Lost In Space,

ON LOCATION

The impetus for the production of Lost in Space sprung out of the mind of screenwriter and producer Akiva Goldsman: "I believe that as every generation takes the helm, it likes to revere its icons," Goldsman told Entertainment Weekly, explaining why Lost in Space was made. "And our icons were on TV. We were raised by TV. We were weaned on it. And so we're reinventing that which came before us. That's the great thing about icons--they're durable. They blossom from reinterpretation." Case in point: the Robot. Director Stephen Hopkins wasn't keen on making the Robot to look like the old one from the TV series, but Goldsman was reluctant to let go of that popularly recognized icon. So the two of them came up with the plot point of having both of them in the film. Stay tuned to see just how they managed to have their interplanetary cake and eat it too.

Ever since the Star Trek series became such a profitable tentpole for Paramount Pictures, the idea for a big-screen adaptation of Lost in Space had been bouncing around Hollywood for years--until the rights for the film finally landed on the desk of Akiva Goldsman's old Wesleyan University chum Richard Saperstein, then exec VP of production at New Line. Saperstein called Goldsman on day and said, "I'll buy it if you write it." After watching a few episodes and deciding to stay away from the original show's campy characteristics, Goldsman hammered out a first draft in six weeks, then scouted around for a director. Ultimately, he turned to another friend, Stephen Hopkins, a former comic-book artist, who had previously directed Predator 2 (1990), Blown Away (1994), and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996).

Star William Hurt had developed a reputation for being rather intense, even before the start of production of Lost in Space. His ruminations to Entertainment Weekly on why he was involved in the science fiction fable proved that light-hearted conversation was a foreign term to him: "The battle between technology and the family unit. Between artificial intelligence and natural intelligence. The notion of amorality as represented by the Dr. Smith character. These are the things that intrigue us all....Some people only think about how they can make millions and millions of dollars, but I'm not looking at the movie for its commercial potential...To me, it's a question of artistic realization. Of answering the question that made the series so interesting. Whether or not hetero-androgynous relationships can absorb and accept and tolerate critical situations and eke out a solution" (Don't worry: we had to look up "hetero-androgynous" too).

Hurt was equally out-there with his fellow cast members, often engaging them in intellectually stimulating, but usually baffling conversations. Oldman told Entertainment Weekly, "There were times when William would come up to me on the set for a little chat...Matt would come up to me afterwards and ask, 'So what'd you guys talk about?' I'd tell him, 'I have no idea.'"

Lost in Space employed some 750 special effects, from Jim Henson Creature Shop animatronics to CGI. It was a colossal production, spreading over 11 soundstages at Shepperton Studios in England.


	VIDEO SCHEDULE SERIES MOVIES SPORTS GAMES SWEEPSTAKES DRAMA IS... MESSAGE BOARDS ASK TNT