Taglines: It’s about compromise. It’s about love. It’s about a good wingman.
A modern reimagining of the classic romantic comedy, this contemporary version closely follows new love for two couples as they journey from the bar to the bedroom and are eventually put to the test in the real world.”
About Last Night is directed by Steve Pink and written by Leslye Headland. The film is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name; both are based on the 1974 play Sexual Perversity in Chicago by David Mamet. The remake began in development in January 2011 when Will Gluck of Screen Gems was hired to produce the film and to hire a director and screenwriter. Headland was hired to write the adapted screenplay.
By June of 2012, no director was yet attached, and Kevin Hart was cast in the film. In the following month, Screen Gems entered negotiations with Michael Ealy and Regina Hall to join Hart. By August of 2012, Pink was hired to direct the remake. Later in the month, Joy Bryant was cast to round out the four key roles. The Toronto Sun reported that in addition to the all-black cast, the remake would be closer in tone to the source material.
The original film was set in Chicago, and for the remake, the setting was moved to Los Angeles. Filming locations included Dodger Stadium and Casey’s Irish Pub in downtown L.A. It also filmed around Sixth and Main Streets downtown.
About the Production
About Last Night is produced by Screen Gems, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, with the involvement of production companies Rainforest Films and Olive Bridge Entertainment. The film is directed by Steve Pink and written by Leslye Headland. The film is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name; both are based on the 1974 play Sexual Perversity in Chicago by David Mamet. Development of the film began in January 2011 when Screen Gems tasked Will Gluck to produce the film and to hire a director and screenwriter.
By June 2012, Leslye Headland was hired to write the adapted screenplay, and in the following August, Steve Pink was hired as director. Pink said he liked Headland’s screenplay, and he wanted to direct a romantic comedy-drama.[14] He said the story was not high-concept, “It’s very simple and grounded in that way. The trick there is to keep it moving. It’s in Mamet’s original play, and the writers of the first one knew that. So structurally the movie moves quickly because you’re moving through a pretty big emotional story in a short amount of time without a lot of high-concept devices.”
In contrast to the original film, the remake’s starring cast is mostly black. Actor Michael Ealy said the story could be read independently of race and that it did not mean the original film would be truly called “predominantly white”. Actor Kevin Hart said, “I feel that what we’re doing is making it a little bit more modern, by incorporating black people. I don’t think it’s just about us being black, it’s just a different take on the relationship feel.
Our rants are a little different than a white rant. Our way of arguing is different from a Caucasian couple’s fights. It’s a little more violent. It gets a little more vulgar. Things are said that you don’t expect to be said.” The Toronto Sun reported that in addition to the all-black cast, the remake would be closer in tone to the source material.
The remake is set in Los Angeles, California, where the original film was set in Chicago, Illinois. The production did not qualify for a California film tax credit, but executives intended to film in Los Angeles regardless. The crew filmed in downtown Los Angeles, not traditionally depicted in films as a people-friendly community. The downtown area had been revitalized in recent years, and the crew chose to film most of About Last Night in a 10-block radius around 6th and Main Streets. Most films are filmed in different locations not near each other, so the setup for About Last Night was unconventional but helped minimize transportation costs.
Filming locations in the area included Pacific Electric Building, Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet, Santa Fe Lofts, Casey’s Irish Pub, and Broadway Bar. The crew’s location manager approached the owner of the local businesses to depict their properties as-is and benefit from publicity in exchange for lower rental fees for use of the space. Dodger Stadium was the sole filming location outside of the radius. Filming lasted for seven weeks in late 2012, and production was completed with a budget of $13 million.
About Last Night
Directed by: Steve Pink
Starring: Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Joy Bryant, Regina Hall, Paula Patton, Christopher McDonald, Catherine Shu
Screenplay by: Leslye Headland
Production Design by: Jon Gary Steele
Cinematography by: Michael Barrett
Film Editing by: Tracey Wadmore-Smith, Shelly Westerman
Costume Design by: Ann Foley
Set Decoration by: Dena Roth
Music by: Marcus Miller
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, language and brief drug use.
Studio: Sony ScreenGems
Release Date: February 14, 2014
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