'Blue Crush' promos to wash over Hawai'i

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Competitive surfer Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth, third from left), her rebellious younger sister and two best friends, from left, Mika Boorem, Kaua'i's Sanoe Lake and Michelle Rodrigues, star in "Blue Crush." Universal Pictures

But a wave of promotion begins Monday when 85 to 100 members of the press corps — print and broadcast, domestic and international — arrive for three days of film previews and interviews here. Sorry, the public may not attend.

"Blue Crush," previously called "Surf Girls," stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodrigues and Kaua'i's Sanoe Lake as competitors in a surfing competition on O'ahu's North Shore, where the film was largely shot last winter.

The $30 million film boasts gargantuan waves and breathtaking wipe-outs. It's way edgier than "Gidget Goes Hawaiian" and more revealing than "Baywatch Hawai'i."

Reporters and invitees will view the movie Monday night at the Ward Stadium theaters. On Tuesday, print journalists will conduct interviews with the trio of actresses, along with other stars, including Mika Boorem, Matt Davis and Faizon Love. Director John Stockwell ("crazy/beautiful") will be on hand, along with producer Brian Grazer and writer Elizabeth Weiss, plus professional surfers Rochelle Ballard, Megan Abubo, Kate Skarratt and Keala Kennelly, for Q&As at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina, home base for the junket. Broadcast journalists get their camera time on Wednesday.

A Hawai'i preview, sponsored by The Advertiser, is set for Aug. 13 at the Signature Dole Cannery, preceding the Aug. 16 opening.