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首 天 開 畫 衝 破 1360 萬 稱 霸 美 國 票 房

《 未 來 報 告 》 、 《 夜 魔 俠 》 、 《 驚 天 殺 局 》 、 《 來 電 險 事 》
哥 連 法 路

《 星 球 大 戰 前 傳 II 複 製 人 侵 略 》 、 《 基 本 懸 兇 》
森 姆 積 遜

《 3X 反 恐 暴 族 》 、 《 狂 野 時 速 》 監 製
尼 爾 莫 烈 薩

特 警 雄 風

SWAT

九 月 十 八 日

SWAT 是 由 七 十 年 代 家 傳 戶 曉 的 電 視 劇 集 改 編 的 電 影 ， 故 事 是 講 述 夏 理 遜 ( 森 姆 積 遜 飾 演 ) 負 責 招 募 及 訓 練 一 支 五 人 精 英 部 隊 組 成 特 種 武 器 戰 略 小 組 （ 簡 稱 SWAT ） 。 占 史 託 頓 ( 哥 連 法 路 飾 演 ) 曾 是 一 名 洛 杉 磯 警 官 ， 因 為 在 一 宗 銀 行 劫 案 中 作 出 錯 誤 的 決 定 ， 他 與 拍 檔 雙 雙 受 處 分 。 深 感 懷 才 不 遇 之 際 ， 湊 巧 SWAT 招 兵 買 馬 ， 史 託 頓 積 極 要 求 加 入 SWAT 。

眼 見 這 位 史 託 頓 雄 心 壯 志 ， 熱 誠 可 嘉 ， 夏 理 遜 就 給 他 多 一 個 機 會 。 接 著 再 招 攬 其 餘 四 位 成 員 ， 其 中 更 破 天 荒 首 次 招 攬 了 女 隊 員 。 這 支 精 英 部 隊 要 接 受 嚴 格 的 訓 練 ， 包 括 在 直 昇 機 模 擬 綁 架 案 中 安 全 救 出 每 一 個 人 質 、 荷 槍 實 彈 去 進 行 射 擊 訓 練 等 。

事 後 ， 一 行 六 人 的 SWAT 奉 命 逮 捕 國 際 犯 罪 集 團 首 腦 ， 卓 號 「 紅 狐 」 的 亞 歷 士 蒙 天 尼 （ 奧 利 華 馬 天 尼 斯 飾 演 ） 。 豈 料 在 押 送 拘 留 所 途 中 ， 他 把 握 機 會 擠 到 攝 影 機 前 說 ： 「 誰 能 救 我 出 來 ， 我 會 給 他 一 億 美 元 。 」 有 關 片 段 在 全 美 國 電 視 台 廣 播 ， 引 起 全 國 哄 動 。 為 了 奪 得 這 筆 賞 金 ， 全 國 犯 罪 份 子 傾 巢 而 出 ， SWAT 面 對 的 危 險 前 所 未 見 ， 押 送 蒙 天 尼 到 FBI 總 部 路 上 步 步 驚 心 。 到 底 SWAT 會 如 何 使 出 渾 身 解 數 ， 對 付 惡 勢 力 ？ 蒙 天 尼 又 會 否 成 功 逃 獄 ？

哥 連 法 路 　 擔 正 大 旗

現 年 27 歲 ， 出 生 於 愛 爾 蘭 的 哥 連 法 路 ， 現 時 是 荷 李 活 炙 手 可 熱 的 當 紅 男 演 員 。 父 親 是 60 年 代 有 名 的 足 球 明 星 艾 文 法 路 。 曾 在 都 柏 林 Gaiety 戲 劇 學 校 研 讀 表 演 課 程 。 哥 連 法 路 首 次 踏 足 荷 李 活 的 電 影 是 《 猛 虎 島 》 ， 此 片 講 述 1971 年 美 國 軍 人 為 了 準 備 展 開 在 越 南 的 任 務 ， 在 路 易 斯 安 納 州 一 處 偏 僻 地 模 擬 戰 事 演 練 ， 飾 演 德 州 新 兵 布 斯 的 哥 連 法 路 ， 憑 此 片 獲 波 士 頓 影 評 人 協 會 頒 發 「 最 佳 男 演 員 」 。

自 此 哥 連 法 路 片 約 排 山 倒 海 而 來 ， 包 括 參 與 《 未 來 報 告 》 、 《 夜 魔 俠 》 、 《 驚 天 殺 局 》 、 《 來 電 險 事 》 等 電 影 演 出 。 據 聞 哥 連 法 路 接 拍 SWAT 片 酬 高 達 八 百 萬 美 金 ， 足 見 他 在 荷 李 活 備 受 青 睞 。 哥 連 稍 後 接 拍 新 戲 ， 首 度 扮 演 歷 史 人 物 亞 歷 山 大 大 帝 。

昔 日 主 角 　 復 出 客 串

SWAT 今 次 邀 請 昔 日 在 電 視 劇 集 的 主 角 復 出 參 演 ， 包 括 昔 日 飾 演 夏 理 遜 角 色 的 史 提 夫 霍 倫 斯 及 飾 演 成 員 之 一 迪 勤 的 洛 巴 利 ， 不 過 他 們 今 次 就 不 是 擔 大 旗 ， 而 是 友 情 客 串 ， 分 別 擔 演 SWAT 的 裝 甲 車 司 機 及 現 代 版 迪 勤 的 爸 爸 。

訓 練 認 真 　 尤 如 行 軍

為 求 逼 真 ， 所 有 演 員 都 要 接 受 專 業 的 訓 練 ， 除 了 要 學 習 行 動 時 所 用 手 勢 、 眼 神 溝 通 、 術 語 之 外 ， 還 要 知 道 如 何 使 用 武 器 ， 由 持 槍 、 上 舵 以 及 發 射 等 ， 樣 樣 都 要 學 到 十 足 。 最 慘 是 他 們 要 扮 足 SWAT 的 成 員 一 樣 背 負 著 超 過 三 十 磅 重 的 裝 備 通 山 跑 ， 還 要 爬 上 爬 落 ， 身 體 稍 為 潺 弱 相 信 都 會 受 不 了 。 這 個 嚴 格 的 訓 練 ， 除 了 鍛 鍊 演 員 們 的 耐 力 及 體 能 外 ， 還 能 增 強 他 們 的 自 信 心 ， 有 助 拍 攝 時 更 加 投 入 。

除 了 體 能 鍛 練 ， 他 們 亦 要 學 習 如 何 作 戰 略 部 署 ， 如 怎 樣 潛 入 屋 內 營 救 人 質 、 裝 置 爆 破 工 具 等 ， 跟 真 實 的 SWAT 訓 練 完 全 不 遑 多 讓 。 由 於 每 位 演 員 的 裝 備 照 足 SWAT 的 成 員 般 穿 著 同 樣 的 深 色 制 服 ， 又 配 戴 頭 盔 及 太 陽 眼 鏡 ， 總 之 由 頭 包 到 尾 ， 跟 本 分 不 清 誰 是 誰 ， 故 拍 攝 時 鬧 出 很 多 笑 話 。

警 匪 追 截 　 真 人 版 上 場

SWAT 於 美 國 洛 杉 磯 超 過 七 十 二 個 地 方 取 景 拍 攝 ， 其 中 一 場 是 一 架 小 型 飛 機 在 一 條 名 為 第 六 街 橋 上 降 落 。 橋 身 長 三 千 呎 ， 但 橋 面 甚 為 狹 窄 ， 小 型 飛 機 要 準 確 降 落 相 當 困 難 。 話 說 在 排 練 降 落 當 晚 ， 一 名 製 作 助 理 據 報 表 示 一 班 年 青 人 正 駕 駛 著 失 竊 的 私 家 車 ， 在 公 路 上 高 速 馳 騁 ， 並 駛 往 第 六 街 橋 ， 其 後 共 有 十 五 架 警 察 追 截 。 結 果 這 班 年 青 人 果 真 駛 到 ， 並 成 功 穿 過 小 型 飛 機 與 橋 邊 之 間 的 狹 窄 通 道 ， 全 場 工 作 人 員 親 眼 目 睹 整 個 過 程 ， 相 當 驚 險 刺 激 ， 仿 如 拍 戲 一 般 。

SWAT 到 底 是 什 麼

SWAT 全 寫 為 Special Weapons and Tactics unit ( 中 譯 為 特 種 武 器 戰 略 小 組 ) ， 源 於 六 十 年 代 ， 洛 杉 磯 發 生 了 一 件 「 和 特 斯 暴 亂 事 件 」 ， 引 起 激 烈 的 警 民 衝 突 ， 有 見 及 此 ， 警 方 決 意 成 立 一 支 防 衛 部 隊 ， 由 警 員 自 願 參 加 ， 目 的 是 為 了 加 強 警 力 ， 更 有 效 穩 定 社 會 的 治 安 。 一 九 七 二 年 ， SWAT 由 洛 杉 磯 警 局 正 式 成 立 。

