One of the largest and most influential scandals in the history of the LAPD (aside from the Rodney King incident); the Rampart scandal; has influenced a large number of films and TV shows (including Training Day, Dark Blue, Dirty, and The Shield; which was retitled after the LAPD objected to naming it Rampart), and is the subject of the upcoming movie Rampart; which has just secured US distribution.
Millennium Entertainment has picked up the rights to release Rampart; the film written and directed by Oren Moverman (The Messenger), and co-written by James Ellroy (LA Confidential); in the US for $2 million; hoping to capitalize on the fantastic premiere reception the movie received at this year’s Toronto Film Festival.
Zombieland star Woody Harrelson’s performance, as Dave Brown; one of the last renegade cops in the LAPD (based on the real life Rafael Perez; the man at the centre of the Rampart scandal); also drew a massive amount of praise, and it’s due to that praise, and Harrelson’s stunning performance, that Millennium Films have decided to put Woody firmly into the 2012 Oscar race; by launching a campaign for him to win the Academy Award for Best Actor (an award he has been nominated for in the past, but is yet to win).
Co-starring Ice Cube (a member of the NWA; who released songs such as “Fuck tha Police”, to show their discontent with the LAPD), Robin Wright (Forrest Gump),Anne Heche (Hung), Ben Foster (The Mechanic), Sigourney Weaver (Alien) and Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Rampart; the story of cops so corrupt they were linked to shootings, beatings, planting evidence, stealing evidence, dealing drugs, taking bribes, and even bank robbery; is due to be released in the US later this year, and will hopefully make its way over to the UK either by the close of this year, or in early 2012.
Matt Wheeldon.
Source: Deadline (info), The Hollywood Reporter (Clips).
