Forty years ago, producer Jerry Brockheimer hit the airwaves in Hollywood, thanks to "Flashdance," a dance drama that became a dizzying cinematic hit, grossing more than $ 200 million at the box office.
The story of the plot, about the rough iron welder who dreams of being a ballerina against all odds, was - in retrospect - also the story of Brockheimer himself.
"It's a soulful film, an inspiring story that emphasizes why one should never give up and why one should always strive for excellence," he recalls.
"The character in the film overcomes the difficulties and fears and manages to fulfill her dream. It reflects what I went through in my career personally. I am happy to do what I do, and constantly say to myself 'if you find something you are good at - persevere'. I always bet on myself and My ability to succeed. "
"Flashdance", released in 1983, was nominated for four Academy Awards and won one - for the song "What a Feeling", performed by Irene Kara.
The film was a link in the chain of successes that Brockheimer had in the early eighties, from "American Gigolo," which came out in 1980 and turned Richard Gere from an anonymous actor into a sex symbol, to "The Beverly Hills Cop" from 1984, who portrayed Eddie Murphy as a comedian The popular of the period.
Then, in 1986, Brockheimer teamed up with rising actor Tom Cruise in a movie called "Love in the Sky," which accompanied a group of young pilots in the U.S. Air Force and followed the competition between them and their romantic plots.
The script was based on an article by the late Israeli journalist and author Ehud Yonai, which was published in "California Magazine" and traced the professional and personal dramas in the lives of pilots in the United States.
"Love in the Sky", which grossed $ 357 million and was crowned one of the most lucrative films of the eighties, was nominated for four Oscars, of which he won for the original song "Take My Breath Away" by the Berlin band.
Cruz became a Hollywood superstar thanks to him.
"It was a groundbreaking moment that changed our career paths, and like the fighter jets in the movie - each of us took to the skies," Brockheimer recounts.
"We did not expect the film to be so successful and leave such a legacy. Tom then began to be overwhelmed by offers, and that gave him a lot of power. I also have to remind myself all the time, by surprise, that I manage to entertain audiences to this day.
"In my character I am always prepared for the worst, trying to silence the voices and doubts that run through my head, because you never know what will happen. I had films whose test screenings got sky-high results, but the halls were empty and they crashed financially. None of us imagined that after four "Decades will be such an expectation for a sequel to the original 'Love in the Sky'."
You still have a secret spice for success.
"If I could know in advance about every movie or TV series I produce, what will work and what will not - I would already be retired, sunbathing and relaxing on some Bahamas island. I will not prophesy. One of my guiding principles is to surround myself with the best and most dedicated professionals there are. I "Worship talent and seek to give a stage to the best people who have not yet been exposed. These are insights I formulated when I read books about cinema as a teenager in Detroit."
Cruz and Kelly McGillis in "Love in the Sky," 1986,
"Looking forward to the viewers' response"
Next weekend, the weekend of American Remembrance Day (Memorial Day), which in the United States is marked by a festive salute to the fallen with barbecue parties, sales promotions in malls and entertainment with friends - the sequel to "Love in the Sky" is finally coming to screens.
In the film industry, Memorial Day's weekend is considered the most demanding timing possible, as it marks the official opening of the summer, a season that traditionally invites huge box office hits, grossing hundreds of millions of dollars and more.
This summer, Hollywood is hoping more than ever to bring the blush back to the cheeks, after Corona's two bad years.
"Love in the Sky: Maverick" premiered world premiere at Cinema-Con last month in Las Vegas - an annual conference of the U.S. Cinema Owners Association, where the heads of major studios will present their offerings for the coming year.
Tom Cruise, who in the last decade has sparred in interviews - to avoid intrusive questions about Scientology, his tumultuous divorce from Katie Holmes and the cosmetic upgrades he apparently went through - did not show up at the conference.
The 59-year-old star, who is known for insisting on performing his own dangerous stunts and preserving the image of one of the last big Hollywood stars, appeared only in a short video where he was seen standing on the wing of a Piper plane in flight, with a message to conference attendees: "I wish I could be with you "But as you can see, I'm in the middle of filming the next movie in the 'Mission Impossible' series, and sorry for the noise from the engine."
Without a cruise, the 78-year-old Brockheimer arrived at the press conference wearing a simple, tie-free black suit and sneakers.
It was hard to suspect that he was the most profitable producer in Hollywood, with a cumulative total of about $ 18 billion grossed by his films worldwide.
You said you did not know how to predict success, but it seems that making the pledge to a hysterical hit like "Love in the Sky" is quite an anchor.
"Now it seems, so to speak, the most requested and relatively easy, but it's not a simple business. There are heavy questions here: How do you approach the whole project? What's the new chapter in the life of the protagonist Tom we can bring this time? Only now can I say with confidence that we made a sequel The audience and bring him back to the halls.How do I know? Because that's how I watch movies myself: in front of a big screen and with popcorn in hand.
As for Tom, I have never known a man who works harder than him. He is a great actor, and also a producer himself. We have been waiting a long time to share with the audience the film we worked on. "It will be solely in their hands. They are the ones who vote with their feet."
The statistics in your resume prove that it is also in your hands. You definitely know what you're doing.
"I concentrate on trying to create the most entertaining content I can, recruit the most talented people and make sure there is a decent marketing and distribution array. But in the end I wait to see what the audience will say. I love what I do for a living. It's a daily task to crack what's next. That the world will want to see, and also a great reason for me to get up in the morning.
"I'm first of all looking to tell fascinating stories, with interesting characters and big topics from life. Then I take talented creators and good actors - and let them express themselves in the optimal way. It starts with them."
As a producer, a giant star who insists on performing the stunts himself is a big headache?
