EATING DUST: TRAINING THE CAST TO HANDLE HARLEYS…AND ANGRY BULLS
Before the story of WILD HOGS could roar to life, the cast would first have to learn to ride the roaring chrome machines with which their characters are so in love. But riding a Harley is no quickly acquired skill and comes with a big risk--as all experienced riders know, it's not a matter of if you'll ever wipe out, it's just a matter of when.
To make things even more complicated, each of the film's four stars started in completely different places--John Travolta was an experienced rider who knew Harleys like a pro, Tim Allen had ridden sport bikes but not Harleys, which have a flavor all their own, while Bill Macy was a gung-ho novice, and Martin Lawrence had never so much as straddled a bike in his life and had no idea what was in store! To get everyone equally up to speed, the filmmakers brought in stunt coordinator Jack Gill to run a pre-production training camp. Gill started the crew out on dirt bikes to hone their handling skills, then moved up to cruising Harleys around the twisting roads of Malibu Canyon, which served as a testing ground for the newbies.
Tim Allen admits the learning curve did occasionally lead to meeting with the road. "With cars, I know where the limit is, but I don't really know bikes, so when you get going fast and you try to put on the brakes, they don't stop very well--which I found out a couple of times!" he laughs.
Adds Bill Macy: "These are big-ass bikes, and when they start to tip over, they're going. I don't care if you're Arnold Schwarzenegger--you're not going to be able to correct it when it hits the tipping point."
Still, like his cast-mates, the newbie Macy quickly discovered just why so many men develop a Harley habit. "They're big motorcycles, but Lordy, what a feeling. Only people who have ridden understand that feeling of freedom and lawlessness and living on the edge. It's irreplaceable. It's legal and non-narcotic and fun as all get out," he enthuses. "I am seriously hooked." Indeed, Macy notes that he regrets not putting in his deal memo that he be allowed to keep his bike!
Although Allen, Travolta and Lawrence were each allowed to select the bikes they ride in the movie, Macy's Sportster was given to him to further establish character. "You have to be a Harley person to get the joke, but the bike I'm riding is a Sportster, which is known as a chick bike. I'm on a 1,200cc Sportster, so if it's a chick bike, I don't want to meet the chick," he laughs.
Real-life bikers were also called in to educate the cast on the history of the biker lifestyle--and how it turned from being feared by all but the most rebellious Americans to being revered by so many today. Once on the set in New Mexico, the cast were further submerged in leather-clad biker culture, especially after an open casting call for extras turned up 1,300 devoted bikers in full regalia and attitude.
At any given point during the filming, up to 100 motorcycles were simultaneously roaring on the set. Bike aficionados will recognize the broad diversity of motorcycles that were used--and especially three very special bikes that veteran riders and customizers Paul Teutul, Sr., and Paul Teutul, Jr., who also make cameos in the film, lent to the production from the popular show "Orange County Chopper." Says Teutul, Jr.: "They're what we call 'old school' bikes. Ray Liotta is on a bike that we built a while ago called the Greeny, and there's an orange old-school 1974 Sunshine that is seen on a pedestal in the Cincinnati Byker's Island bar. That was the first Harley that my father customized. And there's another hot-rod-looking chopper, an old-school Paul 2, with ape-hanger handle-bars that's also in the film. They're very nostalgic-looking bikes."
In addition to learning to handle Harleys, the cast had another fierce and powerful beast to worry about--the 2,000-pound bull who forms the centerpiece of one of the film's funniest scenes, in which the Hogs try their hand at bull wrangling. Once again, Jack Gill was called in to coordinate the daring stunt, using both the real actors and experienced rodeo performers, in case all hell broke loose. The latter are used to stampeding animals, but the former were in for quite a surprise.
"Slapping the bull was one of my favorite sequences," says director Becker. "We wanted the actors to do most of the stunts themselves, but talking them into going in there with a live bull was interesting. We had a so-called 'docile' bull, but of course, animals can be unpredictable. I'm certainly glad we got everybody out in one piece, because the second 'docile' bull we used turned out to be not so docile after all. He actually stampeded through the corral at one point, sending stuntmen and camera crew flying over the railing!"
For the cast, the scene proved truly memorable. "Part of the fun of this movie is the way the action and the comedy meld together--but trying to be funny while a 2,000-pound bull is chasing you is a lot of pressure!" laughs John Travolta.