現 時 ， SWAT 的 成 員 包 括 六 十 名 洛 杉 磯 警 員 、 六 名 沙 展 以 及 一 名 副 局 長 ， 每 一 個 都 受 過 嚴 格 的 專 業 訓 練 。 起 初 SWAT 的 運 作 經 費 嚴 重 短 缺 ， 但 於 一 九 八 四 年 舉 行 的 洛 杉 磯 奧 運 會 被 恐 怖 分 子 視 為 襲 擊 的 對 象 後 ， SWAT 的 重 要 性 日 漸 提 高 ， 地 位 舉 足 輕 重 。 其 後 ， SWAT 不 止 設 於 洛 杉 磯 ， 在 美 國 境 內 其 他 的 地 方 皆 有 分 支 。

想 加 入 SWAT 並 非 易 事 ， 要 在 洛 杉 磯 警 局 服 役 四 年 後 ， 再 申 請 加 入 都 市 分 隊 ， 服 役 超 過 一 年 後 才 可 申 請 加 入 SWAT 。 在 面 試 過 程 ， 他 們 要 接 一 個 為 期 兩 週 的 訓 練 ， 成 功 通 過 訓 練 才 能 有 機 會 被 挑 選 成 為 SWAT 隊 員 。 據 資 料 顯 示 ， 每 年 平 均 近 五 十 名 警 員 申 請 ， 成 功 入 圍 的 就 只 有 八 至 十 名 。

成 功 入 圍 的 就 馬 上 接 受 為 七 個 星 期 的 訓 練 ， 分 階 段 接 受 槍 械 射 擊 、 戰 略 部 署 、 談 判 遊 說 等 。 每 當 有 危 急 情 況 發 生 ， 一 支 十 四 人 的 SWAT ， 聯 同 一 名 戰 略 沙 展 及 一 名 談 判 專 家 出 動 。 屹 今 ， 尚 未 有 女 成 員 加 入 SWAT ， 不 過 相 信 這 套 戲 上 映 後 ， 會 吸 引 更 多 女 隊 員 加 入 。

S.W.A.T. 卡 士 表

哥 倫 比 亞 影 片 呈 獻

ORIGINAL FILM/CAMELOT PICTURES/CHRIS LEE 聯 合 製 作

主 演 : < 冇 數 講 > 森 姆 積 遜 < 夜 魔 俠 > 哥 連 法 路

< 生 化 危 機 之 變 種 生 還 者 > 米 雪 洛 莉 格 絲

< 神 探 俏 嬌 娃 >LL COOL J < 黑 鷹 15 小 時 > 白 賴 仁 雲 賀 徹

謝 洛 美 韋 拿 < 星 空 奇 遇 布 公 仔 > 祖 舒 查 理 斯

< 不 忠 誘 罪 > 奧 利 華 馬 天 尼 斯

服 裝 : < 奪 命 煙 幕 > 基 斯 杜 化 羅 倫 斯

音 樂 總 監 : 伊 恩 奇 連 音 樂 : < 筆 姬 別 戀 > 金 像 得 主 艾 洛 高 登 費

剪 接 : < 蒸 發 密 令 > 米 高 卓 歷 奇 , A.C.E. 美 術 : < 死 亡 直 播 > 美 尼 貝 基

攝 影 : < 幽 靈 刺 客 2 變 種 復 活 > 基 比 爾 貝 斯 汀 ,ASC/BSC

執 行 監 製 : < 本 能 > 路 易 斯 迪 艾 斯 保 薜 杜

故 事 : < 奪 命 傳 說 > 朗 米 達 / 占 麥 肯

編 劇 : <U571 風 暴 > 大 衛 雅 耶 < 毒 王 > 大 衛 麥 堅 拿

監 製 : <3X 反 恐 暴 族 > 尼 爾 莫 烈 薩 < 鎖 不 住 的 青 春 > 丹 夏 斯 特

< 太 空 戰 士 之 滅 絕 光 年 >CHRIS LEE

導 演 : < 紐 約 重 案 組 > < 三 更 急 先 鋒 > < 白 宮 群 英 > 奇 克 莊 遜

SYNOPSIS

They're the best of the best, the elite of law enforcement.

And they've been recruited for their most dangerous mission ever.

Inspired by the popular '70s television series, the explosive action-thriller S.W.A.T. stars Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell, is produced by Neal H. Moritz, directed by Clark Johnson and features an ensemble cast that includes Michelle Rodriguez, James Todd Smith (aka LL Cool J), Brian Van Holt, Jeremy Renner, Josh Charles and Olivier Martinez.

Farrell portrays Jim Street, a former S.W.A.T. team member, who along with his partner Brian Gamble (Renner), is thrown off the team in the aftermath of a controversial decision they made during a robbery/hostage standoff. Gamble quits the force in disgust, but for Street, being a policeman is his life and he agrees to a demotion, hoping to someday have the chance to redeem himself and once again wear the privileged S.W.A.T. uniform.

Street gets that chance when team commander Dan "Hondo" Harrelson (Jackson) is assigned to recruit and train five top-notch cops for a new Special Weapons and Tactics unit (S.W.A.T.). The other members of the new team Hondo recruits are Deacon "Deke" Kaye (James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J), Chris Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez), Michael Boxer (Brian Van Holt) and T.J. McCabe (Josh Charles).

After weeks of demanding physical training, the new S.W.A.T. team is quickly thrown into action when a notorious drug lord Alex Montel (Olivier Martinez), audaciously offers a $100 million bounty to anyone who can free him from police custody. As they escort the kingpin out of Los Angeles and into the hands of the Feds, they are pursued by a ruthless and well-armed band of mercenaries.

Columbia Pictures Presents An Original Film/Camelot Pictures/Chris Lee Production S.W.A.T. starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, James Todd Smith (aka LL Cool J), Brian Van Holt, Josh Charles and Olivier Martinez.

S.W.A.T. is directed by Clark Johnson. The screenplay is by David Ayer and David McKenna from a story by Ron Mita & Jim McClain. The producers are Neal H. Moritz, Dan Halsted and Chris Lee. Gabriel Beristain, ASC/BSC is the director of photography. The executive producer is Louis D'Esposito. The co-executive producer is Todd Black. The co-producers are George Huang and Amanda Cohen. The production is designed by Mayne Berke. The film is edited by Michael Tronick, A.C.E. The music is by Elliot Goldenthal. The music supervisor is Evyen Klean. Christopher Lawrence is the costume designer.

S.W.A.T. will be released on August 8 and is rated

Credits are not final and subject to change.

THE DRAMA BEHIND THE ACTION

S.W.A.T. is a character-driven action-adventure built around a story of redemption, about men and women whose mission is to defuse the most volatile situations faced by policemen in the line of duty.

S.W.A.T. is also a study in personality contrasts and how they shape an individual's destiny. Two devoted S.W.A.T. officers, Jim Street (Colin Farrell) and his partner, Brian Gamble (Jeremy Renner), are reprimanded and demoted after making a controversial call during a bank robbery and hostage crisis. Gamble quits the L.A.P.D. in disgust rather than submit to punishment, while Street decides to stay on, laying low, hoping for another shot someday.

Their respective decisions will alter the course of their lives.

For Street, the demotion becomes a path to salvation when he meets Sergeant "Hondo" Harrelson (Samuel L. Jackson), who has returned to S.W.A.T. from another division with a mandate to create a new team. Like Street, his motive is to redeem his past. His longtime nemesis, Capt. Thomas Fuller (Larry Poindexter), is doing everything in his power to ensure that Hondo fails. As with Street, Hondo refuses to let detractors get in his way. He doggedly moves forward, putting together the best team the L.A.P.D. has to offer.

"Like Street and Gamble, Hondo and Fuller were partners at the beginning of their careers," says S.W.A.T. producer Neal Moritz. "They were both good cops but Fuller was much better at climbing the political ladder. Hondo, though, was just the kind of officer you want on the street protecting you."

Hondo begins his selection process by choosing two established S.W.A.T. officers, Michael Boxer (Brian Van Holt) and T.J. McCabe (Josh Charles). Also on Hondo's short list is an outstanding beat cop with an impressive arrest record, Deacon "Deke" Kaye (James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J).

When he selects the disgraced Street as part of the new elite team, Hondo makes a choice that tells us volumes about his character. "Hondo decides on Street," says Farrell, "because he can see how hungry he is for a second chance. They're alike in that way. Hondo was pushed out of S.W.A.T. by Fuller, so he's essentially saying to Street 'I'm getting a break, so I'm giving you one too.'"

Another reason Hondo chooses Street, according to Moritz, "is that he senses that Jim has good instincts. I think he sees in Street what people had seen in him when he first started out," he says. "There is also a mutual respect they have for one another based on their pasts in the military."

