Warner Bros. Pictures Begins Production On “Training Day,” Starring Denzel Washington And Ethan Hawke

(January 22, 2001 – Burbank, CA) – Production commenced on January 11 in Los Angeles on “Training Day,” a drama from Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment, starring Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington (“Glory,” “The Hurricane,” “Malcolm X”) and gifted actor Ethan Hawke (“Hamlet,” “Snow Falling on Cedars”). A gripping drama set in the shadowy world of undercover police work, “Training Day,” an Outlaw Production, tells the story of a veteran L.A.P.D. narcotics officer (Washington) who guides an idealistic rookie (Hawke) through his first day on the brutal inner-city beat. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (“The Replacement Killers”), from an original screenplay written by David Ayer (“U-571”), “Training Day” is produced by Jeffrey Silver and Bobby Newmyer (“The Santa Clause,” “sex, lies and videotape”). Davis Guggenheim and Bruce Berman (“Miss Congeniality,” “The Matrix”) are the executive producers, with David Wisnievitz, Scott Strauss and David Ayer serving as co-producers. The behind-the-scenes team is comprised of director of photography Mauro Fiore (“Driven,” “Lost Souls”), production designer Naomi Shohan (“American Beauty,” “Sweet November”), costume designer Michele Michel (“Goodbye Casanova”) and Oscar-winning editor Conrad Buff (“Titanic,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”). Denzel Washington received a 2000 NAACP Image Awards nomination as Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for his role in the fact-based drama “Remember the Titans.” His diverse roles range from the acclaimed drama “Philadelphia” to Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” to the romantic comedy “The Preacher’s Wife.” Hawke first made an impression on audiences in “Dead Poets Society.” He has starred in the contemporary version of “Great Expectations,” the Gen-X comedy “Reality Bites,” the futuristic drama “Gattaca,” and the western “The Newton Boys.” He will soon be seen in “Waking Life.” “Training Day” will shoot on locations throughout the Los Angeles area. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and, in select territories, Village Roadshow Pictures. “Training Day” is scheduled for release in 2002. # # #