“Swordfish," Starring John Travolta, Began Principal Photography

(September 29, 2000 – Burbank, CA) - “Swordfish," a counter-espionage action thriller starring John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Vinnie Jones and Sam Shepard, began principal photography on September 18th on location in Oregon, it was announced today by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, President of Worldwide Productions for Warner Bros. Pictures. Produced by Joel Silver, who brought to the screen the groundbreaking, Oscar-winning hit “The Matrix,” in addition to some of the biggest blockbusters of all time, and Jonathan D. Krane, whose roster of successful films includes “The General’s Daughter” and the upcoming "Lucky Numbers,” “Swordfish” is directed by Dominic Sena, helmer of the fast-paced action thriller “Gone In Sixty Seconds.” "Swordfish" is a dark story centering around Gabriel Shear (Travolta), a charismatic and dangerous spy who is hired by a government agency to coerce a computer hacker (Jackman) to help steal $6 billion in unused government funds. In exchange, the hacker, who has just been released from prison, will be able to regain custody of his daughter and start a new life. Jim Van Wyck is the executive producer. The screenplay is by Skip Woods (“Thursday”). Dan Cracchiolo co-produces. "Swordfish" will be filmed in Los Angeles and Ventura. Box-office superstar John Travolta plays Gabriel. A two-time Oscar nominee for his work in the culture-defining films “Pulp Fiction” and “Saturday Night Fever,” Travolta’s film credits include some of the most critically acclaimed and popular films of all time, including “The General’s Daughter," “A Civil Action,” “Phenomenon,” “Face/Off,” “Broken Arrow,” “Urban Cowboy” and “Grease,” among numerous others. One of Hollywood's hottest newcomers Hugh Jackman plays the role of Stanley, the computer hacker. Jackman stars in the successful action film, "X-Men." Jackman began his acting career in the theater in his nature Australia. He appeared in major productions of "Beauty and the Beast," "Sunset Boulevard," and Trevor Nunn's "Oklahoma." Jackman's role in the feature film "Erskine Kings" won him an Australian Film Institute nomination for Best Actor in 1999. Halle Berry stars as Ginger in “Swordfish.” A recent Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner for her highly acclaimed performance in the title role of “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,” English-born Berry's film credits include “X-Men,” "Why Do Fools Fall In Love," "Bulworth," "Executive Decision" and "The Flintstones." Don Cheadle, who plays Roberts, has received acclaim for his performances in such films as “Mission To Mars," "Out of Sight," "Devil in a Blue Dress" (for which he was named Best Actor by The Los Angeles Film Critics), "Boogie Nights," "Bulworth," "Volcano" and "Rosewood." Award-winning writer, director, producer and actor, Sam Shepard plays Senator Reisman. As an actor Shepard's film credits include an Oscar nominated performance in "The Right Stuff," as well as "All The Pretty Horses," "Hamlet: Safe Passage," "The Pelican Brief," "Steel Magnolias," "Baby Boom," "Paris, Texas" and "Days of Heaven." Vinnie Jones, plays Marco, was made his feature film debut in the acclaimed Guy Ritchie film, “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” and will soon be seen opposite Brad Pitt in Ritchie’s “Snatch.” Jones is probably best known for his athletic ability as a renowned world-class footballer (soccer player). He began acting in 1999 on British television. Director Dominic Sena most recently directed "Gone In 60 Seconds," a $100 million dollar grossing movie. Sena is a founder member of Propaganda Films, where he directed countless award-winning videos and commercials. Sena made his feature film debut with "Kalifornia." The film earned the International Film Critics Jury Prize at the 1993 Montreal Film Festival, as well as taking top honors for its cinematography. Joel Silver is one of the most successful producers in the motion picture industry today. His films have earned a combined gross of over $3.4 billion worldwide, averaging over $100 million per picture. His 1999 release, “The Matrix,” grossed over $456 million worldwide, earning more than any other Warner Bros. release in the history of the studio. Universally acclaimed for its groundbreaking storytelling and visuals, “The Matrix” also won four Academy Awards, including the award for Best Visual Effects. He is currently preparing the two sequels to “The Matrix,” which are expected to begin shooting in March 2001. Among the films Silver has helped bring to the screen are “The Warriors,” “48 HRS.,” “Streets of Fire” and “Brewster's Millions.” Under the Silver Pictures banner he produced “Commando,” “Jumpin' Jack Flash,” “Predator,” the “Lethal Weapon” series, as well as “Die Hard,” “Die Hard 2: Die Harder,” “The Last Boy Scout,” “Demolition Man,” “Richie Rich” and “Conspiracy Theory.” He also recently produced the surprise hit “Romeo Must Die,” starring Jet Li and Aaliyah. Producer Jonathan D. Krane’s roster of more than 40 films includes the most profitable comedy of all time, "Look Who's Talking," and several other studio hits such as "Face/Off," the "Look Who's Talking" sequels, "Blind Date," "The General's Daughter," "The Man Who Loved Women," "Phenomenon," "Micki and Maude," "Michael," "A Civil Action," "Primary Colors," "The Trail of the Pink Panther" and "The Curse of the Pink Panther." He also produced "Lucky Numbers," to be released in October, 2000, starring John Travolta and Lisa Kudrow, and directed by Nora Ephron. "Swordfish" is a Silver Pictures/Jonathan D. Krane/Village Roadshow production to be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. # # #