Hondo's fifth and final candidate is Chris Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez). She is the first woman to ever be chosen for S.W.A.T. in L.A. "In part, Hondo does it to piss off the captain," laughs Rodriguez. "He recruits this kick-ass chick who has tried out for S.W.A.T. three times but has been passed over just because she's a woman."

Sanchez also happens to be a first-class policewoman bringing a unique dynamic to the new team. "She's a tough, no-nonsense team player," Rodriguez adds, "and Hondo senses her potential."

Having assembled five different men and women with complementary skills, Hondo must now train them to think and act like a team. The S.W.A.T. training process is extremely demanding, but intended to mold them into a cohesive unit capable of thinking and acting like parts of a single organism.

To graduate through training, the team must conquer a near-impossible challenge: To safely deliver every hostage in a mock airliner hijacking. The team performs impressively and their success validates Hondo's instincts and so impresses the top LAPD brass that the new S.W.A.T. team is immediately thrown into action when Alex Montel (Olivier Martinez), a French-born international mobster known as 'Le Loup Rouge' (The Red Wolf), attempts to escape police custody during what should have been a routine prisoner transport.

Though the plan is foiled, Alex's next move is even more audacious. He announces to reporters that he will pay $100 million to anyone who can free him from custody. The bold pronouncement is broadcast throughout Los Angeles and, in the words of Martinez, "starts a little war among the city's gangsters. Alex wreaks chaos and greatly complicates his deliverance into the hands of the Feds - which was exactly his plan."

For Moritz, the $100 million bounty becomes a driving force in the film and broadens the scope of the action. "When I read about the reward in the script, my mind started racing, trying to imagine the effect that could have on a city, what havoc it could cause and how, from that, heroes would emerge to thwart those who were motivated by Alex's offer."

S.W.A.T.'s mission is complicated by the fact that one of the people attracted to the reward is Street's embittered former partner Gamble. With insider knowledge of how S.W.A.T. teams function, Gamble immediately becomes a formidable adversary.

Renner decided to play against the overt villainy of his character, envisioning Gamble as "not really a bad guy, just someone who's misunderstood and misguided. He got a raw deal and then went out and made some bad choices."

As with Street, S.W.A.T. was the center of Gamble's life. Now that he's out on his own, he's lost. "He's pretty much broke. He has nowhere to go and no prospects," Renner continues. "But instead of trying to find a legitimate avenue for his unique training, he decides to use his S.W.A.T. skills to make a big score. He figures that, because he knows all the S.W.A.T. tactics, as well as the team's mindset - particularly that of his old pal Street - he'll always be one step ahead of them."

In the ranks of S.W.A.T. there can be no greater betrayal than an officer crossing over into the netherworld of corruption and crime. Gamble raises the stakes, not only tactically but morally as well, giving rise to serious questions about honor and loyalty among the men and women in whom the community places its trust. "We had many conversations about the temptations cops sometimes face," says Jackson, "and how easy it is to get away with some of them. But if you give in, you violate everything you've ever stood for as a person. And that makes you worse than the bad guys. You chose this life to keep the community safe. By turning your back on that you're violating a sacred trust."

Street and Hondo serve as counterpoints to Gamble embodying the morality and honor of a committed police officer. "Jim Street is no angel. He's just a simple fella who really loves his job and believes in what he's doing," says Farrell. "In that way, he's incorruptible and always has been, back to when he was first a Navy S.E.A.L. He's not going to change now, because he's not in it for the power of the gun or for the bravado. He's in it for all the right reasons, mainly just to do a little bit of good."

Similarly, Hondo's sole mission is an unwavering dedication to his work and his team. "Hondo finds meaning and pride in his role on the force and by creating a new S.W.A.T. unit," says Jackson. "They are truly a cut above. The best of the best."

As the ruthless and brutal drug lord, Alex Montel is the complete antithesis of Hondo and Street. "Alex doesn't believe in or care about anything," says Martinez. "He is totally amoral, a man who is truly without conscience."

Part of the continuing allure of police action films is the chance to get under the skin of a criminal, to glimpse into an alien world. They allow the audience an intimate look at the seamy side of society without becoming implicated in it. "Most of us are fascinated by how a crime scene is investigated, how the police figure out who the bad guy is, what his motives are and the tactics the police use to capture him," says Jackson. "It's a safe way for the audience to glimpse into this dark world and come away with an understanding of how it operates."

There is also the vicarious thrill of identifying with the hero's bravery and skill, according to James Todd Smith (LL Cool J). "We are entertained by characters who do things that require more courage and grit than the average person. We enjoy our heroes."

THE ACTION BEHIND THE ACTION

Another undeniable attraction to police dramas, according to S.W.A.T. director Clark Johnson, is the action. "There's nothing quite like the adrenaline pump you get from a great car chase, a spectacular explosion, or a death-defying feat," he says. "That's really what it's all about. But in order for it to have true impact, you have to be invested in the characters as well."

Producer Neal H. Moritz is no stranger to breathlessly exciting action films with XXX and The Fast and the Furious among his most prominent credits. For S.W.A.T. he turned to Johnson, a veteran of the police action genre on television. For several years, Johnson was an actor, and eventually a director, on the acclaimed series "Homicide: Life on the Streets." He then went on to direct episodes of "NYPD Blue," "Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit," "Third Watch," "The Wire" and "The Shield," among others.

"When we first started talking about making this movie, we wanted it to show both the honor of being a S.W.A.T. member and the danger," says Moritz. "We really needed someone who could take us into that world. When you look at Clark's body of work, you see that he's always been able to take situations and make you feel like you're actually in them."

Johnson came to the project well versed in the realities and challenges of police drama. His award-winning work as a director of critically acclaimed police series, along with his earlier background in special effects, provided him with the technical and logistical ability to effectively handle the film's demanding schedule.

He could also boast of having played "so many cops in my career as an actor, that I know more about cop work than some real cops do," Johnson laughs. That hands-on experience proved to be invaluable in shaping the scenario for S.W.A.T. Although inspired by the '70s television series, the only similarity to the motion picture is four of the character's names -- Hondo, Street, T.J. McCabe and Deke -- though the filmmakers do pay homage to the series in subtle ways. Steve Forrest, who played Hondo on television, makes a cameo appearance as a S.W.A.T. truck driver and Rod Perry, who played Deacon, returns as his character's father.

"As we were working on the script," says Johnson "I would ask questions as if I was an audience member --- such as 'how would a S.W.A.T. team board a plane with hostages on board?' We did research and it led to one of my favorite scenes in the movie, a training exercise aboard an old plane in the Mojave Desert. We show, step by step, how they go in there and defuse the situation without harming innocent bystanders. It was a great deal of fun showing the audience how the team functions."

Another question Johnson asked was "if you can't get inside a house safely, how do you catch the perpetrator?" The answer was simple: You use a 'molly,' which Johnson describes as "a device that looks like a giant fishhook and once it penetrates the wall, yanks it out from the inside."

"If you're going to make an action movie about S.W.A.T. you should come away knowing more about what these guys do," he continues. "And it should be plausible. Even in the finale, where we land a Lear Jet on a bridge, we checked with the FAA and the Lear Jet company and came up with the specs. It's actually possible."

Johnson's experience as an actor influenced his approach to casting the central roles. "This isn't a spectacle of special effects. This film is about character development and what separates S.W.A.T. from other police action films all comes down to the casting," admits Johnson. "When you have superior actors like Sam Jackson, Colin Farrell and Olivier Martinez, they add a full-bodied dimension to every role and bring the element of real human drama to the action. More importantly, they have all come together on this film as an ensemble. So you root for them as a team as well as individually, not because it's scripted that way, but because of the complexity they bring to their respective characters as well as to how they work together as a unit. The teamwork is what elevates the material to another level."

From the start, the cast expressed comfort with a director who was also an experienced actor as well. "I knew I'd be in an open and responsive environment with Clark," says Van Holt, who comes from a family of cops. "My uncle ran S.W.A.T. for a while, my cousin's in S.W.A.T. now as we speak," he continues. "My other cousins are regular cops throughout the L.A. area. From what I have learned from my family it takes a special person to be a cop, and especially a S.W.A.T. team member. Many of us have no idea the pressure that cops face on a daily basis. Not a lot of us could handle it."

Rodriguez signed aboard as Sanchez because she appreciated Johnson's ability to present a clear vision of what he wanted while, at the same time, allowing the actors some wiggle room in creating their characters. "I wanted the freedom to play," says Rodriguez, "but it was also important that I understand the guidelines of what Clark wanted and he was great at explaining them."

Having worked with Jackson on the producer's first movie Juice and, subsequently, on the blockbuster XXX, when it came time to cast the pivotal role of Hondo, says Moritz, "I knew that if I was going to have somebody lead a team of actors, Sam's the guy."

Johnson couldn't have agreed more. "If you look up the word 'cool' in the dictionary, you see Sam's picture," he says. "He is about the coolest actor on the planet. And he brings all that to the role."

