Jerry Bruckheimer's Technical Black label makes its debut appearance with "Remember the Titans." "This film speaks to the type of stories we hope to develop; smaller films, cutting edge stories that explore issues not generally seen in main stream filmmaking," says Bruckheimer. "I love all kinds of movies and too often the industry tends to pigeonhole filmmakers. Technical Black is a way to enlarge our scope. It's another way of trying to bring the best entertainment to the screen. 'Remember the Titans' is a testament of our commitment to that end."
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer was immediately interested in "Remember the Titans" after he first read the script. "Chad Oman brought the story to my attention," Bruckheimer recalls. He was very enthusiastic, and I responded right away. It's an emotional story and the fact that it's true made it even more important to tell.
Academy Award®-winner Denzel Washington was equally intrigued. He read the script early during the development process and indicated that lie would be very interested if the filmmakers ever received a green light. I just thought it was a fascinating story," the actor says. "The emotional core of the story is with the kids. I w as also impressed with Coach Boone as a man, a coach and a father."
Writer Gregory Allen Howard lived for several years in Los Angeles before moving back home to Virginia where he felt the creative environment was more fulfilling. During his first year back, living just outside the D.C. beltway, lie noticed the city of Alexandria was uncommonly well integrated in a way I'd never seen," he says. "Movie theatres, restaurants, neighborhoods. I couldn't understand why. Why here and almost nowhere else? I started asking around and I kept hearing about this high school football team. I think it was my barber who first told me about the Titans and these two coaches. I couldn't imagine that a high school team could so effect an entire town. Some say they saved the city."
Howard was immediately captivated by the inspirational story. After convincing Herman Boone he was not part of a practical joke being played on him by fellow teachers at T.C. Williams, Howard began his research in earnest. He spent months interviewing Boone and Bill Yoast as well as former players, their patients and school personnel. He then spent three years peddling his story to no avail. At first he tried to entice different companies with a treatment and when that failed, Howard decided to sit down and write the script, hoping it would be an easier sell. "When I went in for my first meeting with Jerry and Chad, I was a little embarrassed," he says. "It seemed that every studio in Hollywood had turned me down, why would Jerry Bruckheimer be interested, but he was!"
"The fact that this is a true story really sold me," Bruekheimer affirms. "It's about people learning to get along. We live in this world together, and as it gets more crowded we'd better learn to communicate. It's the key. It's what Boone and Yoast did and what they taught these kids.
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