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 Paparazzi Production NotesOne good shot deserves another.
Paparazzi.
They are chroniclers of Hollywood glitz and glamour, and key players in the public’s insatiable appetite for information and photos about their favorite stars. They seem to never sleep... hunters who trail their prey -- the show business elite -- at all hours of the day and night. They are as much a part of gala premieres as are the bright lights and red carpets. And their photos can make or break a career.
For rising action superstar Bo Laramie (Cole Hauser), a quartet of Paparazzi is at first an annoyance, then an ever-disturbing presence. But when they threaten his family’s safety, it will be the last mistake they ever make.
Bo seems to have it all: a beautiful wife, an adoring son and a Malibu beach house. Life couldn’t be better. But his newfound fame comes with a price. He’s become a target of a team of four Paparazzi bent on making Bo and his family fodder for the tabloids, to nearly ruinous effect for the Laramies.
The Paparazzi and their weapons of choice -- high-powered zoom lenses -- stalk Bo everywhere. He accepts the typical invasion into his privacy ... until photos of his wife, Abby, and his son, Zach, begin appearing on covers of one particularly sleazy tabloid called Paparazzi.
All efforts to convince the photographers to spare his family are ignored, and when Bo has a fight with one “superstar” Paparazzi, Rex (Tom Sizemore), the actor is sentenced to anger-management therapy -- while Rex walks away unpunished.
The Paparazzi Paparazzi become increasingly relentless, ruthless – even criminal. One night, while trying to get “the shot,” they force Bo and his family into a high-speed car chase that ends in a terrible accident, sending Abby into intensive care and 6-year-old Zach into a coma. Veteran Los Angeles police detective Burton (DENNIS FARINA) believes Bo’s version of the accident, but when Burton can’t make the case against the photographers, Bo seeks vengeance on his own.
And the Paparazzi start falling…one by one.
Paparazzi and the supermarket tabloids that feature their work fascinate millions of people (even though many are reluctant to admit it), including screenwriter Forrest Smith. After hearing some incredible tabloid horror stories, Smith wrote the Paparazzi screenplay, fashioning it around a fictional rising star named Bo Laramie. Bo has been dreaming of a Hollywood career and the joy and success that come with it for most of his life. But the old warning about being careful what you wish for is about to change his life in ways he never imagined.
“Bo is pretty down-to-earth, an all-American guy,” says Cole Hauser about his character. “He’s from small-town Montana, probably worked construction, and then found his calling after doing a few plays.
” Moving to California with his wife Abby was the next logical step, and Bo was lucky enough to land a small movie role, which led to another, and another. “Then he hit with his first big movie, and skyrocketed from there and gets his first taste of real fame,” says Hauser.
But what price fame? For Bo and his family, it’s the beginning of a nightmare. “This is a story of a young actor who’s been dreaming of great Hollywood success,” says Robin Tunney, who plays Bo’s wife, Abby. “But with that success comes things I don’t think he ever imagined – the invasion of privacy by the Paparazzi.”
 “It’s a common tale,” Tunney continues. “Part of what comes with fame is a certain responsibility but also the understanding that you might lose a little bit of privacy in return. It’s something they don’t teach you in acting class.” Bo accepts that fate, until a horrible accident – caused by a relentless band of photographers – sends his wife and son to the hospital. Abby Laramie has multiple injuries and their son, Zach lapses into a coma. This sets in motion a chain of events that will spell the end of these Paparazzi.
These particular Paparazzi have been harassing Bo since he began his rise to stardom. “The irony is that Bo really doesn’t care if you take pictures of him,” says Cole Hauser. “But they stepped over the line when they started taking pictures of Bo’s family.”
“The most sacred thing in the world to Bo is his family,” adds director Paul Abascal. “They mean everything to him, and once you start messing with his family, it begins a ripple effect.
” But this band of Paparazzi couldn’t care less about ripple effects. Led by Rex, they’re a ruthless bunch, thinking only of the monetary gain the “right” photo will bring… consequences be damned. “Rex is the rock star of Paparazzi,” says Tom Sizemore. “He’s the best there is, and the most ambitious.” Sizemore has had his own experiences with the Paparazzi, and the irony of playing this part brings a chuckle. “My first reaction to the script, having had my own run-ins with these guys, was that it’s kind of fitting. I’m not the most hounded of actors, but I’ve been on that end enough to know just how devastating it can be.