The attraction for Jackson was the sheer drama inherent in being part of a S.W.A.T. team and an admiration for its overriding philosophy. "They're put in situations that are very tense, mostly life threatening, but their approach is always as members of a life-saving organization, not a life-taking organization," he says. "We generally see S.W.A.T. guys as snipers who are assigned to take the shot if they have it. But that's not their job. Their job is to make sure everybody comes out of situations safely. It takes a special kind of guy to be under that kind of pressure and still have the sensibility not to act like a cowboy."

Just as Hondo is the unequivocal leader of the S.W.A.T. team on screen, Jackson felt a responsibility to be a leader on the set. "It was incumbent upon me to set an example for these young actors by showing up prepared, ready to work, with a great attitude, and to help from time to time to make adjustments in terms of getting a shot and making it right," says Jackson. "And it was important that I not do a star turn, but show that I really appreciated this job and the opportunities that come with it. So yes, there is a correlation between me and Hondo: I try to lead by example."

As he has demonstrated in films as varied as Tigerland, Daredevil and Minority Report, Colin Farrell not only possesses star magnetism, but says Moritz, "like Jim Street, he's a guy who could be a maverick and still be part of a team, someone who could be a leader if you needed him to, or be there by your side to back you up if you were in a dangerous situation."

Farrell also brought a great balance to the role of Jim Street, whom Johnson envisioned as a "charismatic cop with the kind of quiet nobility of a Steve McQueen in Bullitt," he says. "But he also had to suggest to the audience that, like other S.W.A.T. members, he made it to the elite force by first working his way up through the ranks. Guys who are mavericks, free-thinkers, rarely conform very well, which makes it all the more amazing that they can make it through all the years of grunt work required. Colin makes you understand the character's righteousness without being showy about it, so you understand how Street worked his way up to S.W.A.T. and is now working his way back."

Johnson and Moritz turned to James Todd Smith (aka LL Cool J) for the role of Deke, "because I just felt we needed somebody with a lot of physical strength as well as a natural sense of humor, and LL completely fit the bill," says Moritz.

"LL has the physical presence and the attitude for Deke," chimes Johnson. "He's got great street 'cred' as a human being. You don't question for a moment that he could be a S.W.A.T. guy."

Deke is also the only family man on the team and brings a different mindset to his work, according to Smith. "Deke is very tenacious, very focused, but he's also very aggressive and the uniform makes him feel invincible. Since he's the only married man on the team, with three kids, he also comes with a heightened commitment to protect the innocent and make the world a safer place for everyone."

The key adversary in the film, Alex, the international drug lord who sets all the action in motion, was an opportunity for Johnson and Moritz to create a memorable foe. "When we started talking about the villain, we wanted to steer clear of the typical henchman type," Moritz recalls. "When we saw Olivier Martinez in Unfaithful, we were struck by his charisma. Both men and women alike couldn't keep their eyes off him. Having him as Alex, seemed a fresh way to go."

With the cast in place, Moritz and Johnson then turned their attention toward putting together a top-notch crew able to help them create a visually compelling film. A large portion of this responsibility fell squarely on the shoulders of cinematographer Gabriel Beristain. Capturing the scope and enormity of the action sequences, Beristain and his team of operators and camera assistants found innovative ways to follow the characters and action, often turning to the steadicam to capture the grittiness and reality of a scene.

"We shot from two perspectives," says Johnson. "Many of my masters are shot from a helicopter above, because in Los Angeles there's always a helicopter with a camera in it as soon as anything happens, running along with the action and observing it. The other approach was up close, with five or six hand-held cameras for that sense of immediacy. Gabriel and his crew did such an amazing job. It was all so well prepared that it looked completely unprepared."

Johnson, Moritz and their team paid meticulous attention to detail in enhancing the reality of their drama. Integral to this process was technical advisor Randy Walker, a retired L.A.P.D. veteran who spent 16 years with S.W.A.T. Interestingly, says Johnson, he was a member of the S.W.A.T. team that dealt with the infamous North Hollywood bank robbery shootout several years ago, according to Johnson, which inspired the film's opening sequence. "If you look at the file footage he's there -- in Bermuda shorts," Johnson laughs. "I think he was on a golf course when he got the call. So he's got his flak jacket on, his helmet, his gun and these skinny legs poking out of his Bermuda shorts."

Walker's task was to ensure the authenticity of the S.W.A.T. team tactics. Before filming began, Walker instructed the cast in S.W.A.T. history, the division's objective and its place within the larger police force and the Los Angeles community. The cast also learned special hand signals, eye communications, lingo and demeanor. They were instructed in how to hold, load and shoot a vast array of weaponry.

Even for the actors who had experience with guns, the training proved to be impressive. "They gave me this huge 50-caliber sniper rifle with huge bullets," says Renner. "I was so excited to shoot it that I complained about being given only 20 bullets. But after I shot four, I was done. I was cooked. It was like I'd been kicked by a donkey. That's how intense and overpowering it was."

Another grueling part of the training was the weeklong session Walker conducted in how to maneuver with agility and speed while wearing the restrictive S.W.A.T. clothing along with 30 pounds of hot and heavy armor. Even the most physically fit cast members were pushed to the limits of their abilities. "I can't believe how S.W.A.T. team members operate so efficiently while wearing all that equipment," says Van Holt. "It was hard for me to walk, never mind run, jump, carry, shoot and crawl through tight spaces. I couldn't even do it without all that body armor and equipment."

Although physically demanding, the "boot camp" boosted the actors' confidence and brought greater nuance to their behavior as S.W.A.T. team members. "I was constantly asking Randy Walker if we looked legitimate so that when police officers are watching the film, they can look at it and say, 'That's right'," says Jackson. "It's always a compliment when people who really do the job you're acting on screen tell you that your behavior was honest. They really appreciate that."

And it would be a lie, confesses Farrell, if he didn't admit that S.W.A.T. school was like a childhood dream come true. "Here I am getting paid a lot of money to actually get out there and play the kinds of games I did when I was a boy," he says. "I went onto the range and shot M-4 carbines, .45 handguns, nine millimeters, shotguns, and learned how to hit targets on the run. It was so much fun. At the same time, I wanted to prepare as well as I could, so I really knew how to do the work when it came time to perform."

As for Rodriguez, her great satisfaction was in not being singled out for special treatment.

"The attitude toward me during training was 'You want to be S.W.A.T.? Well, then you have to be able to hold your own with everyone else,'" she says. "Randy never treated me differently. It was a good thing. It was grueling at times, but it was a good thing."

For both the audience and the cast, the realistic training paid off, according to Moritz. "In order to effectively play a modern-day S.W.A.T. officer, it was important that the actors and the audience learn some of the techniques they use, like how to enter a home, how to surround someone who has a hostage," he says. "The training was not only thrilling and educational, but actually brought the actors together as a team, and that added to the reality onscreen."

Working with his advisor, Randy Walker, Johnson was carefully attentive to details in the weaponry, uniform, skills and strategies of today's Special Weapons and Tactics Teams.

The practical considerations of filming meant some alterations in S.W.A.T. uniform and weaponry had to be made, but they were executed with care. The weight of a regulation issue Kevlar vest added about another thirty pounds to the gear, making the total weight the actors were carrying excessive, so foam vests were substituted. Another problem with the regulation S.W.A.T. gear was that team members are covered from head to toe in identical black, making it hard to tell them apart. So, in some scenes, the actors doffed their helmets or glasses, so they could be recognized.

There were other storytelling demands that required changes. Most real S.W.A.T. units have fourteen officers, not six, with each man specializing in a specific weapon. With far fewer members on the fictional team, all the characters had to be able to use different weapons at different times depending on the demands of the script.

The most significant divergence from reality was the character of Sanchez. To date, there has never been a female S.W.A.T. member in Los Angeles. But Johnson says, that after casting Rodriguez, it could open the door. It's happened before. "When I was on 'Homicide' the Baltimore Police Department was reticent to sanction our storyline because we had a woman homicide investigator and there had never been one in the city," he relates. "We went ahead anyway. Today, of the 67 or so homicide investigators in Baltimore, 19 are women. I'm not saying it happened because of 'Homicide,' but I know it didn't hurt."

Rodriguez shrugs off the notion that women aren't cut out for the tough physical challenge of S.W.A.T. "Look at Bruce Lee versus the size of his opponents," she observes. "It's all about pressure points, focus and stamina - things that women could easily succeed at with the right training. Usually women are so intimidated by how imposing men are that we forget there are other ways to overpower them."

S.W.A.T. consultant Walker commends Rodriguez and the rest of the cast in their realistic portrayal of S.W.A.T. cops. "The film's look and feel is authentic," he confirms. "The clothing and weapons are perfect and the attitude the actors assumed was positive. They were all good students; they have the right moves, the right look, the right attitude, the right demeanor."

