WGTC: You shot much of the film on location in Las Vegas. That’s got to be a huge challenge since the place draws such big crowds.
Jon Turteltaub: It is a challenge and there was a lot to see in our cast for people to want to look at. It’s also a little bit on the warm side on certain days. But I got to tell you, it was a lot of fun shooting in Vegas. I love living in a Vegas hotel for six weeks. You put me somewhere with 24-hour room service and all that Vegas has to offer, and I’m happy. It was fun getting to look behind the curtain and see behind-the-scenes of how Vegas works too, because that’s something that not everyone gets to see.
WGTC: When the cameras weren’t rolling, did you get some time to sit down at the casino with some of the cast and crew?
Jon Turteltaub: I even tried when the cameras were rolling. Are you kidding me? Why wait? [Laughs] There was one time that we were in the middle of a shot and somebody had put money in the slot machine right next to me. I was like, “Oh, shit. I hope I don’t win because the bells and the noise is going to go off and ruin my shot.” But, [the cast] are not big gamblers. Michael gambles a little bit. Kevin and I played craps a tiny bit one night. Nobody really gambles in this cast. The crew, on the other hand, is a different story. We allowed ourselves a little gambling time.
WGTC: What was it like casting the young actors who play the stars’ younger doppelgangers, who appear at the beginning of the film?
Jon Turteltaub: How great were they?
WGTC: They were great.
Jon Turteltaub: So terrific. It was really fun finding these actors who looked and felt like their grown-up counterparts. And we talked to them about the movies that the others guys had been in, they watched them in their movies, so they could capture their spirit without necessarily doing imitations of them. There’s no doubt who is playing who. Even the cast was laughing at themselves.
WGTC: Did the young actors get to meet the cast?
Jon Turteltaub: Yeah. Some did while we were in the shooting process, but the ones who didn’t are going to meet them at the premiere in New York.
WGTC: You have worked in the industry for 25 years doing adventure and comedy and fantasy. Are there any other genres that you’d be interested in directing?
Jon Turteltaub: I’d like to do a western. I’ve never done a western. I think every director wants to do one at some point because there’s something so archetypal about it for us. It has so much film language to it that there’s something appealing about doing a western. The problem is, none of [the more contemporary westerns] have been successful, so I think after Lone Ranger, getting a western made’s gonna be a little harder.
WGTC: Well, Hollywood won’t be making one for $200 million.
Jon Turteltaub: [Laughs] By the way, the fact that you think that [The Lone Ranger] cost $200 million is hilarious.
WGTC: I’m ballparking here.
Jon Turteltaub: You’re being polite.
WGTC: I am being polite, of course. I know you’re close with [National Treasure producer Jerry] Bruckheimer.
Jon Turteltaub: Thank you, thank you. You saved me with that. Well done.
WGTC: Speaking of Bruckheimer, I can’t leave you without asking about National Treasure 3. Any update?
Jon Turteltaub: We are working on it, I swear. It is hard enough to write a historical mystery based on fact, but to do one that you haven’t done already that doesn’t feel like a knockoff of the first two is really hard. Disney is ready to go, Bruckheimer is ready to go, Nic [Cage] is ready to go, we just haven’t gotten the script right yet. As soon as we do, we’ll start shooting. I have a feeling we’ll be making that movie within two years.
That concludes our interview but we’d like to thank Jon for his time! Be sure to check out Last Vegas when it hits theatres this Friday!
