Hey folks, Harry here with a look at what is going on in Chicago on the ROAD TO PERDITION set... Personally this is one of the most anticipated films of 2001 for me, as it marks the next Tom Hanks film, the 2nd Sam Mendes film and another film from a David Self screenplay. Mix all that up and you have a formula for interesting cinema... Here's the latest from the set in Valmont's first report of hopefully many....
Hey, Harry! You know the drill, long time reader, first time contributor. I've been anxious to be one of your spies for quite a while now, and I'm particularly pleased that I finally have something for you, and on a very high caliber project too!
I'm here with what will hopefully be the first of many scoops on the Mendes/Zanuck production of Road to Perdition. I live in Chicago, and just believe me when I say that I'm very much inside this production. So, like I said, I'll be dropping you lots of little relevant tid-bits on this one as they come my way, as I know we are all looking forward to this production.
Harry, let me just start by saying that this movie is going to be terrific. Mendes has brought key members of his American Beauty crew back for this one, and you can already see things coming together. Conrad Hall is there behind the camera bringing his always welcome experienced presence, and as I'm sure you know Thomas Newman will be working on the score. But it's silly for me to go over things you already know, let me get right to it.
There hasn't been too much happening just yet, but of course they just started, and they'll be here until June, so there is much more to come. But things are really coming together, and boy is it exciting!
They just finished shooting parts of the opening sequence recently. Harry, they shot the opening in this abandoned factory in northern Indiana, and let me tell you, it's beautiful. This place was incredible. The inside was just this wonderful maze of pipes and tubes running all over the interior, crossing each other and intertwining in this wonderful textural background. Towering cylinders run all the way to the ceiling. Everything is bathed in beautiful rusty browns and reds, and it just looks amazing on film. We obviously saw in American Beauty that Mendes uses color brilliantly in adding texture to scenes, and he's exercising those same skills with this film. As I said, the opening takes place in this factory, and they filmed some scenes outside as well with O'Sullivan's (Hanks) son selling newspapers. In the early work, Mendes' gift for paying attention to detail is shining through. This film is going to look amazing.
Also of interest is the early shooting that has been done thus far in West Dundee, just outside Chicago. It's a smaller, older looking area, and the buildings on the main street just have this wonderful age to them. They've closed the main street and lined it with old cars, and done a good deal of exterior shooting here, some of it in the rain. Hanks has done a few scenes here, and the buildings share that same brown/brick red/rust texture that the factory has. I'm telling you this movie will be so visually pleasing, and no doubt, Conrad Hall will be up for another Oscar for this one.
Anyway, this is just early stuff. Newman hasn't been called to set yet. Hanks has been doing most of the work, along with Jennifer Jason Leigh pitching in some good stuff along the way. More on all of this later. I just wanted to get you started, as I know you've surely been anxious to hear anything on this film. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the finished project. Those hoping that Mendes follows up American Beauty with a sophomore showing on the same level will not be disappointed. And in many ways, this movie gives Mendes a chance to continue to grow and flex his muscles.
So, I'll continue to drop you news when I have it. And I'm going to do my best to get some scans to you sooner rather than later. Take care, and I'll be in touch. As soon as I see that you've gotten this story up, I'll drop another little treat in your mailbox.
You can call me...
VALMONT
