DOLPH - the definitive guide links      

rotating image

The Amber Room

(2000)


plot summary
 
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. It's a 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 is an American-raised archaeologist. The other brother 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.


director/cast
 
Sheldon Lettich

Director

Dolph Lundgren
Jan Fulin


genre

Action / Adventure

writers

Sheldon Lettich and Jan Fulin

location

Prague



news & updates
 

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
 

projects links
Action In The Red Sea / Alien Agent / The Amber Room / Beowulf / Captured / Code Blue / Cover Up 2 / Dark Angel 2 / Duke Nukem / Frogs For Snakes / Inside Man Out / Interstate 10 / It Waits / Ivory City / Le Tigre / Legion / Masters Of The Universe 2 / Meltdown / Nightclubbing / The Peacekeeper 2 / Pit Bulls / The Punisher 2 / R.P.M. / Red Dawn / Red Scorpion 2 / Revenge / Rewind / Rocky VI / Running Man / Starlight Murders / Still The Drums / Straight Blast / The Threat / Trooper / Unknown Project / Vampires / Venom / Warrant / The Watchmen / Swedish Projects /

back to top