THE HOGS HIT THE ROAD: ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Once the actors were ready to ride, the entire cast, crew and hundreds of Harleys were shipped off to New Mexico, the famed Land of Enchantment, where WILD HOGS would be shot entirely on location. Albuquerque was used to double for the Hogs' hometown of Cincinnati, while New Mexico's scenic mountains and forests were able to stand in for areas throughout the entire United States.
But as "enchanted" as New Mexico might be, it wasn't all bliss, especially when it came to the state's notoriously mercurial weather. "Since this was essentially a road picture, we were out in the elements for three months," notes Walt Becker. "Along the way, we dealt with dust storms, mini-cyclones and rains of biblical flood proportions. At times, it felt like we were shooting 'Lawrence of Arabia,' with the temperature frequently over 100 degrees and the 40-mile-an-hour winds which came up each afternoon. I take my hat off to all the cast and our crew who suffered right along with me."
While much of the film was shot on the open road, there were also a number of key interiors, starting with the Hogs' cozy homes in Cincinnati, and especially when the Hogs roll into the dusty Western town that has been overrun by the Del Fuegos. To help forge the story's visual atmosphere, Walt Becker tapped the creativity of production designer Michael Corenblith, a two-time Academy Award^® nominee for "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Apollo 13."
Corenblith brought his imagination to the task by forging highly contrasting worlds for the suburbanite Hogs and the bad-to-the-bone Del Fuegos. "Michael created such a sense of realism on which to pin our comedic story," sums up Becker. "His sets never ceased to amaze me."
For Corenblith, the project promised to be too much fun to resist. "I loved the idea of mixing elements of a kind of 'Easy Rider' motorcycle movie with a Western feeling. And I was also drawn to the challenge of visually depicting a journey of thousands of miles, while shooting entirely in one state," he says.
Key to Corenblith's vision for the film's design was subtly revealing how the characters are being transformed as their cross-country trip ensues. "The palette goes from muted in the beginning to very vivid and alive," he explains. "We begin with fairly bland, institutional colors in Doug's office and hospital room, and that develops into the cacophony of color in the Madrid Chili Festival at night."
He continues: "The contrast between the two worlds was also expressed in the creation of two biker bars. The first, the Hogs' hang-out in Cincinnati called Byker's Island, was intended to be the typical suburban idea of a biker bar: cool choppers on display, a distinctive logo and the usual assortment of merchandise for sale. It was more about the T-shirts than the beer. The Del Fuegos' bar is the opposite of the Cincinnati experience and is a 'real' biker bar. It's more like a clubhouse, most about celebrating their customers and the beverages to be found."
The Del Fuegos' bar set was created on historic Bonanza Creek Ranch, which has been seen in dozens of Western-themed films, including "The Lone Ranger," "Silverado," "Young Guns," "Wyatt Earp" and "Lonesome Dove," among others. "I knew Walt was interested in iconic imagery, so I pitched a 'Wild West saloon meets Route 66' kind of architectural hybrid, complete with double-swinging doors for the Hogs' entrance," Corenblith explains.
The core of the shooting took place in Madrid (spelled like the capital of Spain, but pronounced Made-Rid)--once a booming mining village in the 1800s, then an abandoned ghost town, and today an artists' colony replete with charming shops and galleries--which stands in for the town where the Del Fuegos hold sway.
"We wanted the town to feel real, which meant neither too cute and small nor too big, and it also had to have a sense of history and community to it--you had to believe that a motorcycle gang could actually take it over. We stumbled through lots of small towns throughout New Mexico before we finally discovered Madrid," recalls producer Mike Tollin.
In Madrid, Michael Corenblith created another key set: Maggie's Diner. He explains: "The heart of the town is Maggie's Diner, where much of the action takes place. This was built from scratch on a vacant property, using the forms, archetypes and vocabulary of old Route 66 diners: cozy booths, a prominent counter with stools and tin ceilings. In every way, we transformed this old mining town into something evocative of small-town life."
Corenblith even invented a Town Square for one of the film's climactic moments, the Madrid Chili Festival, turning an empty parking lot into an inviting space complete with gazebos, gardens and carnival rides. The festive effect of hanging Chili Festival banners throughout the town even inspired local Madrid resident to propose actually starting a Chili Festival in the future!
Invention was par for the course throughout the production of WILD HOGS. When Corenblith couldn't find a New Mexico location to simulate the Arkansas Ozarks, he crafted the scenery from scratch. Starting with a basic outcropping of rocks in the pristine Jemez Mountains, he began sculpting with foam until he had created an idyllic vision of a little hot springs. "On a creative level, to see what Mike accomplished on this movie was wonderful--he is a genius at sheer movie magic," says Tollin.
