RENT Film Set News

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:09pm

Treasure Island to Host Rent Shoot
Source: Trevor November 12, 2004


KTVU is reporting that San Francisco's Treasure Island will serve as the setting for the $40 million big screen adaptation of Broadway musical Rent, to be directed by Chris Columbus for Revolution Studios.

Under the deal, the production company would pay $12,000 a month in rent during its six-month stay.

Rosario Dawson plays the female lead role of Mimi Marquez. Adam Pascal, from the Broadway production, is also on board. Actress Tracie Thoms plays lesbian lawyer Joanne Jefferson. Original cast members Anthony Rapp, Jesse Martin, Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel are also in talks to reprise their roles.

Rent tells the story of a group of bohemians struggling to survive in New York's East Village.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:12pm

hm.... thanks.

And Adam. So he's the first of them to sign, looks like. Go get 'em, boy.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:14pm

A show about New Yawkers, shot on a sound stage on an island in SF Bay.

Wow.

[TGIF]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:14pm

Its actually happening. Never thought it would!

I'm excited.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:15pm

And from The San Francisco Examiner...

Movie coup for city
Major production set to film at Treasure Island.
By J.K. Dineen | Staff Writer
Published on Thursday, November 11, 2004
URL: http://www.examiner.com/article/index.cfm/i/111104n_filmind
E-mail this story | Print this page
In a major coup for The City's newly revamped film office, director Chris Columbus has agreed to shoot the $40 million movie version of the smash Broadway musical hit "Rent" on Treasure Island.

Under the deal, expected to be unveiled next week, the production would occupy the island's Building 180 and the Admiral Nimitz Conference Center for six months, according to Treasure Island Development Authority Director Tony Hall.

The film, which is to star Hollywood actress Rosario Dawson, would be the first big-budget Hollywood flick to hit town since the Philip Kaufman movie "Twisted" was shot here in 2002. Industry workers blamed the celluloid drought on a lackluster film office at City Hall and San Francisco's reputation among directors as an expensive bureaucratic morass.

In September, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced a major shake-up of the film office, appointing a slew of Hollywood insiders to the commission and installing veteran location manager Stefanie Pleet Coyote as the film office's new executive director.

The changes coincided with the appointment of Hall, a former supervisor, to head up Treasure Island development. Hall said he is committed to bringing Hollywood back to the island, which was home to a slew of big-budget blockbusters during the 1990s.

"We're trying to revitalize filming on Treasure Island and this will show the rest of the movie industry that we can accommodate its needs," said Hall, who called the agreement "a tremendous deal for the Chris Columbus Company."

Spokespeople for Coyote and Newsom declined to comment.

Under the deal, Columbus' film production company would pay $12,000 a month in rent and build permanent capital improvements to the 40,000 square-foot building, which would make it more attractive for future movie projects.

Columbus, who lives in the Bay Area, has spent the past few years filming the Harry Potter movies and has expressed an interest in filming movies in The City.

The news comes at a time when several other movies are doing limited filming here. Pre-production work has started on Finn Taylor's "Darwin Awards" with Winona Ryder and David Arquette. Also, "If Only It Were True," starring Reese Witherspoon, starts filming Friday and will be on location in The City until Nov. 23.

"Rent is going to create a great amount of jobs," said Sean House, a Bay Area Film Alliance founding director.

[Kevin Kringle]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:16pm

J Larson would never have approved of his film being shot in California.

[FabalaCohen]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:17pm

Aren't they just shooting the interior sets there? The loft, Cat Scratch and stuff like that?

[camerangel]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:20pm

Although I understand the desire to have it shot in NY, the interior shots can be done really anywhere and work.. they are planning to film the exterior shots in NY.

[insomniak]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:34pm

I agree, camerangel. The interiors will look the same no matter what cost they're shot on. I would have a problem if they weren't using NYC for the rest of it, though. Speaking of which, whereabouts in NY will it be filmed? Any ideas?

[Agreengem]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:47pm

Basing production out of San Francisco makes no sense at all, especially since many of the actors live and make a living HERE. Trying to make schedules work and all that time and expense to fly back and forth coast to coast, jet lag, hotel costs, etc.

BESIDES the fact Rent is all about struggling in NYC...

