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Risky film business
"Killer" attracts cast despite dark material.
Extras in period costume mill around downtown Tulsa while old classic cars drive past during filming of the movie "The Killer Inside Me" in downtown Tulsa on Monday. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World
By MICHAEL SMITH World Scene Writer
Published: 7/5/2009 2:27 AM
Last Modified: 7/5/2009 5:16 AM
The people behind "The Killer Inside Me," arguably Oklahoma's largest film project since "Twister" more than a decade ago, blew through Tulsa and completed filming in Enid this week.
So when can local audiences hope to catch a glimpse of Boston Avenue standing in for downtown Fort Worth, Texas? When can we get our ticket torn to see Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba and Casey Affleck together in a movie and brag to outsiders, "Hey, that was filmed in Oklahoma"?
It's going to be a while, said Brad Schlei, one of the producers of "The Killer Inside Me" and a veteran of the independent cinema world. A theatrical release in 2010 might be possible. Or maybe not. The post-production period will be considerable, then there's promoting the picture at film festivals for sale to Hollywood studios.
"What I try to do is make films that don't cost a lot of money, and that attract a good cast, which in turn attracts foreign sales," said Schlei. "We've been very lucky."
Schlei, 43, gained prestige by producing Billy Bob Thornton's short film on which "Sling Blade" was based, then reaped critical acclaim and financial success as a producer of "Swingers," the indie comedy that brought Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau to public attention.
"The Killer Inside Me" found good fortune well before cameras ever started rolling, said Schlei, when director Michael Winterbottom showed interest in reading a script based on Oklahoma native Jim Thompson's 1952 pulp novel of the same name about a deputy sheriff (Affleck) who conceals his psychotic ways.
"We had this version that had been written by John Curran (a friend of Winterbottom and director of "The Painted Veil"), and Michael took the script, read it, and he re-wrote it for like seven days," Schlei said. "Then he told us he had some really interesting ideas on casting, and that they might not be the kind of actors who we were thinking about, or who we could usually have afforded for this kind of project."
A budget of about $10 million was set for the gritty work, still a risky proposal for a film that's nothing like the escapist fare ruling the box office. Producers wondered who Winterbottom — a British filmmaker known as an "actor's director" and whose movies include "A Mighty Heart" with Angelina Jolie — had in mind for casting.
Who was he approaching to play "The Killer Inside Me's" murderous deputy, his schoolteacher girlfriend and a prostitute?
"Michael ultimately came to us and said, 'I've got Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba,'" Schlei said, showing the grin of a man who still marvels at landing stars who have earned Oscar nominations and headlined multiple hits. "We said, 'When do we start?'
"If not for (Winterbottom), I don't think some of these particular actors would have been attracted to this dark material," he said, obviously referring to Hudson and Alba, best known for romantic comedies like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and comic-book fare like "Fantastic Four." "He's the type who can bring people together."
Thompson on film
Books by crime novelist
Jim Thompson, born in
Anadarko in 1906, have
been adapted by Hollywood
on multiple occasions.
“The Getaway” has
been filmed twice, including
a Steve McQueen hit.
“The Grifters” resulted in
Academy Award nominations
for actresses Angelica
Huston and Annette Bening
in 1990.
Thompson, who died in
Hollywood in 1977, also
collaborated with director
Stanley Kubrick on screenplays
for “Paths of Glory”
and “The Killing.
This is the second time
that Hollywood producers
have filmed “The Killer Inside
Me,” following a 1976
version that starred Stacy
Keach and Susan Tyrrell.
Other cast members for
the new version include
Ned Beatty (who filmed
last week with Affleck in
downtown Tulsa), Simon
Baker, Bill Pullman and Elias
Koteas.
Michael Smith 581-8479
michael.smith@tulsaworld.com
By MICHAEL SMITH World Scene Writer
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