Wednesday July 19 3:58 AM
ET
Archerd: Burt Reynolds
disabled
By Army Archerd, Daily Variety
Senior Columnist
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Burt
Reynolds is in a wheelchair for his entire role in ``Champs''
for WB. He plays a racecar-team owner, injured in a race. He
says, ``I'm the slowest in the fastest sport in the world.''
Director Renny Harlin says
he has the added challenge of directing two helmers who star
in the pic: Sylvester Stallone and Reynolds. Stallone also scripted
and is a producer along with Harlin and Elie Samaha.
Harlin admits John Frankenheimer's
1966 ``Grand Prix'' was a classic car-racing pic, and he spoke
to Frankenheimer for advice before starting.
Harlin said, ``I'm going
to try not to embarrass myself. I'm trying to make the 'Matrix'
of race car movies.''
He says today's technology
will make it possible to convert the film to life like no other.
F'rinstance, a periscope camera that sees exactly what the driver
sees, from steering wheel onward, and digitally-created car crashes
impossible for even the most daring of stunt drivers.
Toronto allowed ``Champs''
to use its inner city race route; in fact, Harlin was talking
to me between takes from the track, in the middle of the city.
Toronto is very happy to cooperate with film companies (especially
one budgeted at $70 million). ``Champs'' is only one of several
U.S. companies currently filming up there. Harlin says hotels
and restaurants are filled with Hollywood filmmakers.
Harlin wants us to know that
Stallone has fine-tuned this script, as he had ``Rocky.'' For
many years, Sly's told me of his ambition to make a race car
film. And yes, Stallone drives (180 mph) on camera. But Harlin
claims, just as ``Rocky'' was not about boxing, ``Champs'' is
not about car racing; it's a drama about people who are driven
(you should pardon the expression).
In addition to Stallone and
Reynolds, the ensemble piece stars Til Schweiger, Kip Pardue,
Robert Sean Leonard, Stacy Edwards, Gina Gershon and Cristian
de la Feunte -- and young model Estelle Warren who was spotted
by Harlin on GQ's May (un)cover, which proclaimed her ``The Next
Big Thing.'' Harlin agrees.
- Craig Zablo (July 22, 2000) |
