Pinkville Goes Dark

Posted by Greg

February 28, 2008

The Hollywood Reporter, November 2007

The ripples from the WGA strike in Hollywood are starting to be felt worldwide, as several high-profile projects scheduled to shoot in Thailand have been put on hold for the foreseeable future, affecting hundreds of local actors and crew members.

The most notable victim is Oliver Stone’s Pinkville, a film detailing the infamous Vietnamese My Lai massacre of 1968. Production was slated to begin in early December but has since been suspended indefinitely.

“Obviously, everyone is quite upset, it was quite a blow when we were told,” said Santa Pestonji, the Thai Production Supervisor. “We had about 350 people ready to go.” Pestonji was hesitant to comment further, noting how recent the news was and the constantly changing details of the situation.

“I’d rather not talk too much about it, because no one is sure yet what exactly will happen,” he said. “We’re all hoping for the best.”

Along with a significant number of local crew members, there are several dozen Thailand-based actors who were hoping to share the screen with the likes of Woody Harrelson, Michael Pena and Bruce Willis, who has since left the project in the wake of the delay. (I read this on Wikipedia, but couldn’t find any more substantial clarification)

“After years of hustling, I was hoping this was going to be the role to launch me out of relative obscurity,” says Bangkok-based actor Troy McFadden, who had been cast as a member of the US military. “I haven’t given up hope that the project will recover, but I’m struggling with disappointment.”

Bangkok-based casting agent Kaprice Kea, who had several dozen actors under consideration for the film, also felt the sting of a sudden and expensive hole in his schedule.

“I’ve invested many hours over the past several months working on auditions, breakdowns, introductions, workshops and travel,” he says. “It’s a significant financial loss for all involved. There are seven more big projects scheduled from December-March, and we’re all hoping they don’t collapse as well.”

However, despite the upset, support for the strikers is strong.

“The WGA is entirely justified in their approach and I agree with the union 100%,” says McFadden. “The timing is unfortunate for me but serves the greater good. That said, I hope both sides come to a fair agreement as soon as possible.”

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