Manila welcomes the spies of 'Bourne Legacy'

While President Benigno Aquino III and the armed forces were on "heightened alert" for a possible terrorist strike during the procession of the Black Nazarene, some residents and local officials of Manila were excited about having fictional spies and bad guys facing off in their neighborhood in the coming days and weeks.

 

Super spy Aaron Cross will be played by Oscar-nominated actor Jeremy Renner in “The Bourne Legacy”—the fourth in the "Bourne" movie franchise based on the best-selling Robert Ludlum espionage novels. Renner got his Academy nomination in the 2008 film, “The Hurt Locker.” His most recently screened movie is “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” which starred Tom Cruise.

 

Also in “The Bourne Legacy” slated for release in August are highly-acclaimed actors—Oscar best actress Rachel Weisz, Tony winner Joan Allen, Golden Globe winner Edward Norton, Screen Actors Guild best supporting actor Albert Finney, and Golden Globe best actor Stacy Keach.

 

The Aquino administration is excited about the location shoot of the spy film in Metro Manila and its future impact on tourism. The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and other government offices have given their support to the film.  

“The Philippines will really be mentioned. Hindi po iyong mag-shoo-shooting dito and in the movie it will be presented as a different place. So talagang kasama po sa script na pupunta po iyong bida ng pelikula dito as the Philippines,” said Palace deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte in an interview over the weekend on government radio station dzRB.

 

Months of preparations

 

It turns out that the local production outfit of “The Bourne Legacy” has been working on “one of their biggest projects” for quite a long while now.

 

In Malate, Manila for example, formal coordination with Barangay 705 and its neighboring barangays was done as early as September last year.

 

“Filipinos will be proud of this movie...Filipinos will want to watch this,” said Nikolo Juban of the local production unit for the “Bourne Legacy” film, which will be shooting on location in Manila this week and until late next month.

 

GMA News Online met Juban, who is Philippine Film Studios' man in-charge of location shoot matters for the film, while exploring the streets of Malate.

 

Remedios Circle was the starting point of the trek through the neighborhood. It is a popular nightspot because of the many restaurants and bars on the streets that line up the streets radiating from it.

 

Last Sunday, it was fairly quiet, except for the sound of construction work on a lot on the periphery of the rotunda landmark where a statue of Philippine revolution hero Marcelo H. del Pilar stands.

 

Pedicab drivers Garry Bautista and Manolito Tan said the construction activity is part of preparations for the “Bourne” movie. They said they signed up as extras for the location shoot.

 

Bautista and Tan added that shoots for television series and movies are often done in their neighborhood. A recent one they recalled was “Bantatay.”

 

Tan said it is not his first time to be an extra because the last film he was in is a Piolo Pascual movie entitled, “Huli Ka, Mahal Ko” which he said may be shown soon.

 

The pedicab drivers said they signed up for the “Bourne” movie only last Friday and that about 100 of their neighbors also got listed as extras.

 

“Kinunan kami ng picture. May hawak kaming nameplate. Wala namang sinabi kung ano ang gagawin namin,” Bautista said.

 

“Isasara daw ‘yung mga kalye sa paligid dito. May mga bahay silang pinagawa doon sa Dakota,” they said.

 

Dakota is the old name of M. Adriatico Street in Malate.

 

Extra income, new roofs

 

On the formerly vacant lot to the left of the del Pilar statue, a small army of construction workers is at work. They said various equipment will be placed on the structure they are building.

 

Barangay Tanod Ehino Nuarin, who keeps watch over them, said the site is just one of several spots where the film will be shot.

 

“January hanggang March sila narito. Sa March baklasan nitong kanilang ginawa. Noong 2010 pa lang naglilibot na sila dito,” Nuarin said.

 

Across the street at a local convenience store, GMA News Online met Cristina Cabique and “Tita Joy” who said they also signed up as extras. They said they and their neighbors are happy about the film shoot they will be part of.

 

“Masaya kasi kahit paano kikita. Hindi lang nga namin alam pa kung magkano,” Cabique said.

 

“Ay, dun sa Dakota masaya nga sila dun kasi ‘yung bubong nila pinaayos,” Tita Joy added.

 

A short pedicab ride away are the offices of Barangay 705, Zone 77, District V where officials said the roofs of about 30 homes were repaired, reinforced, and made to look old on the exterior.

 

Barangay Chairman Rodrigo Catamora, Sr. revealed to GMA News Online that the “Bourne” film's production outfit started formal coordination with them back in September while the works on the roofs of the houses were done last December. To his knowledge, about 400 extras will be part of the film and they will come not just from his barangay but also from adjacent areas.

 

Catamora said it was explained to him that some scenes of the movie will be shot along some of the narrow paths near the barangay hall. Filming will be on January 11 to 15 and then again on February 19 and February 22 to 25.

 

A resident, Oscar Antonio Jr., said the roof of his home was fixed up last December 13 and 14. He showed to GMA News Online his humble home's reinforced roof, now made up of shiny new galvanized iron sheets and sturdy wooden beams.

 

“November pa lang kinausap na kami. Nagkapirmahan pa,” Antonio said.

 

Catamora said the rooftop sequences are scheduled for the February shooting dates.

 

The barangay chairman said he and his neighbors are excited about the location shoot of the “Bourne” movie and they had worked out the details so the shooting will proceed smoothly.

 

“Malaking bagay sa amin 'yan kasi lugar namin ang napili sa shooting ng foreign film. Buong mundo ang manonood diyan. Makikita nila 'yung lugar namin dito. Nabigyan kami ng importansiya dahil sa kinadami-dami ng lugar, kami ang napili,” Catamora said.

 

Location is 'very Filipino'

 

Philippine Film Studio's Nikolo Juban revealed that their company, which has been in existence for some 35 years now, has done other projects in the barangay and its environs.

 

“Our rule of thumb is we always go to a location and leave them happy because you never know when you're going to come back to shoot again,” Juban said.

 

He said the locations were chosen because of “the look of it... It's very Filipino. This area is very popular with some local productions.”

 

Juban said the director, Tony Gilroy, “felt he could do what was in his mind here.”

 

He added that the “The Bourne Legacy”—being an action movie—will have action sequences and stunt work worth looking forward to. He declined to give details.

 

However, according to MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino, one exciting scene will be shot at an MRT station. “May lulundag sa MRT,” Tolentino said. He said they are preparing for crowd control on the shooting dates.

 

“I can guarantee that we have some very, very good action sequences. I think we'll be seeing sequences—the way we're doing it—done for the first time,” Juban said with pride. –With Roehl Niño Bautista/KG/HS, GMA News; Map by A.M. Marzoña, GMA News