- Title: USA: BRITNEY SPEARS TALKS ABOUT HER FIRST FILM " CROSSROADS"
- Date: 7th February 2002
- Summary: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 7, 2002) (REUTERS) SCU SOUNDBITE (English) CO STAR ANSON MOUNT DISCUSSING KISSING BRITNEY: " Yes Justin was there the entire time and he has his fist cocked ready to take me out if I went to far, no no, I met Justin out a couple of times and he was a really good guy, he was a really good sport about the whole thing."
- Embargoed: 22nd February 2002 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES & VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAAYPEKR1KNR3QBAH9LJ0DJ5NE9
- Story Text: Amid Mardi Gras parades and Big Easy bashes, Britney Spears hit New Orleans on Thursday (February 7) to celebrate the upcoming release of her first film "Crossroads."
Britney Spears has conquered the music world, topping the charts time and again, now she has her sights set on the box office with her feature film debut "Crossroads." It's a road trip, coming-of-age movie, with Spears as the central character, Lucy. She joins her two friends on a post-high school graduation, cross-country journey to California with barely a plan, practically no money, but plenty of dreams.
Spears thought up the idea herself after receiving hundreds of scripts which she didn't relate to. " I came up with the whole idea of 'Crossroads' and I just loved the whole idea of three girls and just their friendship and being on a road trip together and I loved the message it conveyed." Spears told Reuters.
In the film, Lucy (Spears) reunites with two childhood friends, Kit (Zoe Saldana), and Mimi (Taryn Manning), to hitch a ride with Mimi's mysterious friend Ben (Anson Mount) in his 1973 Buick convertible to head to Los Angeles.
"Crossroads"
follows the trials and tribulations of three small-town teens as they discover themselves and the world and ponder their futures.
Ironically, Spears has been around the world and back and has accomplished more in her 20 years than most entertainers achieve over the life of their careers. The pop queen started in showbiz at age nine when she starred in the off-Broadway production of "Ruthless." Just two years later, she became one of the youngest members ever of the Mickey Mouse Club.
In August 1997, she signed with Jive Records and sixteen months later, her debut album, "... Baby One more Time," was No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart. In 2000, Spears did it again when her sophomore album, "Oops! I Did It Again," hit sales of over 17 million copies worldwide. These first two albums earned her two Grammy nominations, an American Music Award, seven Billboard Awards, and four MTV European Awards.
Her highly-anticipated third album, "Britney," debut at No. 1 in November last year, making the singer the only female artist ever to have her first three albums debut at No. 1.
Spears showed off a new talent with her latest release, co-writing five of the 12 songs including the sexy single "I'm A Slave 4 U." Despite the obvious differences Spear says she was drawn to the character of the inexperienced Lucy?
" The main thing about her that I thought was really cool was she was always really strong and that's why I wanted to play her because through everything she knew what she wanted." Spears said.
Despite all the professional accolades, hoards of fans around the world, and a recent birthday that took her out of her teens and into her 20s, Spears maintains she's still not completely an adult -- hence the latest single from her album and a song used in "Crossroads," "Not Yet a Woman." The singer says the song expresses Lucy's feelings and her own.
That and the tracks "Overprotected" and "I Love Rock 'N' Roll"
make appearances in the film, putting music in the spotlight, something Spears felt was important for her first film role.
Spears' co-star Anson Mount " Ben" joked about his kissing scene with the pop queen who is in a steady relationship with N Sync singer Justin Timberlake, " Justin was there the entire time and he has his fist cocked ready to take me out if I went to far, no no, I met Justin out a couple of times and he was a really good guy, he was a really good sport about the whole thing," Mount said.
Spear's character Lucy joins her friends in a karaoke competition on their way to an L.A. audition for a record company. That storyline gave Spears plenty of opportunities to show off her singing and dancing skills, which was essential when casting the pop sensation in her first film.
Beyond acting, Spears recently wrapped a 31-concert North American tour and shot her latest Pepsi commercial, as part of her February 2001 contract with the cola giant, that aired during the Super Bowl. But, she says while she would like to pursue a career in acting, she is yet to decide what her next project will be.
"Crossroads" opens in U.S. theatres on February 15. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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