UK: MORGAN FREEMAN, JET LI AND BOB HOSKINS TALK ON SET ABOUT THEIR CURRENT FILM "DANNY THE DOG" SET IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

Record ID: 387487

  • Title: UK: MORGAN FREEMAN, JET LI AND BOB HOSKINS TALK ON SET ABOUT THEIR CURRENT FILM "DANNY THE DOG" SET IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
  • Date: 16th April 2003
  • Summary: GLASGOW, SCOTLAND UNITED KINGDOM (RECENT) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL) VARIOUS: OF IMAGES OF A FIGHT SCENE PLAYED OUT IN A GROCERS STORE FROM THE SET OF THE FILM 'DANNY THE DOG'. (3 SHOTS) SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ACTOR MORGAN FREEMAN SAYING: "I play a piano tuner, I have a step-daughter who is a student, concert pianist and we're here in Glasgow so she can attend a conservatory, a specific conservatory and we run into Jet's character." VARIOUS: OF IMAGES OF MORGAN FREEMAN AND JET LI ACTING ON THE SET OF THE FILM 'DANNY THE DOG'. (3 SHOTS) SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ACTOR MORGAN FREEMAN SAYING: "For him to be blind was my idea. He wasn't written to be blind and I thought about the character and it would just work out better if this guy was blind, it would add something to it. And when I spoke to Luke about it, he said that's a good idea. And we thought maybe we will have to do a lot of rewrites but we didn't." VARIOUS: OF IMAGES OF A FIGHT SCENE PLAYED OUT IN A GREEN GROCER STORE - FROM THE SET OF THE FILM 'DANNY THE DOG'. (3 SHOTS) SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ACTOR JET LI SAYING: "This is totally different. I have played in more than thirty films. All the time I am the master, the hero, one of the men who saves the family, saves the day, saves everybody. The character, not me. But this is the first movie that I need to be saved by somebody." SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ACTOR MORGAN FREEMAN SAYING: "He's an innocent. And it's a sort of an amazing thing for people to run into that kind of an innocence, because he's a stone killer; it's like a pitbull, a pitbull doesn't know anything about what it's doing, it's just doing what it was trained to do, and he's like that. None of his human qualities have been developed." MLV: ACTOR JET LI WALKS INTO A GREEN GROCER STORE AND TALKS WITH A CASHIER (OFF SCREEN) - FROM THE SET OF THE FILM 'DANNY THE DOG'. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ACTOR JET LI SAYING: "Because in the real life I have met a lot of people that are physically very strong, look like a tiger, that could kill you in two seconds. But in their heart, it's very warm, like a rabbit, they're working like a rabbit. When they're fighting it's very powerful!. TRACK/EXTERIOR/ NIGHT: ACTOR BOB HOSKINS WALKS ON TO SET OF DANNY THE DOG ESCORTED BY AN ASSISTANT. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ACTOR BOB HOSKINS SAYING: "He trains, he's trained this Chinese boy to kill people when he takes his collar off. He's trained him like a dog. And that is what he does, I think he's a money lender and if you don't pay he turns the Chinaman on you, That's basically what it's about." SCU/CU: VARIOUS SHOTS OF ACTOR BOB HOSKINS TALKING TO A FELLOW ACTOR WHO DRINKS FROM A BOTTLE OF BEER - FROM THE SET OF THE FILM 'DANNY THE DOG'. (2 SHOTS) SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ACTOR BOB HOSKINS SAYING: "Well at the moment, my only experience working with Jet is been beating up by him. I'm hoping that's going to improve. At the moment it's beaten up." MV: SOUNDBITE (English) ACTOR BOB HOSKINS ASKING FILM DIRECTOR LOUIS LETERRIER: Q "As I am not killing Maddie (actress) now, what am I doing?" A "It is very simple, you are just threatening Maddie with a gun. You are killing the cashier you are not killing Maddie, you are just threatening Maddie. Gun straight in her face." SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ACTOR BOB HOSKINS SAYING: "I don't know really, I read the script and couldn't figure it out at all, and thought it must be good, (LAUGHS) this must be wonderful. So I asked my wife would you read that and tell me what it's about, I think she got through the first three pages and was like no, no, but I think you ought to do it though, oh right..." VARIOUS: OF ACTOR BOB HOSKINS THREATENING THE CASHIER WITH A GUN - FROM THE SET OF THE FILM 'DANNY THE DOG'. (3 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA26IH8ZB8CQDN1XOXCMM913QRS
  • Story Text: Morgan Freeman, Jet Li and Bob Hoskins all star in Luc Besson's latest big-budget action thriller, 'Danny the Dog'.
    Reuters TV caught up with the film's stars on set in Glasgow.
    Acclaimed French director / producer, Luc Besson, has begun production on 'Danny the Dog' in the Scottish city of Glasgow.
    This action thriller is based around a five year old boy, Danny, who is kidnapped from his mother by a notorious loan shark, Bart, and raised as a dog.
    All grown up Danny escapes from his ruthless handler only to find himself lost and alone in a world he does not know or understand.
    Hollywood veteran, Morgan Freeman, plays Sam, a blind piano tuner who finds and then befriends Danny, taking him into his house, healing his wounds and begins the process, along with his 20 year old stepdaughter Victoria, of rehabilitating Danny. "He's an innocent. And it's a sort of an amazing thing for people to run into that kind of an innocence, because he's a stone killer; it's like a pitbull, a pitbull doesn't know anything about what it's doing, it's just doing what it was trained to do, and he's like that. He isn't trained, none of his human qualities have been developed so when he's with us, these qualities are brought to the fore more and more. Until finally there's the inevitable war within himself."
    Having played in more than 30 action films Jet Li explains what attracted him to the role of Danny, "This is totally different. All the time I play the master, the hero, the one save the day. But this is first movie I need to be saved by somebody."
    Bob Hoskins better known for his roles in the 'Mona Lisa' and 'Who Killed Roger Rabbit', takes on the role of the psychopathic kidnapper Bart, responsible for imprisoning and training Danny like a animal.
    "I don't know really, I read the script and couldn't figure it out at all, and thought it must be good, (LAUGHS) this must be wonderful. So I asked my wife would you read that and tell me what it's about, I think she got through the first three pages and was like no, no, but I think you ought to do it though, oh right...."
    Relatively unknown, Louis Leterrier makes his directional debut with Besson taking credits for writing and producing.
    'Danny the Dog' will be released in France 2004 by Europa, which will also be handling worldwide sales.
    Besson founded Europa three years ago with Pierre-Ange Le Pogam.
    Together, they have turned it into one of France's leading independent studios that produces six to eight features a year.
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