Five
thousand years ago, a ruthlessly ambitious warlord named Memnon believed
he was destined to rule the scattered peoples of the desert. With
an army of crude barbarians at his command, he swept across the mountains
and plains, enslaving those he did not slaughter. He struck with a
merciless precision that filled those who opposed him with dread because
as his enemies were acutely aware, Memnon?s strategies were plotted
by a seer who advised him on when, where and how to attack. He never
lost a battle.
Only
a few tribes, never natural allies, stand between Memnon and the
throne. Knowing his final strike is inevitable, they grudgingly
unite against their common foe by enlisting the services of Mathayus,
a man descended from generations of Akkadian assassins skilled in
the deadly arts, to eliminate the sorcerer and deprive Memnon of
his most dangerous asset.
Thus,
Mathayus enters a battle that demands all the cunning, courage and
strength he can rouse from his powerful core. Slipping into Memnon?s
palace in the notorious city of Gomorrah, Mathayus discovers that
the evil leader?s visionary is a woman, the beautiful Cassandra.
Rather than kill her, he takes Cassandra hostage, deep into the
desolate Valley of the Dead. Although he and his scrappy band of
allies would be severely out-numbered, Mathayus is convinced any
hope for survival will require direct confrontation with Memnon.
Cassandra?s
visions have predicted that Mathayus would die in such a fight.
But Mathayus has always lived by the simple but profound creed of
his people ? live free, die well. He also believes that he can create
his own destiny, and with that conviction, transcends his heritage,
evolving from assassin to legend ? to The Scorpion King.
Universal
Pictures presents, in association with WWF Entertainment, The Scorpion
King, an Alphaville/Stephen Sommers/Misher production, starring
The Rock as Mathayus, Kelly Hu as the sorceress Cassandra, Steven
Brand as the evil Memnon and Michael Clarke Duncan, Oscar?-nominated
for his performance in The Green Mile, as Mathayus?s reluctant ally,
Balthazar. Bernard Hill, Grant Heslov, Ralf Moeller, Peter Facinelli
and Sherri Howard also star.
Chuck
Russell (The Mask, Eraser) directs the action-adventure film, a
spin-off of The Mummy series. The Scorpion King is produced by Stephen
Sommers, Sean Daniel, James Jacks and Kevin Misher. The screenplay
is by Sommers and William Osborne and David Hayter from a story
by Sommers and Jonathan Hales. Russell?s behind-the-camera team
includes director of photography John Leonetti (The Mask), production
designer Ed Verreaux (Jurassic Park III), editors Michael Tronick
(Eraser) and Greg Parsons, composer John Debney (Jimmy Neutron:
Boy Genius) and costume designer John Bloomfield (The Mummy Returns).
Origins
of the King ?
Inspired
by tales of a legendary Egyptian ruler, The Scorpion King unfolds
in a time of hardship and brutality, centuries before the raising
of the Great Pyramid. As the story begins, the cruel Memnon, portrayed
by Steven Brand, will stop at nothing to become king of the known
world. He faces minimal resistance from the few desperate survivors
of his scourge-like attacks. Still, a small band of Akkadians, a
once-proud clan of assassins, now nearly extinct, has been hired
to kill the sorcerer who guides Memnon?s deadly hand. However, after
accepting this mission, the Akkadians? numbers are quickly reduced
to just one ? Mathayus (The Rock).
The
Scorpion King character, portrayed by wrestling superstar The Rock,
was first introduced in The Mummy Returns, a film which is set 2000
years after the events depicted in this new action adventure saga.
The Rock had just finished his first days of shooting The Mummy
Returns ? the film in which he made his big-screen debut ? when
Universal Pictures approached him about starring in his own film,
which would chronicle the Scorpion King?s rise to power.
"I
was really excited," recalled The Rock. "My long-term goal has always
been to break into the film industry and I was waiting for the right
opportunity. It felt like this was definitely it. It was a phenomenal
chance for Universal to take and I wasn?t about to let them down."
For
the studio executives and filmmakers, seeing the first footage of
The Rock in action was like catching lightning in a bottle. They
were witnessing the birth of a new screen action star, in a role
perfectly suited to his immense physical talents.
"We
were blown away by his charisma and presence in those first dailies
for The Mummy Returns," recalled producer Kevin Misher, who was
then Universal Pictures? president of production. "Even though he
was speaking his lines in Egyptian, he was incredibly compelling.
We started coming up with a project for him right then and there."
James
Jacks and Sean Daniel, producers of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns,
were just as excited. Eager to work with The Rock again, they segued
from the rigors of producing The Mummy Returns straight into producing
The Scorpion King. "Not only is The Rock a riveting presence on
screen, but he is incredibly professional on set," said Jacks. "Sean
and I are both huge fans."
