USA: WILL SMITH AND GENE HACKMAN STAR IN CIA BASED FILM "ENEMY OF THE STATE"

Record ID: 387881

  • Title: USA: WILL SMITH AND GENE HACKMAN STAR IN CIA BASED FILM "ENEMY OF THE STATE"
  • Date: 22nd November 1998
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 8, 1998) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) SMITH SAYING (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) "All the bells, all the whistles, all the aliens, all the spaceships, all of that stuff has been removed and this is just me out front basically saying to the audience, come see me, you know, put my acting thing down. GENE HACKMAN SAYING (SOUNDBITE ENGLI
  • 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: LVA990NAJ0Y2XWUFHDK72M89UIWR
  • 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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