- Title: USA: WILL SMITH AND GENE HACKMAN STAR IN CIA BASED FILM "ENEMY OF THE STATE"
- Date: 22nd November 1998
- Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 16, 1998) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) SIGN AND POSTER FOR 'ENEMY OF THE STATE' AT CINEPLEX ODEON CROWD OUTSIDE CINEMA WILL SMITH AND GENE HACKMAN OUTSIDE CINEMA PRODUCER JERRY BRUCKHEIMER SAYING (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) "Well I'm a fan of all the old thrillers from Hitchcock onto 'Three days of the Condor, "Conversation", "Fugitive" and it was my turn to try to make one, you know, hopefully I'm successful, we'll see" WILL SMITH SAYING (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) "It's a great movie, it's fun it's exciting you know there's a ton of things going on I'm in my underwear, but there's also some wonderful acting moments; I get real serious on them you know and I bring the drama, like that I can get real dramatic and real serious on 'em too so it's a lot of different things going on."
- Embargoed: 7th December 1998 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; WASHINGTON D.C. UNITED STATES AND FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVACG4W1E14GTGKT6192UNP5EOO5
- Story Text: Superstar Will Smith leaves aliens, spaceships and
buddy films behind as he takes centre stage with co-star Gene
Hackman in "Enemy of the State" the latest Jerry Bruckheimer
production.The cast turned out in Washington D.C.on Monday
(November 16) for the film's World Premiere.
Although this film marks one of Smith's first starring
roles without the aid of a buddy or major special effects, it
isn't entirely new territory for him.
He previously worked with mega-producer Jerry Bruchkeimer
on action thriller "Bad Boys" with Martin Lawrence.
"Enemy of the State" is also a reunion of sorts for Gene
Hackman, director Tony Scott and Bruckheimer.The threesome
previously collaborated on the military thriller "Crimson
Tide."
This time, Smith plays Robert Clayton Dean, a mild
mannered but successful labour lawyer who gets entangled in a
complex government conspiracy involving the murder of an
influential Congressman.But the theme behind the plot is the
technological ability of U.S.intelligence agencies like the
National Security Agency (NSA) and the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA) to spy on every aspect of our everyday lives.
Hackman, who previously played a technologically-gifted
spy in the thriller "The Conversation", plays a former
intelligence operative known only as Brill, who comes to
Dean's aid against his will.
Also in the film are Jon Voight who stars as a corrupt NSA
official, "Angel Heart" co-star Lisa Bonet, Regina King as
Smith's on-screen wife, Loren Dean, Jake Busey, Barry Pepper
and Jamie Kennedy as low-level NSA staffers, and Jason Lee as
an innocent man whose videocamera accidentally sets the whole
plot in motion.
As with his other films "Armageddon," "Con Air," "The
Rock," "Top Gun," and "Crimson Tide," Bruckheimer brought to
the film a high degree of realism.Once again, he hired
technical consultants to advise him on the set.This time,
they were surveillance experts and a former NSA employee.
Prepartion for the film included visits to the NSA and CIA
headquarters, where, in addition to an eye-opening education,
Will Smith was also greeted with mobs of fans asking for
autographs.
"Enemy of the State" opens in cinemas throughout the
United States on Friday, November 20. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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