Also adding to the precise detail in the film were production designer Mayne Berke's sets. Primarily a location picture, using more than 75 sites in and around Los Angeles, Berke's job was not only maintaining a consistency in the film's look, but also adhering to budgetary and shooting schedule restraints. "The solution was to group as many locations together so as to minimize the need for company moves which are both expensive and time-consuming," he says. "We were quite successful in the end. In some locations we were able to shoot as many as six to eight different scenes in the same place by making minor adjustments."

Berke and director Johnson collaborated on their approach to color and texture. "We wanted it to be as real and gritty looking as possible," says Berke, "so I suggested to Clark that we use a very tight color palette, staying with dark tones, particularly earth tones, and using bright colors only to show off the gaudy nature of Los Angeles and some of its architecture."

The most demanding sequence of the film was the action packed finale, which was shot on the 6th Street Bridge in Los Angeles over a four-week period of nighttime shooting. The bridge was selected after Berke had scouted several other L.A. area locations suitable for landing a plane. "Someone suggested the 405 freeway (which intersects California from San Diego to Sacramento), but then I saw this book Above Los Angeles and decided that if I were a pilot, I'd consider the 6th Street Bridge in downtown. Visually, I also saw it as a potentially great shot, because the bridge is about 3,000 feet long and once you'd landed, you'd have the twinkling lights of the downtown skyscrapers as the scene's backdrop."

Johnson shared Berke's enthusiasm. "We got about 100 yards onto the bridge and I knew it was the right spot," he says. "Downtown looked like Oz from there. It was magical."

Lighting the mock aircraft for nighttime shooting was Berke's main challenge. "I've done a lot of dance lighting in my career," explains Berke. "Dance is like moving sculpture. And the 'plane,' to me, was a moving sculpture. I knew that it needed side light. The film's gaffer came up with a practical solution, fixtures he had picked up at Home Depot for $20 a piece. It was then just a matter of putting the necessary framework around the existing fixtures. And I came up with a design that was somewhat Art Deco to match the style of the 1930s bridge."

Even with the modifications, it was too dangerous to land a real plane on the bridge, so every night a mock jet was pulled out of a warehouse not far from the location and delivered to the 6th Street Bridge.

At one point real life interrupted the production, when the real L.A.P.D. engaged in a multi-vehicle high-speed chase across the bridge, with real L.A.P.D helicopters competing with the ones being used for the production. "We were up on the bridge rehearsing the scene," Johnson recalls. "The jet was there on its side and there was a big stretch limo, leaving just enough room on either side for a single car to get through. Then we get a report from one of the production assistants that there's a real high-speed chase coming our way. And this stolen car full of kids comes flying past us, followed by 15 police cars, through that narrow gap, like something out of 'The Blues Brothers.'"

One location that was off-limits to the film was Los Angeles' vast network of storm drains. The script called for a scene in a storm drain but the city wouldn't grant permission because of fears of flash flooding, particularly during the winter rainy season when the film was being shot. Berke was required to build a storm drain. "I had to come up with something that could sustain all the different action that was scripted, a versatile section of a sewer system that was not unlike a jungle gym and presented a lot of options."

Berke's research led to a web site by 'drainers,' enthusiasts who illegally go into storm drains all over the country and photograph themselves (they put a black band across their eyes to conceal their identities) and then post them on the net. Along with the photos, the drainers discuss how they got into and out of a specific drain, and what they found when they were in there. "Their photographs," says Berke, "became a wonderful resource."

Berke was surprised to learn that there are certain consistencies in sewers. "All sewers seem to have an algae that grows on the ceiling, and thousands of cigarette butts. There are lots of cans and those plastic bags you get in the supermarket. We even found a telephone pole, a Dustbuster, shopping carts, hubcaps, car tires - it was a wonderful opportunity to work with different textures and shades," he says. "It also fit very well into the film's concept. The drains are dark, gritty, scary, and ominous. You never know what's around the next bend."

In the script, the characters travel through a half-mile of storm drain. Unable to build an actual half-mile of sewer, Berke devised a design that could sustain multiple angles. "Storm drains are so much bigger than most people imagine. Research showed you can drive a truck through some of them. So the set had to be not only versatile, but huge."

Berke and his team started with culvert pipe for the round tubes. Next they built wooden ribs, and applied lathe, over which a soft concrete, one that could be sculpted, was poured. To get the algae growing from the ceiling, a latex mold was cast and covered with several layers of different colored paints. To make the set look wet without actually wetting it, glycerin was applied to the ceiling, transitioning to clear shellac on the sides of the walls. The actual water that builds up on the sewer floors was created through the magic of special effects. In all, the set took weeks to build, paint and dress with garbage.

ALL ABOUT THE REAL S.W.A.T.

The L.A.P.D.'s S.W.A.T. team was the originator of tactical teams for municipal law enforcement. After several sniping incidents against civilians and police officers around the country, many of which occurred in Los Angeles during and after the Watts Riots in the late 1960s, it was acknowledged that an adequate response to such situations did not exist. Consequently, voluntary units called station defense teams, consisting of officers with specialized experience and prior military service, were created.

S.W.A.T (Special Weapons And Tactics Team) was initiated in the late 1960s, and formalized in 1972 by the Los Angeles Police Department, in recognition of the need and advantage of collectively training a full-time unit within the Metropolitan Division.

Innovative for its time, the unit brought cohesion to the way police handled special tactical events. It has since become legendary among law enforcement agencies worldwide. At present, S.W.A.T. is an elite unit consisting of approximately 60 L.A.P.D. officers, six sergeants and one lieutenant, all of whom are expertly trained tactical assault specialists. The unit covers all 18 geographical areas, or divisions, of Los Angeles, a city that spans almost 500 square miles.

S.W.A.T., however, remained under-funded until the 1984 Olympic Committee became involved. Because the Olympic Games in Los Angeles was seen as a potential terrorist target, S.W.A.T. was infused with the necessary funding for the additional equipment and training required to provide adequate counter-terrorism protection. The Los Angeles Olympics went off without incident, but the funding and training initiated by the Games was a turning point for both the L.A.P.D. and S.W.A.T.

Following the success of the L.A.P.D.'s S.W.A.T. organization, other cities throughout the United States and the world have created similar units. Although not all of them are called S.W.A.T., and not all are under the auspices of a municipal police force (some are under federal or armed services jurisdiction), all share the same tactical objective.

As an elite unit, S.W.A.T. members are held up to rigorous physical and professional standards. Applicants are chosen from among those who have successfully made it onto the Metropolitan Division after a minimum of four years on the L.A.P.D. After one year at Metro, officers may apply to S.W.A.T., at which time they submit to an extremely demanding two-week trial process. Those who pass the tests are then put on a list from which the final candidates are selected. In any given year, about 50 officers apply. Only 8 to 10 make it into S.W.A.T.

Once they have been accepted, officers embark on an intensive seven-week training program. All S.W.A.T. members are cross-trained, but many also choose a specialty - e.g. snipers, long riflemen, etc. Some opt to train as negotiators. Currently, there are 18 S.W.A.T. officers who specialize in negotiation. Following their training, officers must wait for an opening before officially joining the team, though they are often invited to assist in tactical situations when extra manpower is required.

While some officers make a career of S.W.A.T. -- the longest length of service has been 27 years -- the average tenure on the unit is 8 to 12 years, after which most officers are promoted to other areas within the L.A.P.D.

In any given crisis situation, a minimum of 14 S.W.A.T. officers, one tactical sergeant and one negotiator sergeant are deployed. In addition to their tactical duties, S.W.A.T. also handles crisis negotiations with barricaded suspects. Many are also hostage situations. Notwithstanding the unit's name and its members' reputation as sharpshooters, the goal of any S.W.A.T. mission is to save lives. In handling approximately 80 barricaded suspect incidents and 50 high-risk warrants a year - more than 3,000 high-risk missions over the past three decades - LAPD'S S.W.A.T. team has, to this day, never lost a hostage.

ABOUT THE CAST

SAMUEL L. JACKSON (Dan "Hondo" Harrelson) received Academy AwardR and Golden Globe nominations, as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for his portrayal of 'Jules,' the philosophizing hit man, in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction.

He recently starred in Basic with John Travolta and will be seen in Philip Kaufman's suspense thriller Blackout opposite Ashley Judd, Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, John Boorman's Country of My Skull and the final installment of the Star Wars saga.

Last year, Jackson appeared in the second installment of George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, in which he reprised his role as 'Mace Windu' the leader of the Jedi Council, Changing Lanes opposite Ben Affleck, Rob Cohen's XXX co-starring Vin Diesel and the action thriller Formula 51, which he also produced.

In 2001 Jackson starred opposite Bruce Willis in writer/director M. Night Shyamalan's suspense drama Unbreakable. He was also the star and executive producer on Caveman's Valentine, his second project with director Kasi Lemmons. The first was Eve's Bayou, which he also produced.

Jackson was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2000 Deauville Film Festival. The festival screened both John Singleton's Shaft, in which Jackson appears in the title role opposite Christian Bale and Vanessa Williams, and William Friedkin's courtroom drama Rules of Engagement, in which he stars opposite Tommy Lee Jones.

