News

DATE=8/31/98 TYPE=ENGLISH PROGRAMS FEATURE NUMBER=7-30417 TITLE=TOM CLANCY'S "NET FORCE" COMES TO WASHINGTON BYLINE=KEMING KUO TELEPHONE=619-0936 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=SWANEY CONTENT= [INSERTS AVAILABLE IN AUDIO SERVICES] INTRO: POPULAR AMERICAN AUTHOR TOM CLANCY HAS YET ANOTHER NOVEL ON THE BEST-SELLER LISTS. CALLED "RAINBOW SIX," IT TELLS THE STORY ABOUT A BIOMEDICAL COMPANY AND THE DANGERS OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE. MR. CLANCY IS WORKING ON A NEW TECHNOTHRILLER: THIS TIME, THE WEAPONS OF CHOICE INVOLVE THE INTERNET AND COMPUTERS. BEFORE HIS NEXT BOOK IS PUBLISHED, A MOVIE BASED ON IT IS ALREADY IN THE WORKS. CALLED "NET FORCE," THE FILM -- TO BE TELEVISED ON THE AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY [ABC] AS A "MINI-SERIES" NEXT FEBRUARY -- RECENTLY COMPLETED SHOOTING ITS WASHINGTON SCENES. ___________ HAS DETAILS. TAPE: CUT ONE [SFX FROM LOCATION FILMING OF "NET FORCE"] IN FULL TO :18, THEN FADE UNDER & OUT TEXT: [:28] TEXT: AS ACTORS SCOTT BAKULA [BAA-CU-LAH] AND JUDGE REINHOLD FINISH THEIR SCENE WITH THE U-S CAPITOL IN THE BACKGROUND, THE FILM CREW IS ALREADY PLANNING FOR THEIR MORE COMPLEX SHOTS LATER IN THE EVENING. ABOUT HALF OF PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE -- THE FAMOUS PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL ROUTE -- IS BEING CLOSED TO TRAFFIC TO FILM A FICTIONAL PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADE SCENE. THE WASHINGTON, D.C-AREA FILMING FOLLOWS SEVERAL WEEKS OF PRODUCTION AT A HOLLYWOOD SOUNDSTAGE AND IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA -- A "SURROGATE WASHINGTON," WHERE SPECIAL EFFECTS AND EXPLOSIONS ARE ALLOWED ON ITS CITY STREETS. DENNIS DOTY, PRODUCER OF TOM CLANCY'S "NET FORCE" FILM, IS PLEASED TO FINALLY BE IN THE ACTUAL CITY WHERE THE FICTIONAL STORY TAKES PLACE. HE SAYS THE MOVIE IS ABOUT A DIVISION OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, CALLED "NET FORCE," IN WHICH ITS "CYBERCOPS" COMBAT CRIMES COMMITTED VIA THE INTERNET AND OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL CRIME. TAPE: CUT TWO -- DOTY :34 "THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE ASSASSINATION OF THE BUREAU'S FOUNDER AND COMMANDER, AND THE ASCENSION TO COMMAND OF 'ALEX MICHAELS,' WHO WAS THE DISCIPLE AND RIGHT-HAND MAN -- AN ALMOST FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP. IN THE PURSUIT OF TRYING TO FIND WHO AND WHY THERE WOULD BE SUCH AN ASSASSINATION DONE, HE STUMBLES ACROSS A MASSIVE PLOT TO HIJACK THE INTERNET -- WHICH, BY THAT TIME, HAS BECOME THE HEART AND SOUL AND ARTERY OF NOT ONLY OUR COMMERCE, OUR COMMUNICATIONS, OUR VERY WAY OF LIFE. THE EFFECTS OF THIS HIJACKING WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC TO PEOPLE AND THE NATION." TEXT: [OPT] PLAYING THE AMBITIOUS NET FORCE LEADER ALEX MICHAELS IS SCOTT BAKULA, BEST KNOWN TO AMERICAN TELEVISION AUDIENCES FOR HIS STARRING ROLE IN THE ACTION DRAMA "QUANTUM LEAP." MR. DOTY SAYS MR. BAKULA FITS THE HEROIC IMAGE FAMILIAR TO FANS OF OTHER TOM CLANCY FILMS. TAPE: CUT THREE -- DOTY :24 "IF YOU THINK BACK TO THE EARLY, TOM CLANCY FEATURES OF YEARS AGO WHEN [ACTOR] HARRISON FORD WAS THE CRUSTY, ALL-AMERICAN RELUCTANT-HERO TYPE GUY, SCOTT IMBIBES MUCH OF THAT SAME KIND OF ATTRIBUTE IN HIMSELF. HE'S A WONDERFUL ACTOR AND TOTALLY BELIEVABLE IN THIS ROLE. HE'S LIKEABLE, A GREAT ACTION CHARACTER. HE'S GOT A VERY APPEALING SIDE TO HIM. WE WERE JUST VERY LUCKY THAT IT WORKED OUT." TEXT: THE FILM CO-STARS JUDGE REINHOLD, WHO STARRED IN THE POPULAR "BEVERLY HILLS COP" MOVIES WITH EDDIE MURPHY. IN NET FORCE HE PLAYS WILL STILES, THE "ULTIMATE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIALIST" -- WHO IS MODELED AFTER THE REAL-LIFE BILL GATES. OTHER STARS IN THE MINI-SERIES INCLUDE BRIAN DENNEHY [DEH-NEH-HEE] AS THE CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND JOANNA GOING. ACTOR-SINGER KRIS KRISTOFFERSON PLAYS THE ROLE OF ALEX MICHAELS' ORIGINAL BOSS, WHO IS FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF