TORONTO (AP) -- Maybe they can call it "Rocky
Road."
Sylvester Stallone, who portrayed underdog Rocky
Balboa in a series of popular movies, is now hoping the same
magic that worked for boxing can be translated to Champ cars.
Sly, whose original idea of a movie about Formula
one never came to fruition, has written a script and put together
an independent deal to make a movie tentatively titled "Driven."
He will also produce the
movie, which is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2001.
The story will revolve around Stallone's character,
an aging racing star, being brought back to mentor a budding
star (Kip Pardue). Burt
Reynolds will play a cantankerous team owner, while Estella Warren
will be Stallone's love interest.
Some initial scene-setting filming was done earlier
this year during the race weekend in Long Beach, Calif., but
the action is almost nonstop this week in Toronto as Championship
Auto Racing Teams puts on its 11th Molson Indy.
Renny Harlin, who directed Stallone in his last
big hit, "Cliffhanger," in 1993, will also direct
this project.
Harlin said the Rocky film saga parallels "Driven"
in many ways.
"Rocky wasn't a movie about boxing and this
won't be a movie about cars going around the track," he
said. "It won't be
a documentary, but since we followed racing all our lives, we
don't want to take liberties with things that could never happen."
During a press conference to introduce the cast,
Reynolds got the biggest laugh.
Asked why Stallone sought him out for the role
of the team owner, Reynolds said: "Burgess Meredith was
dead."
Meredith played Stallone's crusty trainer-manager
in three "Rocky" films.
The rest of the cast includes Gina Gershon, Robert
Sean Leonard, Stacy Edwards, Til Schweiger, Cristian de la Fuente
and Brent Briscoe. Several
current CART stars including Michael Andretti, Juan Montoya and
Dario Franchitti will also have cameo roles.
- Craig Zablo (July 22, 2000) |