USA: PREMIERE OF " U-571" SUBMARINE THRILLER ABOUT THE WORLD WAR TWO STARRING BILL PAXTON AND ROCK SINGER JON BON JOVI

Record ID: 389145

  • Title: USA: PREMIERE OF " U-571" SUBMARINE THRILLER ABOUT THE WORLD WAR TWO STARRING BILL PAXTON AND ROCK SINGER JON BON JOVI
  • Date: 17th April 2000
  • Summary: VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS (VNR-UNIVERSAL PICTURES MUST COURTESY) (FILM CLEARANCE REQUIRED) "U-571" FILM CLIP
  • Embargoed: 2nd May 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA7Y110CX7KLNZYIUSVXQOBQE6A
  • Story Text: Following in the footsteps of a classic genre of American cinema, Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton and rock singer Jon Bon Jovi try their hands at a World War II submarine thriller in "U-571," which celebrated its World Premiere in Los Angeles.
    Set against the backdrop of World War II, "U-571" is a fictional tale about a daring mission to capture a top secret Nazi coding device from a German submarine.Although written by director Jonathan Mostow as fiction, the film is inspired by a composite of events that transpired during the Battle of the Atlantic and is intended as a memorial to all those who served.
    McConaughey plays Lt.Andrew Tyler, an officer who is passed over for the command of his own boat on the eve of his deployment on the top-secret Navy intelligence mission.His current captain on the risky voyage is Lt.Commander Mike Dahlgren, played by Bill Paxton, while his fellow officers are played by former rock star Jon Bon Jovi and Harvey Keitel.
    Following the success of his previous film "Breakdown,"
    Filmmaker Jonathan Mostow traveled the world, visiting moth-balled World War II battleships and submarines, touring war museums, talking to veterans and getting his hands on as many books, ship diaries and personal accounts of sub warfare as possible.
    All this research culminated in his script for "U-571,"
    which Mostow always envisioned as a realistically portrayed yet highly entertaining homage to the submariners who fought in the Second World War.
    To this end, Mostow enlisted the technical advice of several historians and surviving members of the Battle of the Atlantic as well as Vice Admiral Patrick Hannifin, who served in the U.S.Navy during World War II and operated submarines for almost 35 years before retiring in 1977.
    Mostow and Hannifin passed their knowledge and expertise onto the cast, giving them a crash course in submarine terms and technology which, in turn, helped them effectively portray 1940's-era U.S.sailors.
    The biggest production challenge for the film's crew was building and launching two full-size submarines which were actually put to sea and engaged in battle.During the extensive pre-production phase on the Mediterranean island of Malta, the crew constructed a 600-ton sea-going replica of a German U-boat as well as an American sub from the same time period.
    Again, the realism of the sets lent more credibility to the actors performance and the overall film.
    "U-571" opens in theaters throughout the United States on Friday, April 21.
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