NET FORCE BUT LATER ASSASSINATED. [END OPT] DENNIS DOTY, WHO ALSO SERVES AS ONE OF THE FOUR EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS FOR NET FORCE INCLUDING TOM CLANCY, EXPLAINS THE INTERNATIONAL APPEAL OF MR. CLANCY'S NOVELS AND THE FILMS MADE FROM THEM. TAPE: CUT FOUR -- DOTY :29 "I THINK HE CAN TAKE THINGS GOVERNMENTAL AND MILITARY -- IF YOU THINK OF 'HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER,' THE GREAT SUBMARINE STORY; 'PATRIOT GAMES,' OR 'CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER,' AND HIS NEW BOOK WHICH JUST CAME OUT, 'RAINBOW SIX' -- AND GIVE THEM A GREAT KIND OF ACTION TWIST. YOU FEEL AS IF THE NEWSPAPERS ARE COMING ALIVE IN AN EXTRAORDINARY DRAMA THAT ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING RUSHING AND CRASHING INTO THEM. IT'S A TICKING CLOCK AGAINST SOME SORT OF HORRIBLE EVENT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND THE GOOD GUYS HAVE TO GET THERE BEFORE THE BAD GUYS CAN PULL IT OFF." TEXT: TOM CLANCY IS PARTICULARLY ADMIRED FOR THE TECHNICAL ACCURACY OF HIS BOOKS, WHICH INVOLVE COMPLEX MILITARY AND GOVERNMENTAL THEMES. AMONG THOSE WHO HELP MR. CLANCY ACHIEVE THAT AUTHENTICITY IS FRIEND STEVE PIECZENIK [PIH-CHEH-NIK] A DOCTOR, PSYCHIATRIST, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE -- AND NOW, ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS FOR NET FORCE. A PRINCIPAL HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR UNDER SEVERAL ADMINISTRATIONS, MR. PIECZENIK HELPED TOM CLANCY UNDERSTAND THE MINDS OF TERRORISTS AND OTHERS INVOLVED IN PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE. TAPE: CUT FIVE -- PIECZENIK :35 "SINCE I DID HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS -- HE'D ASK ME INFORMATION FOR "PATRIOT GAMES,' FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT [CHARACTER] JACK RYAN -- WHAT YOU DO, WHAT HAPPENS IN A HOSTAGE OR TERRORIST EPISODE. FROM THERE, HE WROTE ANOTHER BOOK, 'CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER,' WHICH WAS ABOUT NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING. AT THAT TIME, IT TURNED OUT I WAS DOWN IN PANAMA TRYING TO TAKE OUT [PRESIDENT MANUEL] NORIEGA -- BRINGING HIM BACK TO THE UNITED STATES BEFORE THE INVASION OF PANAMA. [OPT] I WAS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE, I WAS KICKED OUT OF PANAMA TWO OR THREE TIMES BY MY FRIEND MANUEL NORIEGA -- WHO PROBABLY NOW REGRETS THAT HE DIDN'T TAKE OUR OFFER TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY." [END OPT] TEXT: WHILE STEVE PIECZENIK, TOM CLANCY AND OTHERS TRY TO ACHIEVE THE MAXIMUM REALISM IN NET FORCE, PRODUCER DENNIS DOTY REMINDS EVERYONE THAT THE FILM IS NEVERTHELESS FICTION. HOWEVER, THE WASHINGTON SCENES WERE MADE DURING THE WEEK THAT PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON MADE A MAJOR SPEECH ABOUT THE MONICA LEWINSKY AFFAIR. MANY TELEVISION BROADCASTERS USED ROOMS IN THE POSH HAY ADAMS HOTEL TO GET AERIAL VIEWS OF THE NEARBY WHITE HOUSE. AND MR. DOTY SAYS THAT'S WHEN HOLLYWOOD'S PORTRAYAL OF GOVERNMENTAL INTRIGUE MET WASHINGTON'S REAL-LIFE GOVERNMENTAL INTRIGUE. TAPE: CUT SIX -- DOTY :19 "WE MOVED IN MINUTES AFTER ALL THE [BROADCAST TELEVISION] NETWORKS WERE IN THE SAME ROOMS OVERLOOKING THE WHITE HOUSE, COVERING THE PRESIDENT AND THE MONICA LEWINSKY EVENT. SO IT WAS KIND OF EXCITING. WE'RE CROSSING [NEWS ANCHORS] TOM BROKAW AND PETER JENNINGS GOING DOWN ONE HALLWAY AS WE'RE BRINGING OUR CAMERAS UP THE OTHER WAY TO START FILMING -- IN THE SAME PLACE THEY WERE ANCHORING THE NIGHTLY NEWS FROM." TEXT: DENNIS DOTY, PRODUCER AND CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE FILM "NET FORCE," BASED ON TOM CLANCY'S UPCOMING NOVEL ABOUT FIGHTING INTERNET AND COMPUTER CRIME. [REST OPT] MR. DOTY'S NEXT BIG PROJECTS ARE MAKING A FILM ABOUT THE LIFE OF MOVIE STAR AND COWBOY ROY ROGERS, WHO DIED RECENTLY; AS WELL AS CO-PRODUCING THE NEXT ACADEMY AWARDS CEREMONY WITH GILBERT CATES. 31-Aug-98 2:55 PM EDT (1855 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .