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After years of
anticipation, L. Ron Hubbard's monumental science fiction epic Battlefield
Earth has come to the motion picture screen. Long considered a prime story for
the film genre, the grand adventure of Battlefield
Earth awaited only the right script adaptation before everything came together
to make it a movie reality. With a Corey Mandell screenplay, which captures the
immense scope and irrepressible spirit of Hubbard's novel, that time has at last arrived.
During the first stages of preproduction, the Battlefield
Earth film project attracted such top names in the movie business that it began
receiving world-wide media coverage a full year in advance of its release, and quickly
became one of the most keenly anticipated movies of the summer. Multiple Academy
Award-nominated actor John Travolta took on Battlefield
Earth in the capacities of the starring villain and as co-producer. The
director was two-time Academy Award-winner Roger Christian, who George Lucas identified as
the visionary director who could translate the scale, drama and vivid spectacle of the Battlefield
Earth adventure to the screen. Barry Pepper, most familiar to audiences as the
memorable sniper in Steven Spielberg's Academy Award-winning Saving Private Ryan, signed
on to play the hero. Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award-winning Forest Whitaker, who
worked with John Travolta on Phenomenon, joined the production as Travolta's alien
sidekick.
Designer Patrick Tatopoulos, well known from blockbusters such as Stargate, Stuart Little
and Independence Day, assumed the multiple responsibilities of Production Designer,
Creature Effects Designer and Costume Designer for Battlefield
Earth. And the man who captured all this through the camera lens was none other
than Lucas film alumnus Giles Nuttgen, who brought a distinctive stylistic touch to the
cinematography of Battlefield Earth.
The film was shot in Montreal through the fall of 1999, with nearly three months of live
action filming taking place in several Quebec locations, including wild mountain
exteriors, decaying prisons and ruined factories representing a desolate Earth of the year
3000. Innovative computer graphic special effects supervised by Erik Henry (Alien,
X-Files) round out the impressive model and miniature effect work accomplished by
industry veterans Bill Pearson, whose long list of credits include many of science
fiction's major cinematic successes, and miniature explosion effects creator Joe Viskocil
whose list of credits include a Best Visual Effects Academy Award for his work on
Independence Day. Bringing years of experience to the editing room, Robin Russell (The Big
Hit) filled out the line up of one of the most creative production teams ever assembled
for a major science fiction film.
Co-producers are Elie Samaha of Franchise Pictures, Jonathan Krane and John Travolta. Battlefield
Earth has been licensed by Author Services, Inc., of Hollywood, who represent
L. Ron Hubbard's literary, theatrical and musical works. Further information on Author
Services can be found at http://www.authorservicesinc.com.
The premiere of Battlefield Earth took place
on May 12th, 2000 at the famous Mann's Chinese theater in Hollywood, California. The broad
release of the film immediately followed, as Battlefield
Earth made its way into more than 3300 theaters across America, with Warner
Bros. Studios distributing.
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"It is Rocky, Indiana Jones, Star
Wars, Flash Gordon and Battlestar Galactica all rolled into one –
and then some."
"...Battlefield
Earth is vintage hard science fiction, done by a master storyteller."
Buffalo Evening News,
NY
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