'Babylon' gets back on track
Diesel pic gassed up after brief Czech out
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Producer Ilan Goldman said the difficulties are routine for any big-scale film, including uncooperative weather (including a lack of snow) and problems with set construction. Latter caused the production designer to ankle; a stunt coordinator and the first assistant director were replaced as well.
"When you make a small film, the problems are small. When you make a costly, ambitious film, it is always more complicated," Goldman told Daily Variety on Wednesday. "We took a two-week break to sort these things out, and we are back on track now," he promised.
Pic, which stars Vin Diesel, is a negative pickup for Fox; StudioCanal is financing. Goldman says the production delays have cost the film an additional E1 million, though some film financiers believe the expense is much higher.
Goldman would not say whose pocket the money will be coming out of. Pic is understood to have a completion bond -- unusual for a French film -- but Gallic sources said that typically the producer would be liable for a certain percentage of overspend.
After a fruitless scouting mission to Iceland, the production still needs to find a location with snow for footage that will take six to eight days to shoot, Goldman said.
Thesps including Charlotte Rampling are awaiting word of when their presence will be needed for scenes that should have been shot at the end of February.
Meanwhile, at Prague's Barrandov Studios, the pressure is on for "Babylon" to vacate soundstages in the weeks ahead so that set construction can begin on "The Chronicles of Narnia:Prince Caspian," scheduled to go into production at the beginning of April.
Kassovitz, Diesel and co-stars Michelle Yeoh and French actress Melanie Thierry are due on Friday in the Czech city of Ostrava, where they will spend the next week shooting scenes for the futuristic action-thriller based on a cult novel by Maurice Dantec.
In the film, Diesel plays a mercenary hired to escort a young woman (Thierry) who has been genetically tampered with, containing a virus that could destroy the human race. Yeoh plays a nun accompanying the young girl.
Goldman also produced the Edith Piaf biopic "La Vie en rose," which has been neck-and-neck at the French box office with Luc Besson-produced "Taxi 4," with both films scoring more than 4 million admissions to date.
Putting a positive light on events in Prague, Goldman asserted, "I get bored when there are no difficulties."
He added: "Also, I know that 'Babylon' is going to mark a new departure in action films. The rushes are great."