Among Jackson's other feature film credits are Renny Harlin's Deep Blue Sea, Francois Girard's The Red Violin, a cameo appearance in George Lucas' Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, The Negotiator and Jackie Brown, his second film with director Quentin Tarantino for which Jackson received a Golden Globe nomination and the Silver Bear Award for Best Actor in a Comedy at the Berlin Film Festival.

Jackson also starred opposite Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey in Joel Schumacher's 1996 film version of John Grisham's A Time To Kill. For his performance, Jackson received a Golden Globe nomination and an NAACP Image Award. He also starred opposite Bruce Willis in Die Hard With a Vengeance, the top-grossing movie worldwide in 1995. Other film credits include 187, Sphere, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Hard Eight, Kiss of Death, Losing Isaiah, Amos and Andrew, Ragtime, Sea of Love, Coming to America, Ray, Do the Right Thing, School Daze, Mo' Better Blues, Goodfellas, Strictly Business, White Sands, Patriot Games, Jumpin' at the Boneyard, Fathers and Sons, Juice, True Romance and Fresh. His performance as a crack addict in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever earned him the first and only Best Supporting Performance Award ever given by the judges at the Cannes Film Festival. He also won the New York Film Critics' Award for Best Supporting Actor for that performance.

On television, Jackson starred in John Frankenheimer's Emmy AwardR-winning "Against the Wall" for HBO. His performance earned him a Cable Ace nomination as Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries, as well as a Golden Globe nomination.

Jackson's career began upon his graduation from Morehouse College in Atlanta with a degree in dramatic arts. He went on to perform in numerous stage plays, including "Home, A Soldier's Play," "Sally/Prince" and "The District Line." He also originated roles in two of August Wilson's plays at Yale Repertory Theatre. For the New York Shakespeare Festival, Jackson appeared in "Mother Courage and Her Children," "Spell #7" and "The Mighty Gents." While still a student at Morehouse, Jackson made his film debut in Together for Days.

COLIN FARRELL (Jim Street) Colin Farrell was born and raised in Castleknock in the Republic of Ireland. He is the son of former football player Eamonn Farrell and nephew of Tommy Farrell, both of whom played for the Irish Football Club Shamrock Rovers in the 1960s.

It was Colin's early teenage ambition to follow in his father and uncle's footsteps, however his interest soon turned toward acting and he joined the Gaiety School of Drama in Dublin. Before completing his course, Colin landed a starring role in Dierdre Purcell's miniseries "Falling for a Dancer." He subsequently starred in the BBC series "Ballykissangel" and in Tim Roth's directorial debut The War Zone. After The War Zone he also had a small role in Thaddeus O'Sullivan's Dublin gangster movie Ordinary Decent Criminal opposite Kevin Spacey.

Farrell's first U.S. film was Tigerland directed by Joel Schumacher, which follows the story of a handful of American soldiers who are taken to the backwoods of Louisiana in 1971 to play war games in preparation for their first tour of duty in Vietnam. He was next seen as 'Jesse James' in American Outlaws.

His most recent film credits include the World War II drama Hart's War opposite Bruce Willis, Steven Spielberg's hit film Minority Report co-starring with Tom Cruise, as 'Bullseye' in Daredevil, co-starring with Al Pacino in The Recruit, as well as the starring role in the hit thriller Phone Booth directed by Schumacher. Farrell also has a cameo in Schumacher's Veronica Guerin and a role in the upcoming Irish love story Intermission.

Farrell recently completed At Home At The End Of The World, which is based on the Michael Cunningham novel and is currently in pre-production for the Oliver Stone film Alexander The Great, in the title role.

Farrell currently lives in Dublin.

MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ (Chris Sanchez) first came to the industry's attention with her performance in the critically acclaimed feature, Girlfight. She was discovered at an open casting call in New York City as one of 350 actors under consideration for the lead role of Diana Guzman. She trained as a boxer for five months in preparation, and her performance garnered the 2001 Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance and the 2001 National Board of Review Award for Breakout Performance of the Year. In addition to the accolades Rodriguez received, the film was also awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.

Since then, Rodriguez has starred in Resident Evil alongside Milla Jovovich, The Fast and The Furious and the hit surfing movie Blue Crush. Last summer, she had a successful run in the off-Broadway production of "The Vagina Monologues.

Rodriguez's additional credits include the independent feature 3 AM with Pam Grier and Danny Glover. Produced by Spike Lee's 40 Acres and A Mule, the film premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.

Now living in Jersey City, Rodriguez divided her childhood between the Dominican Republic, Texas, and Puerto Rico.

JAMES TODD SMITH aka LL COOL J (Deacon "Deke" Kaye) is an actor, a two-time Grammy Award winner, author and NAACP Image Award winner. He was also honored this year as ShoWest's Male Star of Tomorrow and with Soul Train's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Smith, under his well known rap moniker LL Cool J, is the first rap artist to amass six consecutive platinum-plus selling albums and six gold singles. He has recorded nine consecutive multi-platinum albums and in 2003 released his tenth album, "Ten," which debuted at #2. The first single from the album, "Luv U Better," quickly rose to #1 on the hip-hop charts and his duet with Jennifer Lopez, "All I Have," reached # 1 on the Billboard charts.

Most recently Smith starred with Gabrielle Union in Deliver Us from Eva, a contemporary romantic comedy from writer/director Gary Hardwick, and provided music for the film's soundtrack as well. He also stars opposite Val Kilmer and Christian Slater in Renny Harlin's Mindhunters, which is slated for release in early 2004. Smith earlier starred in Harlin's action film Deep Blue Sea, for which he received critical acclaim for his comedic role as the "Chef." His record label, Rock the Bells, co-produced the soundtrack for the film and he contributed two songs including the title track "Deepest Blue." He also starred in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday opposite Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx, providing a song for that film's soundtrack as well. His other film credits include Rollerball for director John McTiernan, Kingdom Come opposite Jada Pinkett Smith and Vivica A. Fox, In Too Deep, Halloween H20 and Toys. Additionally, he starred in the sitcom "In the House."

Smith's first children's book And the Winner Is ... was recently released as part of Scholastic's exciting new series of books and CDs by today's hottest rap stars called "Hip Kid Hop." The book tells the story of a young basketball player who learns the importance of winning and losing gracefully. He also penned a 1997 autobiography I Make My Own Rules.

Smith currently lives in New York with his wife and four children.

BRIAN VAN HOLT (Michael Boxer) recently starred opposite John Travolta in John McTiernan's psychological thriller Basic playing Army Ranger 'Dunbar,' and James Foley's Confidence with Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz and Dustin Hoffman. Last year, Van Holt was seen in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down portraying a Task Force Ranger 'Strueker' who leads a convoy of Humvees to rescue a downed Black Hawk pilot in Mogadishu, Somalia. He also co-starred in John Woo's epic WW2 drama Windtalkers opposite Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater

An Illinois native and graduate of UCLA, Van Holt spent most of his youth immersed in athletics. He began his acting career as a teenager, performing in several stage productions at the Zephyr Theater in Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Sociology, he turned his full attention to his acting career.

Making his film debut in the romantic comedy feature Whipped, Van Holt has also appeared on television in HBO's "Sex and the City," "Homicide" and "Spin City."

JEREMY RENNER (Brian Gamble) most recently appeared in the title role of the film Dahmer. His portrayal of the infamous serial killer received critical attention. He will next be seen in Fish In a Barrel, a dark comedy in which he portrays a gun toting alcoholic, and Monkey Love, a romantic comedy in which he plays the leading love interest in a quirky love triangle.

After starring in the lead role in National Lampoon's Senior Trip, Renner went on to play a pivotal role in the television series "Angel" as a 17th century vampire/serial killer. He also acted opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt in Fox's "Time of Your Life."

With a background in theater, Renner continues to perform in plays throughout the Los Angeles area. His most memorable was "Search and Destroy" in which he not only starred, but also co-directed.

Renner has appeared in numerous national commercials and took a turn behind the camera when he directed a Bud Light commercial last summer. He is currently writing both a pilot and a feature film. He also writes, records and performs his own music and has penned songs for Warner Chapel Publishing and Universal Publishing. He is currently planning a solo CD.

JOSH CHARLES (T.J. McCabe), a native of Baltimore, Maryland, made his feature debut in John Waters' satirical cult favorite Hairspray. He then landed the coveted role of 'Knox,' a shy love struck prep-school boy, in Peter Weir's Dead Poet's Society opposite Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke. Next came the role of the comic, troubled youth in Crossing the Bridge and opposite Stephen Baldwin and Lara Flynn-Boyle in Threesome, directed by Andy Fleming. In Bryan Gordon's Pie in the Sky, a favorite at the Sundance and Telluride Film Festivals, Josh co-starred with Anne Heche as an air traffic reporter. Other feature film credits include Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, The Grave, Cyclops Baby, Crossworlds, Little City, Meeting Daddy. He was also the voice of 'Agent Barker' in The Muppets from Space.