"The
Rock is the heir apparent in a long line of action adventure heroes,"
added Daniel. "He has it all: a natural rapport with the camera,
an imposing physicality and a devilish humor which makes for a potent
combination. He's the real deal."
Stephen
Sommers, director and writer of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns,
had also become a fan of the actor ? and the character. Having introduced
the Scorpion King to the world in The Mummy Returns, he was primed
to explore the heroic origins of the character as a writer and producer
of the new film.
The
team was complete when Chuck Russell, known for his ease with guiding
top action stars (Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser) as well as emerging
talents (Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz in The Mask), was chosen as
director. Russell?s love for films such as The Adventures of Robin
Hood and The Crimson Pirate, which capture a special combination
of wit, action, romance and high adventure, also helped him land
the assignment.
"I
had always wanted to direct a period sword-fighting adventure,"
said Russell. "Those classic films had a great sense of fun about
them. They swept you away with high adventure, great heart and an
uplifting spirit that I wanted to re-create for this film. Having
The Rock in that kind of setting with that kind of action seemed
like an amazing match to me."
Russell
had become aware of The Rock early on and was impressed by the skills
he?d displayed as an actor and comedian when he hosted Saturday
Night Live. "He held the screen, he was good-looking, charismatic
and had an edge of danger about him," the director recalled. "I
knew he was going places."
Academy
Award? nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile) was cast in
the pivotal role of the Nubian Balthazar, a giant of a man who opposes
Mathayus until their hand-to-hand battle for dominance forges a
strong bond. Good friends for several years, Duncan and The Rock
relished the opportunity to clash onscreen.
"Mathayus
and Balthazar start out disliking one another," explained Duncan
of his and The Rock?s characters. "We have this huge fight after
which respect is born between us. It was fun to play that evolution
with Rock, who?s been a friend for many years."
Duncan
trained alongside The Rock for months in preparation for their climactic
fight, which utilized swords, lances and fisticuffs. The scene was
Duncan?s first choreographed onscreen fight, though his character
in Tim Burton?s remake of Planet of the Apes was involved in several
mass attacks.
"Michael
and I are the best of friends and I?ve known him for years," said
The Rock. "When the producers mentioned Michael, I knew we would
have fantastic chemistry onscreen."
With
all the joking and horseplay, Duncan came away with a very positive
impression of The Rock as an actor. "He is a truly fine actor already
and I think he is the next big action hero," said Duncan. "I feel
fortunate to be working with him at this point in his career."
The
Action ?
The
Rock?s ease at taking on the rigors of filmmaking impressed director
Chuck Russell, who put the star through a daily set of physical
challenges that ranged from fighting in a fierce sandstorm to dodging
mountain-sized flames. Through it all, according to Russell, The
Rock never gave a hint that any of it was difficult to master.
"The
Rock has a grace about him," said the director. "He moves well for
his size, like a great heavyweight boxer. You cannot take your eyes
off him in the action sequences, whether he is handling a sword
or a bow and arrow, or is in hand-to-hand combat. He puts his heart
into the performance and has a wonderful attitude. He will surprise
a lot of people, not only with his naturalness in front of the camera,
but with his range of emotion."
Veteran
makeup designer Jeff Dawn, who has worked with action superstar
Arnold Schwarzenegger for nearly 20 years, drew comparisons between
the two athletes turned actors. "Many people on set were comparing
The Rock at this point to Arnold when he started," said Dawn. "I?ve
done 19 films with Arnold and he and The Rock are very similar in
many respects. They both come from professional sports backgrounds
with huge fan bases, and they are both hard-working men who have
created characters the world wants to see more of. I see in The
Rock a bit of Arnold when he started acting. I am told Arnold is
very supportive and excited about The Rock as well."
Dawn
also admired the grace and work ethic displayed by Michael Clarke
Duncan, who volunteered to undergo an innovative makeup design in
The Scorpion King despite having just finished a grueling daily
three-hour makeup regimen for his simian character in Planet of
the Apes. Duncan?s character, Balthazar, was a Nubian king, and
Dawn?s research indicated that ancient Nubians decorated themselves
with scarring, which Dawn integrated into Balthazar?s look.
"Nubians
had long used scarification to accent their look ? as some do today,"
said Dawn. "They take blades, cut the skin and introduce an impurity
like ash or dirt into the wound. The resulting scars leave a bumpy
pattern on the face and head. We added a wild topknot hair piece
that really gave his character a menacing visage."
