Scott MacMillan in Prague
07 March 2003 04:00
Dreamworks SKG has gone into pre-production in Prague on an untitled teen comedy, formerly called The Ugly Americans.
The European road trip movie represents the first shoot in the Czech capital for DreamWorks, previously the only major studio
not to have shot a film in the Czech Republic, which has drawn runaway U.S. productions with its skilled crews and low labour
costs.
The film has gone though a series of working titles, according to Matthew Stillman of Stillking Films in Prague, which is
handling production services in the Czech Republic. After The Ugly Americans, the film was briefly known as A Fistful of Euros;
now, he says jokingly the shoot is referred to locally "A Fistful of Untitled Americans."
The untitled comedy joins other films currently prepping or shooting in Prague, including Stephen Sommers? monster mash Van
Helsing, scheduled to wrap in late March or early April, whose several sets have taken over public spaces and landmarks in
Prague?s Gothic and Baroque centre at various times in recent months.
Guillermo Del Toro is also back in Prague with his Hellboy, starring Ron Perlman. Del Toro directed Blade II here in 2001. Other
films slated for Czech shoots include HBO?s The Candy Bomber, and Stillman says the second half of this year will be busy with
as yet unannounced productions.
The planned shoot of Disney?s made-for-TV Fiddler on the Roof, however, has been cancelled, he said.
