- Title: UK: SAMUEL L. JACKSON'S NEW FILM "51ST STATE" TO BEGIN FILMING IN LIVERPOOL.
- Date: 30th September 2000
- Summary: FILE REUTERS (1999) UNDERLAYED INTERVIEW WITH INTERIORS OF NIGHTCLUB "CREAM" IN LIVERPOOL
- Embargoed: 15th October 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA3DACQ2ZX9SRG8DP2QLWK3699Q
- Story Text: A touch of Hollywood has arrived in Britain's city of Liverpool - birthplace of The Beatles - for the filming of Samuel L. Jackson's latest film, "51st State". A major boost for the city, the $28 million movie began production this week and is being directed by Hong Kong-born Ronny Yu. It also stars Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Rhys Ifans and Meat Loaf and Reuters caught up with the cast before the first day of shooting.
Set to be the biggest thing to come out of Liverpool since John, Paul, George and Ringo formed the Beatles, shooting for "51st State" started this week on location in the city.
The project is based on an original screenplay by Stel Pavlou when he worked in a London off-licence, some years ago, but it has taken five years to convince the money men to come up with the financial backing for the film.
Samuel L. Jackson says he saw the script a long time ago and immediately put his name to the film - but it wasn't until Canadian giant Alliance Atlantis and the German company Kinowelt got behind the idea, that the rest of the cast and the director could be secured.
Jackson says there are two strong reasons for doing the film, his unusual character in the film and the opportunity to work with at least one of his fellow cast members: "The first thing that struck me was this really interesting kind of fun story that I read about," Jackson says.
"This guy - out of his element coming to the UK - especially to a place like Liverpool and meeting these colourful characters and trying to sell this product that he has and the fact that he was odd to them - number one being a black American and number two that he was wearing a kilt - which kind of took everyone by surprise.
"So there were a lot of things that were appealing and then when we started talking about guys who were going to play the other characters in the film the one name that popped out for me was Robert Carlyle and I really admire his work, enjoy watching him and it's kind of a pleasure to come into a country and work with one of the best actors you guys have, it's going to be great."
It took more of an effort to entice Scottish actor Robert Carlyle to the film.
The star of "The Full Monty" and "Trainspotting", Carlyle says he had to see several drafts of the script before he was willing to commit to "51st State".
"The problem before was that it was kind of like Los Angeles transplanted into Liverpool which is just ridiculous but by the time the final drafts came around, Liverpool had got it's own identity," he says.
"It's got it's own buzz, anybody that's been here knows that, it does have it's own buzz this city.
"So that was the most important thing to be captured and once it had got that, that's what grabbed my interest," he said.
Jackson plays the role of Elmo McElroy, a streetwise American master chemist, who heads to England to set up his last big deal - to introduce a new designer drug to the European market.
McElroy soon becomes emboiled in a web of double-dealing as he's escorted around Liverpool's underworld and rave scene by a local hood - Felix (Carlyle) who hates all things American but who is out to make a fast buck.
Appearing alongside Jackson and Carlyle is the home grown Liverpudlian actor Ricky Tomlinson.
Tomlinson, who took to the stage and screen in his early forties, became a household name in British soap "Brookside"
and his popularity has soared with playing Jim Royle in the BBC's award-winning "The Royle Family".
He also has film experience, appearing in Ken Loach's "Riff Raff" and "Raining Stones" which won a Special Jury Prize at Cannes.
In "51st State" Tomlinson plays the character Ernest Durant, Liverpool's most notorious drug baron.
Proud of his northern roots, Tomlinson says he's thrilled to have such a film made on his home turf and that he hopes it will be the best thing to happen to Liverpool in a long time.
Shooting for the film will take place largely on real locations around the city and along the famous Mersey docks but director Ronny Yu (Bride of Chucky) says there is one famous landmark they've had to immitate and one they can't possibly include.
"Well we'd love to shoot in "Cream, of course we can't but actually it's inspired - even our rave club is inspired from Cream and my first experience of rave music was in Cream.
"I came four months ago and that was really amazing the first time I was in this rave club and I thought before I went in I'm going to stay for about five seconds and then I'm going to go out, I'm too old for that right. but when I walked in there the energy all these young people give out but they're not violent, which is amazing.
"You know I tried to walk across, they let me walk across it's so amazing this huge vibration inside that place it's just amazing and I stayed for one hour. (So you're going to somehow transpose that?) Absolutely, the only thing that we're not going to cover is the Cavern, or the Beatles, I wish we could but no it's just too far off our story you know" he said.
Director Yu will be shooting on location in Liverpool for 10 weeks and afterwards in Hollywood for two weeks studio filming.
Yu says he hopes to have the film ready for screening at next year's Cannes film festival. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None