« Thank You for Smoking, produced by newcomer David O. Sacks, is the latest example of a new trend in Silicon Valley: geeks who made millions in tech testing their resolve–and their riches–in Hollywood. Sacks’ production company, Room 9 Entertainment, is financed by him and three fellow PayPal cofounders. »
From Wired News.
The writer/director, Jason Reitman – who was born in Montreal but raised in Los Angeles – has been blogging about the process since last September. It took 5 years from screenplay to final mix and the road was bumpy.
« Reitman shopped the script around. Every major studio turned it down. He says they all wanted him to rewrite the ending so the hero would have a change of heart. « I got these notes from high-profile people, saying he has to go work for the Red Cross. I thought that was ridiculous. » In the five years between writing and shooting the movie, Reitman honed his craft by directing commercials for Wal-Mart and GM, including a Buick ad starring Tiger Woods. He eventually financed Smoking with help from dot-com tycoon David Sacks, who sold his company PayPal to eBay for US$1.5 billion. They met at a fabulous hilltop house that Sacks had just bought, the one owned by Marsellus in Pulp Fiction. It was still unfurnished. As they sat in folding chairs by the infinity pool, with a view stretching to the Pacific, Sacks peeled loose rubber from the soles of his shoes. Reitman suggested he dip into his fortune to go down to Rodeo Drive and buy a new pair. »
From Macleans.
I’ve really got to get back in touch with some old San Francisco friends…