On television Charles has starred in the telefilm "Cooperstown" with Alan Arkin for TNT and the Emmy Award-winning "Murder in Mississippi" with Tom Hulce and Andre Braugher. He starred opposite Ashley Judd in the critically acclaimed HBO biopic "Norma Jean and Marilyn" and recently starred in the Showtime film "Our America." He also starred in the television comedy series, "Sportsnight," a behind-the-scenes look at a cable sports show.

Upcoming for Charles is the motion picture Seeing Other People.

OLIVIER MARTINEZ (Alex Montel) studied acting at France's Conservatoire National Superieur d'Art Dramatique. He made his motion picture debut in Jean Jacques Beineix' IP5 (1992) co-starring Yves Montand. In 1994, he received the Cesar Award for Most Promising Young Actor for his work in Bertrand Blier's drama 1, 2, 3 Sun starring Marcello Mastroianni.

Martinez first gained international attention for his performance as a dashing 19th century Italian cavalry officer who falls in love with a married woman (Juliette Binoche) in Jean-Paul Rappeneau's Horseman on the Roof. His credits also include Julian Schnabel's critically acclaimed Before Night Falls with Javier Bardem, Bertrand Blier's Mon Hom, Bigas Luna's The Chambermaid on the Titanic, Mario Camus' La Ville des Prodiges and Eric Barbier's Toreros with Claude Brasseur.

Martinez most recently starred as Diane Lane's lover in Adrian Lyne's Unfaithful with Richard Gere. He also starred in Robert Allan Ackerman's retelling of "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" for Showtime. In a role originally created by Warren Beatty, Martinez stars opposite Anne Bancroft and Helen Mirren as the Italian gigolo 'Paolo.'

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

CLARK JOHNSON (Director) has amassed an impressive body of work both in front of and behind the camera. He was recently nominated for an EmmyR Award as best director for the pilot of the F/X series "The Shield."

Johnson began his directing career during the second season of the highly acclaimed drama series "Homicide: Life on the Streets." From there, he went on to direct episodes of such successful television series as "NYPD Blue," "West Wing," "Third Watch," "City of Angels," "The Beat" and "Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit." More recently, he directed HBO's riveting series "The Wire" and the HBO film "Boycott," in which he also starred.

A native of Philadelphia, Johnson began acting at the age of nine, touring with several national Broadway productions. He went to film school in Montreal and studied theater in Michigan before continuing his acting career. Johnson is perhaps best known as an actor for his role as 'Detective Meldrick Lewis' on "Homicide: Life on the Streets." Other television credits include appearances in such series as "Second City," "Hot Shots," "Night Heat," "Women of Brewster Place," "New Attitude" and "LA Law." In 1993, Johnson was nominated for a Canadian Television Award for his recurring role on the CTV series "E.N.G."

Johnson made his feature film debut in Chris Columbus' Adventures in Babysitting and went on to star in such films as Dennis Hopper's Colors, John Badham's Drop Zone, Nick of Time, Renegades, Lulu, Soul Survivor, Deliberate Intent, Task Force: Caviar and the independent features Fear of Fiction and Love Come Down. He starred in Canadian director Clement Virgo's Rude, for which he was nominated for a Canadian Academy award as Best Supporting Actor.

Johnson divides his time between Toronto and New York City.

DAVID AYER (Screenplay) was born in the Midwest and moved to South Central, Los Angeles as a young teen. To escape the streets, he joined the United States Navy, where he served as a sonar man on a nuclear attack submarine. After an honorable discharge, Ayer left the military service and began the difficult writer's journey. He recently wrote and co-produced the Academy AwardR-winning Training Day and Ron Shelton's crime drama Dark Blue. He is also credited on the hugely successful The Fast and the Furious and the World War II submarine saga U-571.

DAVID McKENNA (Screenplay) sold his first screenplay, American History X, at the young age of 26. The film, which received an Academy AwardR nomination for Best Actor, stars Edward Norton in a vivid portrayal of the consequences of prejudice as a family is torn apart by hate. It follows one man's struggle to reform himself and save his family after living a life consumed by violence and bigotry.

McKenna's next script, Body Shots, was directed by Michael Cristofer and starred Jerry O'Connell, Amanda Peet, Tara Reid and Ron Livingston.

His third film, Get Carter, was a remake of the 1971 cult film that starred Michael Caine. The updated version starred Sylvester Stallone, Caine, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Leigh Cooke, Mickey Rourke, and Alan Cumming. It was directed by Stephen Kay and produced by Mark Canton, Neil Canton and Elie Samaha.

In 2001, McKenna's adaptation of the Bruce Porter book, Blow, was released. Starring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ray Liotta and Paul Reubens, Blow is a true story that chronicles the life of George Jung, an enterprising drug smuggler who worked with Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel to bring cocaine to the West Coast during the late 70s and 80s.

McKenna is currently developing National Office. The story centers on a 28-year-old man who challenges the Constitution and runs for President of the United States. Andrew Lazar (Space Cowboys and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) is producing.

In addition, McKenna has been hired to rewrite a script based on the real life account of the USS Indianapolis. The World War II story is an epic saga about the worst Naval disaster in U.S. history.

Most recently, McKenna finished a project for producer Casey Silver that centers on the true life story of Colonel David Hackworth, the most decorated soldier in U.S. military history. Next up, he is poised to make his directorial debut with The Twelfth Man, which chronicles two weeks in the life of an urban American family, whose dysfunctional lives center on high school football and an alcoholic mother.

McKenna graduated from San Diego State University in 1991 and now resides in Newport Coast, California with his wife Marcy and two sons, Jack and Colin.

RON MITA & JIM McCLAIN (Story) have created an extensive library of "popcorn" screenplays. Having been referred to as the "Shakespeares of Action" by director Renny Harlin and received written praise from Oliver Stone, Mita and McClain have made a name for themselves with their fast paced high-octane style of writing.

When given the task to create a story for S.W.A.T., they realized it would have to possess a unique hook. The idea of a drug lord putting up a huge bounty on his freedom came from a humorous conversation the two writers were having concerning how much they would have to be paid to do something out of the ordinary. It would cost $100,000 for Ron to streak during the Rose Bowl and $150,000 for Jim to live in a cave without daylight for six months. Both agreed it would cost S100 million for them to break someone out of prison. And so the hook to S.W.A.T. was born.

Mita and McClain met while students in the graduate film program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. During their enrollment, Mita worked as an assistant to Nina Jacobson (currently the President of Production at Disney) then as a VP at Universal Pictures, while McClain worked in the legal profession.

Realizing their story sensibilities where similar, Mita and McClain wrote their first screenplay, Trackdown, which caught the eye of Jodi Foster and sold for a high six figure sum. The interest brought them plenty of attention including being chosen as the L.A. Times' brightest new faces of 1994.

Their second screenplay, The French Teacher, was snapped up by Jacobson. Concurrently, the two writers sold a turn-of-the-century period superhero idea, The Urban Legend, to Steven Spielberg. At about the same time they were hired to write Revere for Warner Brothers and Mel Gibson's Icon Productions. They also worked on three HBO projects.

After completing S.W.A.T., the writers were hired by Sony to write Doom, which is based on the popular video game and Sniper II a sequel to the 1994 action thriller starring Tom Berenger.

Mita and McClain sold "Video Killed The Radio Star - The MTV Story" to TNT and are currently writing a TV movie/backdoor pilot for CBS about a true-to-life all-female S.W.A.T. team in Washington DC.

NEAL H. MORITZ (Producer) is the owner of Original Film, a well-established feature film, television, commercials and music video production/talent management company. Moritz has a degree in economics from UCLA and a graduate degree from the Peter Stark motion picture producing program at the University of Southern California.

Moritz produced last year's blockbusters Sweet Home Alabama, the Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy and Revolution Studios' XXX with Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson. The latter was Moritz' fourth collaboration with director Rob Cohen following the blockbuster hit The Fast and The Furious starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Their other films together are The Skulls starring Walker and Joshua Jackson, and the HBO movie "The Rat Pack" with Ray Liotta and Don Cheadle, which was nominated for 11 Emmy awards.

Moritz' earlier credits helped establish him as one of the most bankable producers in Hollywood. Juice was his first major film, followed by the Columbia Pictures hit I Know What You Did Last Summer, which featured break-through performances from Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze, Jr. A successful sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, followed with the addition of pop sensation Brandy to the cast. Neal's next film for Columbia, Urban Legend, also spawned a successful sequel, Urban Legends: Final Cut. The youth drama Cruel Intentions was Original Film's first self-financed feature.

Moritz' more recent credits include Not Another Teen Movie, a spoof of the very teen film genre that he helped create, and the college comedy Slackers starring Jason Schwartzman and Devon Sawa. Other credits include Volcano, Blue Streak with Martin Lawrence, Saving Silverman with Jack Black, Steve Zahn and Jason Biggs and the Leelee Sobieski-starrer The Glass House. This summer saw the release of 2 Fast and 2 Furious with Paul Walker, under the direction of John Singleton.