” As Bo takes steps to ensure the safety of his family, Paparazzi begin dying, one by one. Detective Burton becomes suspicious of Bo, but without proof his hands are tied. Bo and the detective engage in a game of cat and mouse. “Burton respects Bo,” says Cole Hauser, “and I think Bo respects Burton. There’s a certain amount of understanding that Burton has for Bo, but he has a job to do.” Dennis Farina agrees: “Burton knows who’s behind all these murders and after a short while the audience knows, too,” he says. “These guys (the Paparazzi) give their peers a bad name,” he continues. “They’re pretty bad guys and they cause all kinds of havoc. There’s a little bit of a revenge motive going on, and then my character comes in and puts it all together.
” While a detective circling around an unexpected suspect in a murder case is a tried-and-true storytelling convention, there’s little else that moviegoers will find familiar in Paparazzi. “One of the things that attracted me to this script is that we haven’t seen this story before,” states Cole Hauser. “You go down to Blockbuster and you won’t find anything like this on the shelf. There have been so many movies about Hollywood, looking in at Hollywood,” he continues, “but this is the one of the few times Hollywood is looking out.
“We’re asking the audience this question: All the fame, the money, the power…is it worth it? We’re bringing the audience along for this ride to stardom and making them realize that it’s not everything they might think it is.”
But for all the film’s action and suspense, Producer Mel Gibson hopes the audience “enjoys the movie and understands that what really comes across is that the tongue is firmly implanted in the cheek.
” Principal photography on Paparazzi began in Malibu, California. Production designer Robb Wilson King and his crew converted the Malibu Country Mart into the Malibu Kitchen, one of 37 location challenges they would tackle.
Creating the look of the film fell to the talents of Production Designer King, Director of Photography Daryn Okada, ASC and Costume Designer Denise Wingate.
The centerpieces of King’s design were the three 30-foot high posters of the film’s key art – a head shot of Bo. Even Cole Hauser seemed intimidated by the size of his likeness. “I admit it was a bit disconcerting to see my face 30 feet tall. And then to exit the theatre to a throng of photographers with flashes exploding, it was amazing. I began to get a feel for what Mel Gibson goes through.”
For the premiere of the movie-within-a-movie, “Adrenaline Force,” King turned the exterior of the Metropolitan Transit Authority building into a stunning “red carpet” affair. “No one had seen the MTA building before in film and we wanted to do something unusual that people would talk about. It was a terrific architectural gem.”
“We all had a vision in mind of what we were trying to say,” says Paul Abascal. “It’s a movie about violation and revenge, so in every area – costume, cinematography and production design – we focused on color and light and making things a bit disconcerting for the audience. Hopefully the audience, for the first time, will see what life is like on the other side of those tabloid covers.
” While Paparazzi is Paul Abascal’s first foray as a feature director, he is no stranger to a movie set.
“I’ve known Paul for over 15 years,” says Mel Gibson, “and I’ve watched him really earn his wings and slowly move on to bigger projects. He’s got a vision and a real feeling for style, and his wit and energy have always come through in his work. This film is no different.”
Abascal and the Icon Productions team of Mel Gibson, Bruce Davey and Stephen McEveety assembled a potent combination of veterans and relative newcomers to tell their revenge tale.
Leading the talented ensemble is Cole Hauser, as Bo Laramie. The filmmakers realized that Hauser, like Bo, was poised for stardom. “I think people are now starting to recognize who Cole is, after so many terrific performances in co-starring roles,” says Executive Producer Louise Rosner. “This is Hauser’s first starring role and Bo Laramie’s career is also about to take off.”
As for the role of Abby Laramie, the choice for Abascal was easy. “I’ve loved Robin Tunney in everything she’s done,” he enthuses. “And as Abby, she just popped for me.”
The entire cast and crew was in awe of Dennis Farina, playing Detective Burton. “Dennis is loved by all of Hollywood,” says Abascal, “and to me he’s like a giant. His past experience brought a very real authenticity to the character. And when he was on the set, the whole crew just stared. His persona captures you.”
The leader of the pack, Rex, is the most charismatic and dangerous of the four Paparazzi. “There’s a reason that Spielberg and Scorsese and Michael Mann have hired Tom Sizemore,” says Abascal. “He’s so brilliant and always delivers that extra something you just weren’t expecting. He’s absolutely perfect as Rex.”
Sizemore enthuses about the complexity of the character: “Rex is a very cool guy,” he says. “He’s devious, he’s smart and I had a great time playing someone who could pretty much charm you into doing whatever he wanted you to do.”
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Robin Tunney as Abby Laramie and Cole Hauser as movie star Bo Laramie in Paparazzi.