USA: "Shooter," a new film starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by action movie veteran Antoine Fuqua, premieres in Los Angeles

Record ID: 218748

  • Title: USA: "Shooter," a new film starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by action movie veteran Antoine Fuqua, premieres in Los Angeles
  • Date: 16th March 2007
  • Summary: WAHLBERG AND MARA TALKING TO REPORTERS
  • Embargoed: 31st March 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAE0Y5P6XUH4Q4B9L4H0F4A4IDT
  • Story Text: "Shooter," a new film starring Mark Wahlberg as an expert marksman wrongly accused of assassinating the president, premieres in Los Angeles. The film, which is based on the novel "Point of Impact" by Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic and author Stephen Hunter, is directed by veteran action director Antoine Fuqua, and also stars Danny Glover and Kate Mara. Wahlberg welcomed the chance to train as a master sniper, and spent countless hours training to be perfectly fit for filming, as well as the role itself.
    "Anything and everything. I had actually shot 'The Departed' right before I shot this, so I had to lose a lot of weight, and then of course all of the mental preparation, you know we went to sniper school, these guys are as smart as they are tough, and you know, we have always been completely committed to making it realistic and believable in every role that I play, so everything they asked me to do, even the dangerous stuff, which I kind of wish I didn't commit to doing, but you know, when you need to make it real, as long as you come out healthy on the other end, you kind of forget about the bumps and bruises along the way, and you have something that you'll be proud of forever," says Mark Wahlberg, on his preparations for filming "Shooter."
    Wahlberg plays Bob Lee Swagger, a former marine scout sniper who had practically walked away from the job forever, when he is asked one last time to serve his country and help prevent an assassination on the president. Unbeknownst to him, Swagger is actually led on by plotters within the government who want the president dead, and he is implicated as the assassin. What follows is a race against time, with Swagger trying to prove his innocence while lifting a veil off a devastating conspiracy at the very heart of the American government. Guns were a big part of the production of "Shooter," and many actors found themselves introduced to gun culture for the first time in their life.
    "Not until this film, no, I had never even picked up a gun before, and I had to shoot a gun and I had to use a shotgun as well, so I was pretty scared about that, but it felt kind of cool for a second there," says actress Kate Mara.
    Director Antoine Fuqua, whose previous films include 2001's "Training Day" and 2003's "Tears of the Sun," insisted Wahlberg play the role of Swagger because he had everything right for the part.
    "He's a strong actor, he's talented, he's tough, he can get dragged by a barge in the water, and run around and shoot guns, have explosions going off around him, and do some good acting, so you know, it's hard to find all that," says Fuqua.
    "Shooter" is based on the novel "Point of Impact" by Stephen Hunter, and is one of three books dedicated to the character of Bob Lee Swagger. Coincidentally, Hunter is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Washington Post, and was apprehensive about meeting the stars and filmmakers of "Shooter" that he may have panned in the past. But Hunter's biggest fear regarding the film was the misrepresentation of guns, a fear that was quickly dispelled upon watching "Shooter" for the first time.
    "This is one of the best gun movies ever made, they made a lot of smart work understanding... it's not Hollywood 'crap,' you know, where ridiculous shots are made, they thought about how guns are used in combat, and they've solved those questions very nicely, and that's another thing the people will feel without really understanding, and they've done a real good job."
    According to Fuqua, "Shooter" is inspired by the blockbuster conspiracy films of the 1970's, which often times featured a man-on-the-run and distrust of government, a telling sign of the times.
    "It feels great to do something that's character driven in that genre, that's not effects driven, so it's a great throwback to the movies I grew up watching, so I'm thrilled to have been a part of it," says Wahlberg.
    "Shooter" opens in theaters on March 23rd.
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