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:55pm

Filming in San Francisco makes sense mostly because Columbus is cutting a great deal [financially] by filming there. Moreover, the East Village of 2004 is not the same as the East Village of 1991. Most of the principal actors and actresses will still be New Yorkers regardless of where they film, and with sets being constructed on Treasure Island to resemble the East Village of 1991 (or a stylized version of it, if this is anything like the stage show and other movie musicals), they will easily be able to get into character in San Francisco.

[BWIDB Charlie]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 2:58pm

Also, isn't Columbus from that area? I'd assume, and I think I read this, that he wants to be close to his family (and production company, 1492, is based near there as well.)

Charlie
[e-mail]

[FabalaCohen]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 3:00pm

Yeah, I read that Columbus wanted to film there originally to be closer to his family.

[Kevin Kringle]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 3:00pm

Columbus wants to be able to drive to work each day. It's one of the reasons he pulled out of doing the Potter films. He hated being away from home.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 4:09pm

this is just dandy

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 4:12pm

Any SF Bay Arean worth their salt doesn't trust the SF Examiner.

And Treasure Island is not all that accessible. It's basically in the middle of nowhere, while still in a major metropolitan area, if that makes any sense. Plus you have to make a rather wild turn to even get onto Treasure Island. I have a mental image of several trailers meeting their watery grave in the San Francisco Bay.

P.S. The drinking water there tastes like gasoline. Bon appetit!

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 4:30pm

"It's basically in the middle of nowhere, while still in a major metropolitan area, if that makes any sense."

And this is exactly why constructing the sets there makes sense to me. It's no different than filming Gangs of New York in Europe, really. Apparently Columbus is trying to bring something new to the table as far as the look of Rent's world. I'm relieved that something more creative than just filming the characters inside New York City apartments is being done.

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 4:36pm

Good point. It's also very quiet there, which is conducive to filming. (I had friends in college who lived in a dorm on Treasure Island before the school sold them, partially due to the gasoline/water problem, or so I heard.)

It just doesn't seem all that logistically ideal to be bringing huge things onto Treasure Island for any reason, although moviemaking is not always a cakewalk.

[Agreengem]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 5:04pm

Insurance will be on the high side. Sounds like a lot of boat trips over rough waters...

Is Treasure Island something like Alcatraz where a ferry takes you over? Is it public or private?

[Agreengem]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 5:08pm

And are there hotels and restaurants there already there I hope?

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 5:57pm

Yes, but not much. Especially ON the island proper.

More info:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/treasure-island.htm


Expedia results for Treasure Island

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 6:55pm

FYI, the budget for Chicago was about $45 million, while the budget for this film was $40 million. I'm really hoping that given the absence of A-list stars in the RENT film, the 40mil budget suggests that some serious effort is going into set and costume design. I still believe that this film could be a visual feast without sacrificing the whole poverty element. (it worked for Little Shop)

[Agreengem]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 6:56pm

THANKS for the info on Treasure Island, Musetta1957!
Updated On: 11/12/04 at 06:56 PM

[FabalaCohen]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 9:34pm

"FYI, the budget for Chicago was about $45 million, while the budget for this film was $40 million. I'm really hoping that given the absence of A-list stars in the RENT film, the 40mil budget suggests that some serious effort is going into set and costume design."

Hell, I'm just looking for full-on drag, baby! I'm expecting some great Angel costuming!

[ajayspak2]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 11:06pm

Filiming on Treasure Island is a mistake. Ive lived in SF and was born and bread in NYC, and Evelyn, if they stick to shooting the exteriors on Ave B and 11st, that part of Alphabet City, including the Life Cafe have not changed since the early nineties, now Avenue A is a completely different story. And it's easily avoidable. The empty lot, the building next to it on 11th street, the church where Angel's funeral is held, the X-Mas tree, Life Cafe, all on Avenue B look the same as they did in the early nineties, people keep mixing up the East Village and Alphabet City, Rent took place in Alphabet City which is basically lumped into the East Village district cos they don't know what else to do with it, but Alphabet City and the East Village are different. I feel bad for the crew having to work on Treasure Island, I agree with the above poster who said you might see some trailers in the water cos that is a tight turn. Not to mention Feb, March it rains like a motherf***er in SF.