CINESCAPE
July 15, 1999'Battlefield Earth' Rumors & Details
The Insider came into some information on Warner Bros.' big summer 2000 event movie Battlefield Earth today courtesy of a source connected with the project. As we all know, the film draws from L. Ron Hubbard's book of the same name, and will star Saving Private Ryan standout Barry Pepper as Jonnie Goodboy Tyler who, in a distant future, unites an enslaved mankind and leads a revolution to overcome the alien overlords who have been plundering the resources of our home world. Also widely known, John Travolta will star in the picture as the villainous Terl. Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace second unit helmer Roger Christian directs.
As confirmed by Variety, Richard Tyson (Two Moon Junction, There's Something About Mary) and Forrest Whitaker have joined the cast. Tyson will play a character called Robert the Fox, according to my source. Interestingly, the tipster suggests that the movie is designed for a sequel, and that some people involved with the production have some kind of sequel deal in their contracts. It is also likely that Centropolis will do the special effects for the film, according to the source, and I was able to confirm with Centropolis' spokespeople that they are, in fact, contenders for the job, but there isn't a deal in place yet... so, it's not a lock. My tipster also suggests that the production is currently (if tentatively) targeting a pre-Memorial Day release.
I put in a call to Franchise Films regarding some of the points above and had not received a call back by posting time.