Many
of the battles designed for The Scorpion King are long and involved,
with very few cutaways from the main actors. The Rock, Michael Clarke
Duncan, Steven Brand, Ralf Moeller, Sherri Howard and Kelly Hu ?
a black belt in karate ? all did the majority of their own stunt
work, allowing the camera to stay close to them throughout the fight
scenes instead of taking wider shots to mask the use of stunt doubles.
The
dedication to precision found within the rehearsals and shooting
of the battles reminded The Rock of the wrestling arena, where seemingly
impromptu violence is carefully paced and charted before the warriors
step into the ring.
"My
athletic background made my transition to fighting onscreen a little
easier," said The Rock. "All the stunt performers were very gracious
and informative, always willing to help me get the little things
right. Andy Cheng, Al Leong, Billy Burton and Tom Lupo helped me
visualize the fight scenes and map them out. Because, let?s face
it ? one wrong move and I?m headed for the hospital."
The
care given to staging the battle scenes was a top priority on the
set. "I told my cast and crew that this would be a very physical
movie, with fire, smoke, dust and sweat in every shot," said Russell.
"However, in our fight scenes, I am always more concerned about
someone breaking an arm or being cut than getting all the shots
accomplished. None of it matters if someone gets hurt on set."
Challenges
of the Ancient World ?
In
a very physical film such as The Scorpion King, much of the detail
work is handled during the design phase by the art department so
that special effects such as fire and smoke can be integrated into
the sets seamlessly. In the climactic throne room battle between
Mathayus and Memnon, for example, gas flames, live snakes, breakaway
vases, smoke machines and stuntwork must combine so that the final
shot is a success. Lighting is also a key, and cinematographer John
Leonetti found that shooting a film based 5,000 years before electricity
had its challenges.
"I
loved getting a chance to shoot a film that is set so long ago,"
said Leonetti. "The only lighting sources then would have been the
sun, moon and fire, so my gaffer (Derrick Kolus) and I came up with
a fairly innovative approach to firelight in Derrick?s garage. Derrick
and key grip Dan Reilly made what we called ?fire wheels? ? two
rings of individual light bulbs on a computerized dimmer system
that could range from candlelight to a hot brazier effect. We combined
them with a selection of gels that yielded a light identical to
flame light. It gave us an organic look, with deep textures and
warm colors."
For
actor Steven Brand, the most daunting aspect of a production set
in this time and place was probably his work with the film?s scorpions
and cobras. "Those are real scorpions, I want everyone to know!"
Brand laughed. "I had to put my hand in a bowl of them for what
seemed an eternity, then place them on my arm. Not to mention that
the barrels full of snakes in my final fight scene with The Rock
were actually cobras, which are not fun animals to be around. They
do not make cuddly pets, I assure you."
The
filmmakers decided to shoot The Scorpion King entirely in California
and Arizona. "We didn?t need to go to Morocco or anywhere else,
because it was all right here," said Russell. Extensive location
scouting yielded several sites that stood in beautifully for the
ancient Middle East, some right in the studio?s backyard. The famed
?Spartacus Square? built in 1953 for director Stanley Kubrick?s
Spartacus still stood on the Universal Studios backlot and was converted
into a swarming Gomorrah marketplace by production designer Ed Verreaux
and his team. The sprawling desert oasis where Balthazar challenges
Mathayus was created in Hollywood?s Bronson Canyon, less than three
miles from the film?s Universal Studios production base.
Other
locations standing in for the wind-swept deserts of the ancient
Middle East were found in such areas as Lancaster, Borrego Springs,
Buttercup Dunes, Simi Valley and Canyon Country, with most interiors
filmed on Stages 3, 44 and 28 at Universal Studios.
Some
sets, such as the Gomorrah Main Gate, were constructed 20 miles
north of Los Angeles on a unique mesa near Canyon Country. This
site was chosen for its grand vistas and hard-to-find 360 degree
unobstructed views of the countryside. Scores of horses, oxen, chickens,
camels, exotic birds and monkeys worked in many of these outdoor
scenes, lending a sense of bizarre reality to the ?ancient world?
created so close to civilization. The weathered costumes designed
by John Bloomfield and the keen detail of Kate Sullivan?s set decoration
made it easy for the cast and crew to believe they were indeed in
a world that predated Rome, Carthage...even the Pharaohs themselves.
"This
was a very demanding film to make," said Russell. "But that?s part
of why I love making movies. Where else can you wake up in the morning
and create a giant sandstorm, or a burning fortress, or a comedy
scene in a harem?"
The
Rock was also satisfied. "This movie has all the classic elements
of a great film ? kickass action, comedy, romance, special effects,
you name it," he said. "At the end of the day, I realize how lucky
I am to have worked with such a great cast and crew and to be part
of a film that I am very proud of."
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