Charlie Hunnam’s Latest Project
It’s not something you see every day — a man getting ready to jump from a tall building. But that’s exactly what people were seeing for a few days last week at the corner of Convention and Third streets downtown.
Not to worry.
A closer look would have revealed several cameras aimed at the rooftop, yellow tape blocking off the streets below, and a throng of filmmakers milling about on the sidewalk. Yet another movie is being shot in Baton Rouge. This time, it’s “The Ledge,” directed and written by Matthew Chapman, and starring Terrence Howard, Charlie Hunnam, Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler and Christopher Gorham.
The film is a suspense thriller that centers on a hotel manager (Hunnam) preparing to take his life by jumping off a ledge. A police detective (Howard) is called to try to talk him down. The hotel manager, it turns out, has been having an affair with a woman (Tyler) who is trapped in an unhappy marriage, and the husband has found out about it.
“But it’s more complicated than that,” said producer Michael Mailer. “When I first read the script, I immediately recognized the possibilities. I was very excited and knew it would make a terrific film.”
“It’s about people in unusual circumstances, going through a serious emotional dilemma,” Mailer said. “There was definite risk in making this kind of film, but I think it will break through. It’s serious and intense, but it has broad appeal. It’s ultimately a powerful love story.”
Mailer is proud of the strong cast that has been assembled for “The Ledge.” He calls Hunnam “the next Heath Ledger.”
The film is actually set in Baton Rouge, Mailer said. “We were looking for a small, pleasant city, and we knew right away that Baton Rouge fit the bill. It’s a lovely city. It’s authentic. It had the right look, (and the right ledge).”
During post-production, some work will be done on a green screen, Mailer said, “but it’s always better to be as realistic as possible. Actually being on that rooftop conveys a sense of vertigo. And you can’t simulate birds flying by.”
Another reason filmmakers chose Baton Rouge was for its logistical help. “The people who helped us orchestrate things were amazing,” Mailer said. “The city has been very helpful to us.”
Like other filmmakers before him, Mailer mentions the state’s tax incentive program, which has made Louisiana a top destination for film production.
“Your politicians really got it right when they created this tax credit program,” he said. “It’s very favorable to the filmmakers. It saves us a lot of money, and I would definitely come back here to do another film.”
Mailer adds that he knows people in the industry who have either moved to Louisiana or bought a second home here because so many films make their way here. Actors, he said, now have as much or more opportunities in Louisiana than they do in New York.
The cast hasn’t had much downtime, Mailer said. “Their days are really long and intense. When they’re not filming, they’re exhausted and they try to catch up on their sleep. But we’ve all enjoyed being in Baton Rouge.”
Mailer said the cast and crew will film here through the end of next week. He hopes to release “The Ledge” by late spring 2011.
Source: 2theadvocate.com.