US/Czech
co-production to be shot in Prague, where Dolph already shot
The Shooter in 1994.
"If everything goes according
to plan, Russian tanks will be rolling across Mala Strana near
Kampa island early this summer. The re-creation of the 1968 invasion
will be in a few flashbacks in an internationally backed, action
-adventure film that takes its inspiration from the Indiana Jones
films and takes its story from a real mystery that has lingered
since the end of World War II. Most of the story for the film
that is tentatively called The Amber Room takes place
in modern-day Prague. Director Sheldon Lettich, whose directing
credits include the Jean-Claude Van Damme films Double Impact
and Lionheart, was in Prague recently to scout out
locations and finish revising the script. Lettich is collaborating
on the script with Czech native Jan Fulin, who will also play
one of two brothers in the film. Several well-known stars, including
Patrick Swayze, Dolph Lundgren and Steven Baldwin, are being
considered for the role of the other brother. A well-known name
is essential to guarantee a theatrical release and to secure
a big enough budget to pull off the impressive action scenes
that the story hinges on. "What's interesting about the
film is that it is 100 percent homegrown, the first fully Czech-made
international action film," director Lettich said. The entire
film will be shot in and around Prague, unlike Mission Impossible
and some other films that shot only a few exterior scenes here.
Lettich said that the look of the city is the key to the film,
and he has spent many hours finding the perfect places for some
scenes. All of the studio scenes will be done here as well and
a few days of filming will take place in a yet-to-be selected
village. Czech companies will be financing the film along with
international partners. Many of the production and acting positions
will go to local talent, but some key technical staff with important
experience in the genre will be brought in. Lettich is planning
a film with a PG-13 rating, meaning that children can see it
without parental permission in the Unites States. "The film
will emphasize action more than blood and guts," he said,
and described The Amber Room as an action story within
a travelogue. The eighth wonder of the world Filming here is
cheaper than in Hollywood but that was not the main consideration.
What attracted Lettich to Prague was the potential of the city.
"From a creative point of view I'd rather work here,"
he said, "and if that means I can (use my budget to) shoot
longer and hire more extras for the action scenes, well, so much
the better." The final budget depends on the cast, but the
last time Lettich and Fulin counted, the script required more
than 40 days of filming. The real historical mystery is that
what has been called the Eighth Wonder of the World is missing.
The so-called Amber Room, a large hall in a Russian palace once
owned by Catherine the Great, was decorated from floor to ceiling
with carved amber. German soldiers packed the carvings onto trains
in 1944 and the carvings, worth millions of dollars, have been
missing ever since. Many treasure hunters have speculated that
the originals were hidden in mines or tunnels in what is now
the Czech Republic. The screenplay picks up the story with two
Czech brothers, who have been separated since the 1968 Warsaw
Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, both hot on the trail of the
carvings. One brother - the main role that is yet to be cast
- is an American-raised archaeologist. The other brother - to
be played by Fulin, who is also a martial arts expert - was raised
in Russia and is now a hitman in the mob. A third party is looking
for the treasure as well: neo-Nazis who want to use it to finance
a Fourth Reich. Fulin and Lettich have scouted several tunnels
for the action scenes including ones inside the walls of Vysehrad
and ones in the city's historical waterworks. Much of the budget
will go to re-creating the Amber Room. Even though it will only
be seen briefly, both Fulin and Lettich said they thought the
audience would feel cheated if the room wasn't shown properly.
An architect is using photos and sketches of the original Amber
Room to design the set, which might be built in a large, disused
space in the waterworks or in a movie studio in Hostivar. In
discussing the story and locations, Lettich shows that he has
thought out every aspect of the project. He favors using the
space in the waterworks for the Amber Room set for maximum efficiency.
"We could film in the big room and have the second unit
filming in the tunnels and keep all the equipment together,"
he said."
from Raymond Johnston,
The Prague Post, March 22, 2000 |
