ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHT
Alumni S P OT L I G H T
Action/Adventure Man
Richard Wright ’78, right, on the set of The Next Best Thing in 2000, with Madonna, Rupert Everett, director John Schlesinger on the left, along with Tom Rosenberg—the CEO of Lakeshore Entertainment. “It wasn’t a box office scorcher,” said Wright, “but it was a lot of fun to shoot.” RON BATSDORF
Producer Richard Wright ’78 has called Hollywood home for longer than he cares to admit. He is currently in last-minute preparation on Underworld 2, the sequel to the hit film released in 2003. “The first Underworld was a real under-the-radar project,” Wright said.
“We shot it in Hungary for $23 million and when it came out, no one knew what to expect. We had nowhere to go but up. This time we are shooting in Vancouver, the budget has more than doubled, and expectations are skyhigh. As the saying goes, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ Now I know why. I guess these are good problems to have, but it’s nerve-wracking anyway.” Wright is also preparing The Exorcism of Emily Rose to begin shooting this fall, and Blood and Chocolate, slated to shoot in Romania next year. “This will be my third werewolf film in two years,” said Wright. “I must be getting good at it!” Finishing up for a spring 2005 release is Cave, a thriller about a team of spelunkers trapped deep in an underground cave system. Wright’s other film credits include Runaway Bride, The Mothman Prophecies, The Gift, and Arlington Road with actor Spencer Treat Clark ’05. “The thing about the film business is that you never know when you leave the house what’s going to happen that day—which is a good thing, I suppose. It sure keeps you on your toes. But every now and then you do find yourself pining for a nice 9-to-5 job in the suburbs.” Taft Bulletin Winter 2005
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