"It's something I can avoid from any other player, but not from Tom Cruise. He's a guy who always moves at top speed and utilizes his skills to the best of his ability, without downshifting. He's unstoppable. No matter what they tell him, he will do what he wants. But important To make sure he acts carefully, after thorough preparatory work each time, he rehearses for months in preparation for an on-screen action scene that lasts 30 seconds.
"Even at his age, he is in excellent shape, devotes most of his energy and is always ready for the task. He gets up every morning at 4:30, exercises properly, eats according to a very specific personal diet. He has a chef and a nutritionist attached to him. He will not come to dinner, For example, and sat as one person, because he is a very defined food, not like everyone else.He makes sure to sleep properly, and generally takes care of his body and mind regularly.
"Bottom line, if he's a big star who does stunts himself - then only Tom Cruise. It rarely happens to others. And precisely because he's so prepared for it, the scene goes smoothest on screen. He's the most professional at what he does, and you can not take it. from him".
Tom Cruise in "Love in the Sky: Maverick."
"No matter what they tell him, he will do what he wants," Photo: AP
"The Russians were afraid of me"
"Love in the Sky: Maverick" takes place more than three decades after the plot of the first film.
Cruz, aka Captain Pete Mitchell, known as "Maverick", deliberately avoided promotion in his entire airline career, in order to continue flying fighter jets.
This time he is coaching a new group of pilots, which also includes Sergeant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller, "WeFlash"), the son of Maverick's friend, "Goose", who was killed in the original film.
The pledge now also stars John Ham, Ed Harris and Oscar winner Jennifer Conley ("Wonders of Wisdom"), as the object of Maverick's new love.
The project went into development 12 years ago, began filming officially four years ago and was slated for release in July 2019, but the production requested a one-year postponement in favor of filming more complex aviation scenes.
"In the opening scene, you see a plane coming out of the hangar, and we got a special photo permit for this purpose at an isolated Air Force base in the California desert," Brockheimer explains.
"In retrospect, we realized that this was happening on the radars of the Russians and the Chinese. They received something through their satellites, and did not understand what it was about. They were afraid that it was some secret military deployment that the administration was working on."
Then came the Corona, which caused the film's release to be postponed for another two years, prompting streaming giant Netflix and Apple TV Plus to offer Paramount Studios and Brockheimer's production company to purchase the film and distribute it to them.
"For me and for Tom, it's obvious that the film is for the big screen," the producer says emphatically.
"It's a cinematic experience we worked on, and that's how the audience should watch it. The main reason the first film was successful was that the viewers wanted the thrill of sitting in the hall, feeling together as a community the atmosphere of the film. It's something that has not changed since I went "The whole crowd is around me. There is no substitute for that in the world."
How do you test success in the streaming age?
"Even there it all starts in the audience. On TV ratings data are published after the broadcast, and the indication is pretty immediate. But with streaming platforms it's not a simple business because you get pretty vague information. They let you know if a particular movie is among the top ten content, "I get accurate information about the degree of success, and there are not too many details. The thing is that we must be content with even this little data, we have no other choice in reality today."
Is there an intention to produce a third film in the series?
"It's hard to guess at this point. We really do not know yet. The new film is fantastic, and I want to enjoy the moment and the feedback that will come. That is what will dictate what the future of the brand will look like."
Produced a series from Israel
Brockheimer, the only son of a couple of Jewish immigrants from Germany who came to the United States before World War II, was born in Detroit in 1943. He began his professional career in an advertising company, and after producing television commercials he moved to Los Angeles, where he began working on low-budget films. The 80s, as mentioned, rose to the big leagues.
Among his most successful films stand out "Armageddon," with Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck, who was the big blockbuster of 1998, with $ 553 million;
The action thrillers "Con Air" and "Sting in 60 Seconds", and "National Treasure" movies - all starring Nicholas Cage;
The pirate film series "Pirates of the Caribbean" with Johnny Depp, which grossed a total of $ 4.5 billion;
And a series of "Bad Guys" movies, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
In the 2000s he expanded his work to dozens of television series, with a clear penchant for formats with corporate potential.
He is one of the producers of "Race for a Million", which has won the Emmy for the best reality show ten times and spawned a dozen international versions - including this one in Israel.
He is also the producer of the police drama "CSI", which ran for 15 seasons and was previously considered the most popular purchasing show in the world, and even produced four daughter series, including a new one that came up last fall.
He was even one of the producers of the American version of the "hostages" of the late Israeli Channel 10, which survived only one season on CBS.
In total, the projects bearing his name have won six Oscars, 17 Emmy Awards, five Grammys and four Golden Globes.
His company offices are located in Santa Monica, west of Los Angeles, but he continues to spend time on a farm he owns in Kentucky, with his wife of the past 30 years, from novelist Linda Cobb.
"My success is a triumphant testimony to the opportunity given to immigrants to come to the United States, to make a living and start a family, to fulfill the American dream as I hope it will last forever in history," he said in the past.
I saw how hard my father, who was a salesman, and my mother, who was a housewife and also ran accounts for my uncle's business, worked.
I learned that the harder you work, the more lucky you are.
"Anyone who thinks he can just land in Hollywood and be a 'big shot' overnight - is cut off from reality."
What do you think the film industry will look like at the end of the Corona era?
"I believe at this point we have already reset the precautionary regulations. There are vaccines, and professionals from the art, sound and editing departments have become accustomed to working in zoom. When everyone returns to the offices we will have to work in larger spaces, and always be responsible and guarded.
"I'm optimistic, and I believe that people need a variety of entertainment, from cinemas to sporting events, which are another hobby of mine. I really like watching hockey. "Oh, and I'm also happy to do another joint project with Tom Cruise."
dcaspi@goldenglobes.org
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