Known for making films like Wanted, Iron Man and Oblivion, Barry levine has worked with some of the top actors in Hollywood like Tom Crusie and Dwayne Johnson. SHAlINI SAKSENA speaks to the rock music photographer-turned-producer about comic book movies and him choosing Johnson for Hercules
‘Want to entertain not educate people’
Any reason why you chose Dwayne Johnson for HerculesIJ
A few years back, Dwayne was in my office and there was this Hercules poster that was lying on my table and we got talking on the project of making it into a movie. We talked at length and there was a keen interest that I saw in him. So, when the film actually went on the floor he was the first choice. Besides the physicality aspect, I have never known an actor so committed to a role. He would train for hours; get up early and then report for make-up. He was the perfect person to play Hercules.
How was your experience working with Brett Ratner, director of HerculesIJ
One of the best experiences of my life. His passion, determination and vision for bringing Hercules to the screen is unbridled. He’s a workaholic and a true artist.
How difficult was it to bring a mythic hero like Hercules to lifeIJ What were the challengesIJ
To bring any super hero to life has its ups and downs. But having said that, if you work on a project for long (we worked on Hercules for almost five-and-a-half-years) one tends to ensure that each detail is taken care of. To get the perfect starcast is just as important. Super heroes are God-like, Hercules is just that. Once we had everything in place, it was easy.
Why are comic book movies so popularIJ
People love to read about super heroes saving the world. To see their hero come to life is something that people love to see. Aside from Marvel and DC, there are people like Mark Miller who have published very popular books (independently) like Wanted, The Kingsmen and Kickass it’s a great business that allows emerging talent to make a statement with concepts that eventually become movie adaptations.
How has been your journey from being a rock band photographer to a producerIJ
It all starts with perspective design; basically visuals that was the basis for me to segue into music and films. The transition was a bit tough in the beginning because most people see you with one specific career being a celebrity photographer. But perseverance and creating concepts is what allowed me to make the transition a bit smoother. Music (photography and soundtracks) and film basically complement one another in our industry so I was able to meet a lot of people in the film business that allowed me to at least open the door, walking through it and creating an opportunity for yourself is something else.
Do you think that the kind of films you make have an impact on HollywoodIJ
I’m not here to reinvent the wheel. At the end of the day, all I really want to do is entertain people not really educate them. There may be symbolism, metaphors within the context of our story. Obviously we want them to be successful but we also want to be true to the kind of scripts, directors and screenwriters have as far as the talent is concerned that we really believe in. That is what makes a difference.
If you were to cast a Bollywood actor, who would that beIJ
I lived in India for one-and-a-half years and my favourite director is from old-school like Satyajit Ray to one of the most amazing directors in the contemporary world of filmmaking who is a friend of mine Shekhar Kapur. Actors like Emraan Hashmi, Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan are really good and would love to work with them.