AN INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN KRANE, PRODUCER OF THE BATTLEFIELD EARTH MOVIE

Over the course of his 20 year professional career, Jonathan Krane has produced upwards of 40 films including such memorable pictures as: The Trail of the Pink Panther, The Man Who Loved Women, Micki and Maude, the Look Who's Talking trilogy, Blind Date, Michael, Phenomenon, Mad City, Face/Off, Primary Colors, A Civil Action and The General's Daughter.

After graduating from Yale Law School, Jonathan served briefly as a tax and film-finance attorney before co-founding Blake Edwards Entertainment, an independent film production company. He founded his own personal management firm at the same time that at its peak handled as many as 150 clients. He then bought Manson International, the largest foreign sales agency at the time. By combining the three forces of motion pictures under one roof: talent, production and distribution, he created a new 40's style studio, MCEG, which he took public with an initial public offering, thus becoming one of the youngest Chairman of the Board and CEO of a public company. Not since Lew Wasserman had done the same thing with an agency had anyone done this.

A multi-faceted contributor to the Hollywood film industry, Jonathan also found the time to teach talent management and production at UCLA for 18 years and write a soon-to-be-published book creating the new science of movie making, called "Krane on Producing." (www.kraneonproducing.com) He is the only person in Hollywood who has had 17 successful careers in Hollywood: Producer, Manager, Writer, Lawyer, Studio Chairman and CEO, Innovative Cost-Effective Producer, Chairman and CEO of a Public Independent Company, Film Financier, Domestic Theatrical Distributor, Foreign Theatrical Distributor, Foreign Sales Agent, Home Video Distributor, Television Distributor and Film School Professor.

Today, he concentrates on the financing and production of motion pictures. Considered by many as one of the most brilliant and hard working producers in the movie business, Jonathan is currently chairman-CEO of the Jonathan Krane Group and the manager of John Travolta, his long-time friend and collaborator.

As the producer of Battlefield Earth with John Travolta and Franchise Pictures, Jonathan has been hands-on ever since he became involved with the project. In addition to his years of experience and many professional skills, his unmistakable enthusiasm in bringing L. Ron Hubbard's epic novel to the big screen has been a major reason why the making of the film has gone smoothly, achieved high production values and remains on schedule for its May 2000 release.

The interview took place at Author Services, Inc.--the agency that represents the literary, theatrical and musical works of L. Ron Hubbard--which is located in Hollywood and at www.authorservicesinc.com in cyberspace.

Battlefieldearth.com: When did you first discover L. Ron Hubbard's novel Battlefield Earth?

Jonathan Krane: I have been managing John Travolta for about 15 years and producing most of his pictures. Right when we started that relationship he told me that one of his favorite books, and one that he would love to make into a movie, was Battlefield Earth. So I immediately read it and discovered that it was a terrific story. I told John then that it would make a phenomenal movie if it were done in what I called a "visionary" way.

Battlefieldearth.com: What did you envision when you said that?

Jonathan Krane: What was meant by that was kind of what George Lucas did with the first Star Wars. Nobody had ever seen some of the things he did in that film. We felt that Battlefield Earth should be done in a similar way. In other words, this would be the new science fiction movie for the new millennium, totally different from what anybody had ever seen before.

Battlefieldearth.com: Do the others involved in making this movie feel as strongly as you do?

 Jonathan Krane: This movie started with passion from John and myself but every single person that became involved has a similar passion for it. I never experienced that kind of situation before, where without having to go out and search for the right actor, director, designer, they came to us with their vision and with their passion.

Battlefieldearth.com: Given the impressive creative talent that became involved in making the Battlefield Earth movie how closely will the film follow the book?

Jonathan Krane: Out of the 40 movies I've made, and I made at least 20 based on novels, I have often seen the books disregarded in many respects.

In the case of Battlefield Earth, however, the passion and vision that everyone has had has been the same vision as the book. No one has tried to change that vision. The screenplay reflects the book. What Roger, the director, is doing reflects the book. What Travolta is doing in his acting reflects the book.

This is a situation where there has been a complete synchronicity with everyone wanting to reflect the story of the novel in the movie. This creates a lot of energy which gets channeled into making each part and detail of the film as perfect as possible. It all adds up to making a movie that is going to be memorable in all respects.

Battlefieldearth.com: What has been the reaction to the making of this movie?

Jonathan Krane: Right from the beginning it started generating a lot of excitement. I think that comes from so many people being familiar with the story that they know the great potential this movie has. Reading the book is a riveting experience. There are amazing stories I've heard of people who started reading the book and couldn't break away until they finished it days later. So you can imagine the tremendous promise the movie holds for people who know the story.

There were fan letters shortly after we got started about how happy people were that this story is finally being put on the screen. I've never experienced that before because until recently we had not conducted any kind of publicity campaign and all that was happening was being generated from word of mouth. So if word of mouth could generate that kind of excitement in the early stages of pre-production, then I would suppose people are going to be lining up far-in-advance to get into the theatres when this film opens.

Battlefieldearth.com: What was the response when Warner Bros. released the trailer for the film?

Jonathan Krane: That trailer really created a buzz. It had the first cuts from the film that movie audiences have seen and I don't believe anyone ever expected to see John Travolta looking like that in the role of the arch-villain Terl, the Psychlo security chief who is determined to annihilate the human race.

It really was a spectacular trailer but it only gives you a small inkling of what you will experience when you see the film. The movie is so overwhelming and we knew we couldnąt begin to capture it in a short preview like that so we only set the stage for what will go far beyond whatever you have seen previously in a science fiction film.

In addition to playing in theatres it can be seen on the Warner Bros. web site at www.battlefieldearth.net.

Battlefieldearth.com: How do you expect this movie will do at the box-office?

Jonathan Krane: From everything I have seen so far this is going to be a film that people who love adventure and action movies will not want to miss. It's pure science fiction but most of it takes place right here on Earth and I feel a lot of people are going to connect with this film. It's entertainment at its finest. Like the trailer said "Prepare for Battle" because when that film begins you are going to be right there in that story with Jonnie Goodboy Tyler and the few remaining survivors of the human race in the fight of your life.

Battlefieldearth.com: How does the Battlefield Earth movie compare with the other films you have produced?

Jonathan Krane: At this point in my life having made over 40 movies, I really want to make movies that I am passionate about. This means they have to mean something to me. You know Sam Goldwyn once said well if you want to send a message send a telegram. But that's really not the way that I feel. The movies that I make, I want to lift the human spirit. If you look through the movies I've made, I hope that they have in a little way or in a big way lifted the human spirit. And Battlefield Earth definitely does that.

Battlefieldearth.com: What makes this story special?

Jonathan Krane: L. Ron Hubbard's working title for his novel was Man the Endangered Species which gives you some idea of what it is about.

In essence Battlefield Earth is the ultimate adventure story about humanity's struggle for survival against overwhelming odds and an alien enemy that considers man merely an animal that needs to be exterminated from the universe. This is a big theme and reflects the resilience and courage of the human spirit as we go forward into a new millennium and the space age with all the opportunities and challenges of a limitless but uncertain future. Add to this a highly skilled director, a dynamic cast and one of the finest technical crews ever assembled and you can begin to get the picture of why the Battlefield Earth movie is going to be one of the great science fiction films of our time.


Check this site again in the near future for discussions about the making of Battlefield Earth with the director, members of the cast and other members of the production team.

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