Moritz is currently producing the Denzel Washington thriller Out of Time, which is being directed by Carl Franklin and Torque, a motorcycle action movie helmed by music video veteran Joseph Kahn. Upcoming is the sequel to XXX.

DAN HALSTED (Producer) is currently in production on Large's Ark starring Natalie Portman and Zach Braff, Richard Petty starring Dennis Quaid and directed by Callie Khouri and the critically acclaimed TV show "Platinum" on UPN.

Also scheduled for wide release for 2003 and produced by Halsted is Beyond Borders starring Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen.

Other feature films produced by Halsted include Sofia Coppola's directorial debut, The Virgin Suicides, Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday starring Al Pacino and Cameron Diaz, the Academy AwardR-nominated Nixon and U-Turn starring Sean Penn and Jennifer Lopez. Halsted also produced Serving Sara starring Matthew Perry and Elizabeth Hurley, The Corruptor starring Mark Wahlberg and Chow Yun-Fat, Art of War starring Wesley Snipes, Freeway starring Reese Witherspoon and Cold Around the Heart, John Ridley's directorial debut.

A graduate of UCLA with a degree in political science, Halsted started his career as an assistant to Scott Rudin at Twentieth Century Fox. He moved on to Bauer-Benedek Agency, which later became United Talent Agency, packaging such films as K-9, The Fabulous Baker Boys, New Jack City, Robocop, There's Something About Mary and The Untouchables. While a studio executive At Disney's Hollywood Pictures in the 1990's, he oversaw such films as The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, Mr. Holland's Opus, Encino Man, Son In Law, Tombstone, Evita and While You Were Sleeping.

Halsted's television credits include the award winning Showtime telepic "The Day Reagan Was Shot" starring Richard Dreyfuss, the TNT series "Witchblade" and the award winning TBS documentary "Assassinated: The Last Days of Kennedy and King."

CHRIS LEE (Producer) is the former President of Production for TriStar Pictures and Columbia Pictures. During his executive tenure Lee was responsible for the Academy AwardR-winning films Jerry Maguire, Philadelphia and As Good as It Gets. He was also involved in the production process on such motion pictures as My Best Friend's Wedding, Legends of the Fall, The Fisher King, The Mask of Zorro, Starship Troopers and Godzilla.

After launching his own company, Chris Lee Productions, Lee served as producer of the groundbreaking all-computer-animated fantasy adventure feature Final Fantasy, which was nominated for a Saturn Award. He also produced the recent action film Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever. Lee's company produced the animated series "Heavy Gear" and he currently has numerous other projects in development at various studios. He has also produced music videos for a diverse range of recording artists from Janet Jackson to The Backstreet Boys and Destiny's Child.

Lee began his entertainment industry career as a segment producer with ABC's "Good Morning America." He then crossed over to motion pictures when he became the assistant director and assistant editor on Wayne Wang's comedy Dim Sum. From there, he joined TriStar Pictures as a script analyst, eventually making his way to the post of President of Production at the studio and subsequently holding the same position at Columbia Pictures.

Originally from Hawaii, where he serves on the board of the State's Film and Television Commission, Lee holds a degree in political science from Yale University and has recently joined the University of Hawaii as Chairman of the Academy of Creative Media. Lee is very active in the Asian community. A founding member of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), he has consistently been named one of "A" Magazine's Most Influential Asian Americans. He also serves on the board of the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and has received numerous honors including the Justice in Action Award from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Visionary Award from East-West Players.

GABRIEL BERISTAIN, ASC/BSC (Director of Photography) was born in Mexico and is the son of Luis Beristain, a successful Mexican actor whose last feature film was Luis Bunuel's masterpiece Exterminating Angel. His son's interest in filmmaking began at a young age when he became actively involved in the Mexican independent film movement.

Beristain immigrated to Europe, where he worked as a documentary and newsreel cameraman following sensitive political, social and ecological issues. Settling in England, Beristain attended the prestigious National Film and Television School.

In 1987, Beristain was honored with the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for his photography of Derek Jarman's Caravaggio. Among Beristain's other film credits are Blade 2, The Spanish Prisoner, Dolores Claiborne, K2 and Aria. Beristain moved to Los Angeles in 1991, where he currently resides. He is both a member of AMPAS and BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts).

MAYNE BERKE's (Production Designed by) credits as a production designer include The Princess Diaries directed by Garry Marshall and starring Julie Andrews, Rock Star starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston, 15 Minutes directed by John Herzfeld and starring Robert De Niro and Edward Burns, Jack Frost starring Michael Keaton, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion and Double Dragon. He also designed the acclaimed HBO original film "Don King: Only in America" and the Clio Award-winning "Elevator Fantasy" Levi's commercial, which was directed by Michael Bay.

Berke's credits as an art director include The Fan, From Dusk Till Dawn, Grace of My Heart, Four Rooms, Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II and III.

Berke received his Master of Fine Arts degree in art direction and theatrical design from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He studied with noted theatrical designers including multiple Tony Award-winner Oliver Smith, whose paintings for "My Fair Lady" and "West Side Story" are part of the permanent collection of the New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Berke also studied with famed lighting designers Jennifer Tipton and John Gleason.

MICHAEL TRONICK, A.C.E. (Edited by) reteams with producer Neal Moritz for the third time, having previously edited Blue Streak and Volcano.

Beginning his career as a music editor on such films as Movie Movie, All That Jazz, Star 80, Reds, 48 Hrs., A Chorus Line, Ruthless People and Predator, he moved into film editing with the blockbuster comedy Beverly Hills Cop II in 1987. Among his other film credits are Less Than Zero, Midnight Run, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Days of Thunder, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Straight Talk, Scent of a Woman, The Cowboy Way, Eraser, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Meet Joe Black and Remember The Titans. He most recently completed work on American Outlaws and The Scorpion King.

ELLIOT GOLDENTHAL (Music) creates works for orchestra, theatre, opera, ballet and film. He was recently honored with an Academy AwardR and a Golden Globe for his score for Frida, as well as nominations for the film's original song "Burn it Blue." He previously received two additional OscarR and Golden Globe nominations for his scores for Interview with the Vampire and Michael Collins. In addition, he received Grammy nominations for A Time to Kill and Batman Forever, and three nominations for the Chicago Film Critics Award for Heat, Michael Collins and The Butcher Boy. In 1998, Goldenthal won the L.A. Film Critics Award for Best Original Score for Neil Jordan's The Butcher Boy.

Goldenthal has collaborated with director Julie Taymor on 18 projects, including her film Titus, adapted from Shakespeare's play and starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange (1999). Their original music-theater piece, "Juan Darien: A Carnival Mass", garnered Goldenthal an Obie Award (1988) and two Tony Nominations for Best Musical and Best Original Musical Score when it was produced at the Lincoln Center (1996). His other theatrical credits include "The Transposed Heads," "The King Stag," "Liberty's Taken" and "The Green Bird" (on Broadway in 2000).

For the concert stage, Goldenthal was commissioned by the American Ballet Theatre and the San Francisco Ballet to create a new ballet "Othello," which debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1997, and has been performed in San Francisco and Paris and will air on PBS's Great Performances in 2003. "Othello" returns to the Metropolitan Opera for the 2003 ABT season. His other classical commissions have included "Shadow Play Scherzo" to commemorate Leonard Bernstein's 70th birthday, and a large-scale orchestral piece "Fire, Water, Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio," which was commissioned by the Pacific Symphony Orchestra for the 20th anniversary of the Vietnam War and subsequently toured by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa conducting. It is available on Sony Classical with soloist Yo Yo Ma.

Goldenthal's other film scores include Drugstore Cowboy, Alien 3, Cobb and Neil Jordan's recent The Good Thief. He is currently collaborating with Taymor on an original opera "Grendel", which will premiere at the L.A. Opera in 2005 and, subsequently, at The Lincoln Center Festival.

CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE (Costume Designer) recently served as costume designer on the pilot "Robbery Homicide Division" directed by Michael Mann, PBS' "The Gin Game" starring Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke, and the feature 11:14, which stars Hilary Swank, Barbara Hershey and Patrick Swayze.

Before becoming a costumer designer in his own right, Lawrence worked as a costume supervisor with some of Hollywood's finest directors including Blake Edwards (Switch), Mel Brooks (Life Stinks), Garry Marshall (Beaches), Barry Levinson (Bugsy), Cameron Crowe (Say Anything), James L. Brooks (I'll Do Anything), Curtis Hanson (The River Wild), James Cameron (T2/3D), Phillip Noyce (The Saint) and Tony Scott (Enemy of the State).

In 1999 Lawrence was the associate costume designer on Michael Mann's The Insider. He then designed The Anniversary Party for Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bubble Boy for Blair Hayes and the action comedy Showtime, which starred Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy.

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