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Written
by Lawrence
Riggins (Replicant, Van
Damme's best) and David
Smith, starring Julian
Lee, Dolph
Lundgren, Mako,
and Brian Littrell
of the Backstreet Boys, who is also working on the soundtrack
for the film. Production : White
Tiger Entertainment, Branded
Films. Budget : $2,2 million. According to Julian Lee's website, it was planned
to shoot in February 2001 in Toronto, it's no new set date to
begin filming, in Denver or in South Africa.
UPDATE
April 2002
"Production
of Straight
Blast
was delayed last year and White Tiger may now out of the picture
(though they have not changed their website). The pre-production
office was slated to open in Denver with shooting scheduled to
start in early March (though you never know in this business).
Interesting additions to the cast are Brian Littrell of the Backstreet
Boys and his wife. Rumor is that the Backstreet Boys have a piece
of the picture now, too.
Instead
of opening up pre-production, they decided to totally revise
financing. I don't know if this has any connection with rumors
that the Backstreet Boys are splitting up. While Straight
Blast
is still supposed to be shot this year, I have not heard any
projections about schedules. I know Julian Lee is starting pre-production
on another film this month, so I doubt there can be any work
on Straight
Blast
before June. I believe the Littrells are still involved."
from DOLPH the definitive
guide
UPDATE
May 4, 2002
"The production is continuing to be something of a soap
opera behind the scenes. At the end of last year, it all looked
like everything was ready to go: funding for the project was
already in the bank, and Brian Littrell had said he'd wanted
to get in on the project, but my understanding is that instead
of getting started on the production, Branded Films was trying
to parlay it into a ten-picture deal with additional investors.
Even if that might have been great in the long run, it kept dragging
on and the investors on Straight Blast were getting
impatient, so right now the word is that Robert New is negotiating
on pulling the project out of the aforementioned multi-picture
deal and just get it into production. A few months ago, they'd
been talking about possibly getting it into production by late
May, but I don't think they'll hit that date, not only because
it's still in negotiations, but also because Julian starts on
another film around the end of May as well.
I was going to meet with Robert New last week, but I managed
to break my foot in practice that day, so I'm less up-to-speed
than I otherwise would be. It's hard to say when (or how) it
will all shake out, but in theory they could get it started at
any moment (or it they might argue over details for another year)."
from Trygve
Lode, actor and friend of Julian Lee
UPDATE
September 23, 2002
"He [Larry Riggins] was telling the world
(including some foreign investors) he was going to start pre-production
in January 2002 and it never happened. Since then he keeps say
"next month" "next month". Some of the investors
have tired of the delays and he had to recruit others. Latest
rumor is that he wants to shoot it in South Africa. We'll see.
Larry
has written scripts that have been made into movies before but
this is his first attempt to direct and I think he is enjoying
the scouting and pre-pre-production part too much. So I really
don't know when he will settle down and shoot the film.
Julian
Lee has gone on to do two other films this year and turned down
a third that is currently in production. He is talking with some
people who want him to do another this year and some next year.
He's just not going to wait for Straight
Blast.
If Larry pulls it together, he'll do it."
from Darlene Cypser
Inferno Film Productions, LLC
UPDATE
January 8, 2003
Do
you have any news about the "Straight Blast" project,
is it given up because the official White Tiger Ent. website
was shut?
"Actually White Tiger fell apart over a year ago. But
that does not mean "Straight Blast" is dead. White
Tiger was a partnership between Julian Lee and Kenny, and they
had a disagreement. The website finally died when the renewal
fees were not paid. (There were many errors on the page anyway.)
The
real mover behind "Straight Blast" has always been
Larry Riggins, who wrote the script and plans to direct it. Last
time I talked to Julian he said that it was still in development
and that Larry as visiting different
countries looking for an appropriate filming location. Last I
heard Larry was thinking of filming it in South Africa but he
keeps changing his mind.
Will
"Straight Blast" ever be filmed? I don't know. Sometimes
these things can be in development for many years. I thought
it was going to pass from the development stage to the "pre-production"
stage earlier this year but it did not happen. It is too bad
because it would have been quite timely with the current Korean
dispute. Instead Julian Lee went on shoot "Kudzu Christmas"
and "Dancing Bear" this year. I don't know what Dolph
Lundgren was doing this year but I am sure that he made other
films as well."
Darlene Cypser, Inferno Film Productions, LLC
UPDATE
September 11, 2007
"There
really isn't much to tell about it. The producer told me they
were trying to get Dolph, but I never heard anything further."
email
from Lawrence Riggins
UPDATE
April, 2010
Straight Blast
a.k.a. Serpent Rising finally went into production
completed principal photography in Colorado, still directed by
Larence Riggins and Starring Julian Jung Lee and John Savage.
Official
site
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