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"Would you believe that the
best parts of the novel come later and even stronger material for two sequels, which we'd
love to film ... even more powerful than what we filmed in 'Battlefield Earth,'" says
London-born director Roger Christian, who previously helmed the second unit of George
Lucas' "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace." "We screened the movie for George
the other night at his Skywalker Ranch," continues Roger, "when John Travolta
was on his tour of 20 cities and meeting thousands of fans while signing 500 'Battlefield
Earth' copies at every stop. Working with John in the film was a great experience ... not
only is he knowledgeable, but he loves to play with humor into whatever he does."
Roger claims the film cost $50 million, others claim $80 million, and publicist Eddie
Michaels says that with the set-up producer Elie Samaha arranged with his Franchise
Pictures foreign financing that after the film rakes in $30 million domestically, it'll be
a box office success. A pulpy shoot-em-up and blow-em-up sci-fi thriller,
"Battlefield Earth," which is being distributed by Warner Bros., occurs during
the year 3000 when countries and cities have been devastated and the planet earth is a
wasteland with man as an endangered species. John stars as the megalomaniacal
nine-foot-tall Psychlo chief of security Terl, a monstrous villain determined to conquer
galaxies and given to "Psychlo babble." "In this primitive world, people
have gone back to primitive ways for survival," says John, affirming that his
character is evil incarnate, worshipping betrayal, blackmail, etc. "Terl's
fascinating because he's so wicked. But he's not that smart ... thinks in a perverted way, |
(1) "Battlefield Earth's" Barry
Pepper, Sabine Karsenti, John Travolta and Forest Whitaker attended Warner Bros.' premiere
at Mann Chinese Theatre; (2) Director Roger Christian with Quentin Tarantino; (3) Warner
Bros.' Dan Fellman and Alan Horn flank Byrnne Fellman; (4) Production and costume designer
Patrick Tatopoulos with wife Sparti; (5) Executive producer Andrew Stevens with wife
Robyn; (6) The Sunset Room's Brad Johnson with chef Claude Segal; (7) Sly Stallone with
producer Elie Samaha and Verona Feldbusch, who'll star with Sly in Elie's
"Champs"; (8) Kirstie Alley; (9) Billy Bob Thornton; (10) Tia Carrere; (11)
Producer Jonathan Krane with wife Sally Kellerman and Hanna and Jack; (12) Kevin Bacon and
Hyra Sedgewick; (13) Jenna and Bodhi Elfman
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and has a false sense of being regal, always posing, and that was quite funny to
me."
Battlefield Earth" has its campy moments, especially when John pounds fear
into Barry Pepper, the human hero underdog who faces the alien Psychlos, or when he
banters with Forest Whitaker, his obsequious sidekick, who's forever looking for leverage
over boss Terl. "My character of Ker will do anything to get what he wants,"
says Forest, "which is why he and Terl are at each other's throats, yet they look
upon all their trickery as a game." Forest informs that their hairy-to-the-max
Psychlo makeup with the fang fingernails took more than three hours every |
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morning, although the procedure was later edited down to several hours.
It was producer Jonathan Krane, who's managed John for more than 15 years who
bought the novel's rights with John. "Once we had the screenplay," says
Jonathan, "I applied all my cost-cutting independent techniques. We found Elie Samaha
who was passionate about the picture, worked out making the movie in Canada with its
budgetary perks, and found a director with a story-telling ability and visual effects
background who would have the chance to shoot a major motion picture. Filming took place
in a Montreal warehouse over 10 weeks." Warner Bros. |
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planned the premiere at Mann Chinese Theatre, with the disco-party following
at the Sunset Room, where John's wife Kelly Preston, also in the cast, stayed briefly,
before heading home to look after new baby Ella Bleu, with John leaving that night for a
Las Vegas premiere the following day. "Coincidental that Warren Beatty and Annette
Bening also named their latest daughter Ella," offered Kelly. Creature-creator and
production and costume designer Patrick Tatopoulos and his wife Sparti were back from
travels abroad, and we couldn't resist noting that in their native Greece the most popular
chic boutique in Athens is Rich Bitch.
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