Kellan Lutz, Gina Carano and more movie folks chat about 'Extraction' and making the most of Mobile
"Extraction" star Gina Carano at T.P. Crockmier's in downtown Mobile, AL, on Thursday, March 5, 2015. (Tamara Ikenberg/tikenberg@al.com)
If you're a Twi-Hard who also happens to be a fan of Bruce Willis' "Die Hard," franchise, you're likely to get a kick out of "Extraction."
The thriller, which began filming in Mobile on Fat Tuesday and will wrap this weekend, stars Bruce Willis and hot young actor Kellan Lutz, best known as Dr. Carlisle Cullen's buff vampire son Emmett in the "Twilight Saga" series.
In "Extraction" Lutz plays Harry, the son of Willis' kidnapped CIA agent character Leonard.
Lutz said the opportunity to be Willis' son is especially gratifying since he's a huge fan and he really wanted to play the son of Willis' John McClane character in 2013's "It's a Good Day to Die Hard."
"This is my chance to play his son in a 'Die Hard'-esque movie where you have Bruce and explosions, comedy, heart and the relationship between the father and son," Lutz said.
Lutz was starstruck by his venerable co-star.
"Of course before (Willis) left, I was like, 'Bruce, I've gotta get a photo with you," he said.
Lutz, his "Extraction" co-stars Gina Carano and Joshua Mikel and director Steven C. Miller took some time out on Thursday evening at T.P. Crockmier's to talk about the movie and Mobile.
Willis was only here for a couple days at the beginning of the shoot. But the rest of the cast, a few of whom were here last October to shoot "Bus 657," had a fair amount of time to explore Mobile.
"It is the nicest feeling on the planet to come back to Mobile," said Carano, who plays a policewoman in "Bus 657." "This place kind of feels like home."
"Extraction" is the fourth movie from inter-connected production companies Hannibal Classics or Emmett Furla Oasis Films to be shot in Mobile since the Nicolas Cage gangster shoot-'em-up "Rage" came to town in the summer of 2013. The other movies are "The Prince," "Vice" and "Bus 657."
The Mobile movie business had been booming for a reason.
In 2009, legislation was passed that allowed Alabama to offer attractive incentives to filmmakers.
Any film project that spends at least $500,000 in the state gets a 25 percent rebate on any expenses exceeding $500,000.
And if the project uses local talent to fill cast and crew positions, which all of this year's productions have done, the filmmakers get a 35 percent rebate on however much that talent gets paid.
Getting into character
In "Extraction," Mobile plays Newark, NJ. According to director Miller, making the Port City resemble a major metropolis is just a matter of choosing and shooting locations wisely
"The few big buildings that you have here, if you frame them the right way, it looks like a giant city," Miller said. "If you get them at the right angle and you have cars coming through, you can get a really cool big city feel. And there are certain streets and side roads that have a (Newark) feel" to them."
Locations including Armstrong World Industries plant on Baker St., The Garage Bar, the Sky Lounge at The Holiday Inn, and various Dauphin St. office buildings and apartments, serve as the backdrop for "Extraction"'s excitement and intrigue
"The movie is basically about a father and son team. The father is a CIA operative who gets taken and the son decides he's going to go out on his own mission to get him back," Miller said. "It's really simple, but there are a lot of fun action scenes and explosions. From the start its action."
The actors have really gotten into their roles.
Lutz calls Harry "an incredibly complex character." He explained that Harry had to grow up fast since his mother was assassinated when he was a teenager and his father Leonard was depressed and distant.
Carano plays Victoria, a character that has a certain 'ex'-ual tension with Harry. "They hire me to help Harry find Leonard," Carano said. "We used to date so we have a very funny dynamic. I can have fun" with the role.
Mikel, who played a thief in "Bus 657," is one of "Extraction"'s villains.
"I'm Drake and I'm kind of your quintessential bad dude,' he said. "I'm the guy who kidnaps Bruce Willis."
For Mikel, acting alongside Willis was somewhat surreal.
"You can't help but be humbled in the presence of someone (with such a) long and storied career," he said.
Mikel said working with Willis was a tad distracting, and it was a challenge to keep the movie's world separate from the real world.
A few times when he caught himself marveling at the fact that Willis was right in front of him, Mikel had to silently remind himself, "No no no, he's Leonard and my name is Drake."
Local flavor
From bubbly at Cafe 615 to decadent fried seafood pastas at Wintzell's, the cast and crew of "Extraction" indulged in the best of Mobile during their time off-set.
They'll all take home their own personal set of wacky, touching and delicious Port City memories.
Director Miller was in town prepping for the film for a few weeks before the shoot commenced and managed to amass a random treasure trove of throw.
"I had my four-year-old and my wife here and we went out a few times and tried to catch as many Moonpies as possible," he said. "I also got a Little Debbie Star Crunch, some ramen noodles, some plastic balls and some beads. I got a lot of fun stuff. Mardi Gras was awesome. I've never seen anything like it."
Lutz will always cherish a champagne-soaked Sunday night at an elegant eatery, followed by a spontaneous screening of "Fifty Shades of Grey."
"We got out and went to Café 615 and they have the champagne angel who just comes around and gives you champagne," And the food was really good."
Lutz was also charmed by a four-legged Cafe 615 attendee.
"They have this bulldog there," Lutz said. "One of the patrons comes in and brings his bulldog. It's just so precious. I love dogs."
During the relaxing dinner and drink fest, Lutz ended up losing a bet, and was required to take a group of girls from the cast to see "Fifty Shades of Grey" as a result. The jovial party made its way to West Mobile to see the kinky mega-hit.
"It was a good movie," Lutz said. "Maybe being a little tipsy helped, but it was just fun watching it with a lot of females."
Mikel's most vivid Mobile memories are southern-fried.
"I went to Wintzells and had the most incredible amount of fried food on top of Alfredo pasta," he said.
Mikel is referring to Wintzells' Seafood Napoleon, which features layers of fried eggplant, oysters and shrimp over pasta with crawfish sauce.
Carano made sure she spent some time on Dauphin St. with a local artist pal she met during the "Bus 657" shoot.
"I have a homeless buddy who draws pictures of people and I take people to get their pictures done by him. Last time I was here I took people from the set," she said. "His name is Al, but I call him 'Maestro.'"
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