Further adding to the visual fun of WILD HOGS is the work of cinematographer Robbie Greenberg, who previously shot Robert Redford's "The Milagro Beanfield War" in New Mexico and already had a deep affinity for the state's natural beauty, not to mention the lighting skill to deal with its ever-shifting weather. For Walt Becker, Greenberg's contributions were indispensable.
"I really think this is one of the best-looking comedies you'll ever see thanks to Robbie, who is so meticulous," comments Becker. "We did not want the film to look like your typical blown-out American comedy with that big, comedy lighting. His photography is lush and beautiful, so that it not only plays up the humor, but also captures the drama of the story. Also, he makes everybody look fantastic in every scene."
Rounding out the film's design team was Penny Rose, the costume designer who came to the film on the heels of her exuberant designs for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." Although there was definitely a big difference in dressing bikers rather than pirates, she sees a connection: "It's all about boys and their toys!" she jokes.
Kidding aside, Rose wanted to emphasize the reality of WILD HOGS' characters. She explains: "What I felt about the script was that even though it is a very funny comedy, there is also a lot of hidden depth to it. Your heart breaks for each of these characters in a way, and I wanted to really make them as individual as possible."
To do that, Rose worked in very close collaboration with Allen, Travolta, Lawrence and Macy, talking at length with each of the four stars to fit the character's clothing options to the actor's visions of their personalities. "We had a lot of fun together, and they were each brilliant," she says. "The four of them really know what they're doing."
Rose especially had a good time with William Macy's memorable bike costume. "Dudley inspired a definite look," she says. "I sent William a load of helmets and he pounced on the 1940s Outrider helmet. That set the tone for the rest of Dudley's look. Also, he had these weird glasses that you put on from behind your head and they snap together with a magnet at the front. I insisted that he wear them in the film because they were so hilarious."
Macy loved his outfit but did fail to anticipate one thing. "In retrospect, it might not have been such a good idea to wear black leather pants in New Mexico in July!"
Rose went through a wide range of bike clothing, ranging from vintage to current, in dressing both the Hogs and the far larger band of Del Fuegos, and gives lots of credit to Harley-Davidson, who kept the production supplied with some of the company's most iconic items through the years. "The people at Harley-Davidson were phenomenal," she relates. "They sent jackets, trousers, helmets, you name it. They were extremely generous."
For Walt Becker, the entire production was filled with a treasure store of riches. "When you have a film with a half-dozen or so world-class actors and such a wonderful, amazing crew, the real challenge becomes just giving everyone their time in the sun. There was just such an overflow of talent, every morning I would wake up and feel like I was having an out-of-body experience."
But as fun as the production might have been, its biggest effect was to spark a thirst for adventure among almost everyone involved. Notes Mike Tollin: "By the end of the movie, we were all kind of talking about going on our own WILD HOGS trip!"

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
WALT BECKER (Director is an accomplished director, screenwriter, producer and best-selling author. One of Hollywood's top emerging filmmakers, Becker previously directed the breakout commercial comedy "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." Becker made his directorial debut with "Buying the Cow" for Sony Pictures, which he also wrote. As a screenwriter, he has sold several scripts to Hollywood studios, including "Nathan Never" at DreamWorks, "It's All Bull" at Paramount, and "Schooled" at Disney, which he also plans to direct.
As a producer-screenwriter, Becker created and is attached to many projects for the small screen, including "Downfall" for the Fox Family Channel and the pilots "Team Extreme" and "Morpheus" for New Line/WB Television.
Becker is the author of two novels. His latest, Misconception, was co-written with renowned attorney Robert Shapiro and was optioned by Phoenix Pictures. His first book, Link, was on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list for four weeks and has been optioned by Disney for Becker to direct and produce.
Becker received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Studies from UCLA and a master's degree in film from the School of Cinema and Television at USC, where he won the prestigious Robert S. Ferguson Award.

BRAD COPELAND (Screenwriter) was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, 45 minutes from Daytona Beach, whose "Bike Week" provided some of the inspiration for "Wild Hogs."
He attended the University of Florida before moving to New York where he spent six months as David Letterman's intern. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, he wrote a freelance script for NBC's "NewsRadio." Next, he spent three years as a writer on "Grounded for Life," before leaving to start up and produce the series "Arrested Development." Currently, Copeland is Co-Executive Producer on the popular series "My Name Is Earl."  Copeland and his wife live in Los Angeles.

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