![]() ![]() Shmuger admits that it was a tough shoot, but that comes with the territory in Mann Land. With that combination, well, let’s face it, there’s just not that many filmmakers in the world besides Michael who could do that.” They meet on the run, and you know that they know that the relationship can’t last, which makes the film really heart-wrenching. “It’s a seminal gangster saga, but it’s also a classic doomed lovers story. “It really felt like the most exciting thing Michael’s done in years,” said Shmuger. Universal Chairman Marc Shmuger said the studio got revved up when it first read the script, which was written by Ronan Bennett, with a rewrite by Mann and Ann Biderman. It also boasts a romantic storyline - “La Vie en Rose’s” Marion Cotillard has a hefty role in the film as Depp’s love interest - that could draw female moviegoers too. But instead of the dumbed-down dreck that decorates most studio summer slates, “Public Enemies” has the opportunity to be a critical success as well. Slated for July 1, 2009, “Public Enemies” gives Universal a big summer tentpole movie. We’ve got three bank robberies, two prison breaks and who knows how many shootouts.” But like Martin Scorsese, Mann is a great filmmaker who’s a magnet for movie stars, so the studio couldn’t resist the idea of an action-packed period thriller with Johnny Depp at the top of the bill.Īs Misher put it: “If you’re looking for action, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. The truly amazing thing, frankly, is that Universal Pictures, having lost tons of moola on “Miami Vice,” had the stomach to get back into the ring with Mann a second time around. When I asked for details, Misher threw up his hands. Mann even dug up vintage tommy guns that were made in the 1930s to be used by the gangsters. “We also shot at the Little Bohemia Lodge up in northern Wisconsin, which is the scene of a famous gunfight between the FBI and Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.” All we did was change the facades of the buildings and reverted them back to period. “We shot at the Biograph Theater on the very street where Dillinger was killed, so that scene was exactly where the real events happened. ![]() “Whenever we could, we shot exactly where the events happened - if we could find where Dillinger walked, we shot where he walked,” said Misher. That doesn’t mean that Mann has lost any of his thirst for authenticity. Misher said Mann was incredibly focused about finishing on time, no doubt because the filmmaker saw the strike deadline on the horizon, knowing it would wreak havoc if he had to shut down before shooting was completed. So how did Misher and Universal Pictures manage to keep Mann on schedule? And yet, here was Misher, bloodied (he actually hurt his leg in a hiking fall) but unbowed. But having seen what happened on Mann’s last movie, “Miami Vice,” which went endless months over schedule, I figured the odds of Mann being done on time were about as slim as the Dodgers finishing the season with a winning record. ![]()
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