Laserhawk Production Notes

B. Bentley 4/29/98

Laserhawk

Production Notes

The Cast and Production Team

Jason James Richter, Mark Hamill, Melissa Galianos and Gordon Currie star in Laserhawk, an Everest Entertainment-Kingsborough Greenlight Pictures production directed by Jean Pellerin. The film is produced by John A. Curtis and Pieter Kroonenburg. The executive producers are Gary Howsam and John Buchanan.

Written by John Curtis, Laserhawk is a visual effects-filled sci-fi adventure thriller about two teens given the task of saving mankind from an alien attack and total annihilation.

Writer/Producer John Curtis has been developing the Laserhawk story for almost 20 years. "The idea began when I was a youngster and very much into the science-fiction films of the mid-70's ... kid adventure tales, I call them. I knew the story line all along, but really only started working on the script in December 1994."

In all, Curtis has penned five amazing sci-fi scripts prior to Laserhawk-- including XTRO II, Time Runner and the mind-blowing, Cyberjack. Laserhawk, he insists, is his best effort yet.

Curtis knows his latest project is the kind that will appeal to a broad demographic. "Our lead actors generate major appeal for a younger audience," he says. "This film will not only give them two solid hours of entertainment, but empower kids to feel that they can

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make a difference. The humor and action elements will keep an older audience glued to their seats as well."

Besides a solid, captivating story, Laserhawk has other strong components, most notably its director. "(Producer) Pieter Kroonenburg brought Jean Pellerin to the table," says Curtis. "I first met him in L.A. and liked him immediately, as he clearly had a nontraditional way of shooting. Jean and I share a vision of the project and, while this is his very first feature film, I think he's already become an even better director from the experience."

The first-time director's favorite part of the job was bonding with his actors. An avid guitar player, Pellerin spent many a night jamming with lead actor, Jason James Richter to tunes from their favorite all-time musician, Jimi Hendrix. "The key to this film," Pellerin says, "is the closeness of the ensemble cast and how well they fit together. They also look great together. The chemistry you see on the screen is the same off screen and I was proud to be a part of that."

Producer Kroonenburg, a 20-year industry vet, points out that Laserhawk features a balanced attack and is a complete film in every way. "Teens will see a truthful portrayal of their relationships and how kids react to dangerous, exciting situations. Tie that in with excellent special effects and a cutting-edge musical score and you've got a film with great market potential."

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The actual production was an eye-opener, even for a seasoned pro like Kroonenburg. "We worked throughout in close quarters, on an actual military compound. The crew became very tight and we shared many positive experiences."

Co-Producer John Curtis says Jason James Richter was on his short list of actors to play Zach from the beginning. "We knew he could handle the role. His work in the Free Willy films makes him quite popular with our target audience. Jason was a great choice."

The hunt was on next to find a young female co-star who could play off well against the experienced Richter. When Montreal's Melissa Galianos walked in to audition for her first film part, Curtis was immediately impressed with her sense of style. "She was stong, confident and seemed to be a real diamond-in-the-rough. We knew how committed she was to her craft. And she didn't flinch when we told her she'd have to cut her beautiful long hair and dye it black to play the rebellious Cara."

Both Richter and Galianos have nothing but praise and thanks for Gordon Currie, the youthful veteran who plays a key role as M.K. Ultra, the eccentric creator of The Dark Ones comic book trilogy. Currie used his experience to demonstrate why he's a total professional. Both accommodating and nurturing, Currie would help the two young actors rehearse their lines, even when he was scheduled to be off-work.

When sci-fi acting legend, Mark Hamill, agreed to play the part of Bob, the insane asylum patient who is really an outer space warrior and the only person who can lead Zach and Cara to the Laserhawk fighting ship, the producers were satisfied that they had assembled the perfect cast.

About The Production

Laserhawk began production near Montreal in June of 1996, inside the quaint village of Saint-Jean-sur-Richilieu. It was a perfect location choice for a movie about small-town America gone mad.

"We needed to create a Midwestern American town in Wisconsin and this had all the elements; a central square, an old city hall, an army base and assorted trappings," says Ken Korall, the film's veteran location manager. "It was the perfect fit."

Because St. Jean-sur-Richilieu is only 30 minutes from Montreal's production resources, the location was also cost effective. Nearby are corn fields, rural roads and highways -again, the ultimate, American Midwest look.

In the film, a secret Air Force base, known as "Area 51", provides many of the story's most suspenseful moments. With its large hangers, a nearby military airport quickly became "Area 51", the ideal place to "hide" the Laserhawk. Some 20 military aircraft, including F-16's, F-18's, Hercules Transports' and the high-tech Stealth were provided to establish an actual working base. "Setting this all up was definitely the most interesting facet of the job for me," Korall admits.

With a budget of only $8.5 million, Laserhawk features an enormous number of digital special effects, all supervised by veteran effects man, John Lambert. "There are about 120 digital special effects shots and 20 miniature effects-related shots on this film," Lambert points out. He then leaks some rather clandestine information concerning the alien ship design. "The triangular ship, the one belonging to the Arachtoids, is a copy of

what has purportedly been seen at the real Area 51. I believe UFO's do exist and I have come across some strange designs at Edwards Air Force Base; designs similar to our black triangular ones."

Lambert adds, "One impressive thing about this film is that we are using all the same high-quality techniques and personnel that the so-called A-movies use. We have staff at Motion Works that have worked for Lucasfilm and Digital Domain. Laserhawk will have an awesome look to it."

That look is the responsibility of production designer, Alain Singher, who designed the Laserhawk ship, as well as the clandestine base camp. "For the ship's interior, we chose to make it dark inside, and not very big. We wanted something that hugged our crew, and I think this gives it a slightly claustrophobic feel, adding to the suspense."

Singher, who has been involved in the project since the earliest stages, believes that Laserhawk will be one hot property. "The story is intelligent and action-filled. There are some 700 action props and with all the incredible digital effects, we have the ingredients for a thriller that everyone will want to see."