TV pilot, 'The Break,' shoot starts at Pipeline
By Moon Yun Choi
Special to The Advertiser
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At least, that's what "Blue Crush" director John Stockwell is hoping the fictitious Crime Reduction Unit of the Hawai'i police force will do if the pilot of his proposed new TV series, titled "The Break," is picked up by Fox.
Monday was the first day of shooting with actors on the North Shore.
Stockwell, who returned to the scenic surf spot where he filmed "Blue Crush" in 2001, said he had an "amazing" session Monday, directing in the waters off 'Ehukai Beach Park.
There were a few dozen crew members on hand Monday, but not all of the cast was there.
Dylan Bruno, who plays a Crime Reduction Unit officer, started work Monday. His name might not be familiar, but he had a principal part in a 2002 made-for-TV movie, "The Pennsylvania Miner's Story," based on the chronicle of the real-life coal miners who were rescued last summer. His movie credits include Jet Li's "The One" and "The Rage: Carrie 2."
Kris Kristofferson, known for his roles in "Blade," "Blade 2" and "A Star Is Born," plays Bruno's father. Kristofferson wasn't around on Monday.
"Brian Grazer and I conceived the idea of a TV series in Hawai'i, with Pipeline being a big part of the story, when making 'Blue Crush,' " Stockwell said. "I wanted to utilize the crew and cast again. They were fantastic.
"I also wanted to show a side of Hawai'i you don't normally see from staying at the Four Seasons, and that it wasn't all tiki torches and lu'aus."
Grazier, who spent part of Monday surfing, says he thinks "The Break" will be a success.
"I believe in this show," he said while toting a surfboard under his arm. "As with '24,' where I'm the producer, it will be a visceral experience."
"24" is a critically lauded TV series on Fox. Grazier also was the producer of "A Beautiful Mind," which won a Best Picture Oscar.
The cops in the Crime Reduction Unit investigate in plain clothes and go to surf spots to gather information, hence the title, "The Break."
"My character ran away from home at age 16 to the Mainland," said Bruno. "He gets a girl pregnant at 17, develops a drinking problem and ends up raising the kid on his own. The kid turns 13, and he gets into trouble, so the father decides to move back to Hawai'i to have his family help him raise the kid."
Bruno said he already knew how to surf, so he was able to pass that part of the test in getting the part.
Because the movie involves surfing at the Banzai Pipeline, one of the deadliest surf spots on the planet, it was a difficult show to cast: the actors had to have the right blend of surfing and acting skills.
The filmmakers, of course, took advantage of the beach setting to include beautiful women in bikinis. Vanessa Minillo, the female lead who's an actress from Los Angeles, was among them. However, because it's the Pipeline, Minillo had a stunt double do the hard surfing scenes.
In order to get the part, Minillo, who plays a Crime Reduction Unit officer, said, she needed to be athletic.
"It was a plus if you knew how to surf. I was a beginning surfer when trying out for the part, but I've since improved in the past week I've been surfing in Hawai'i. And the crew has been fantastic in helping me out. They never put you in any danger and always give you the best waves to work with," Minillo said.
"It's the greatest job in the world. I'm on O'ahu, on the North Shore, tanning in great company."
Local actor Kala Alexander, who was in "Blue Crush," also plays an officer.
Filming wraps at the end of the month.
