Soul Plane is a comic film built around one general premise: what if you created an urban airline and filled it with the most outrageous characters possible?
The answer: You get one wild ride!
After making a name for himself in the world of music videos, director Jessy Terrero makes his feature film debut with Soul Plane. "When I read the script, I thought it was hysterical," says Terrero. "In terms of comedy, nothing was off limits and everyone was fair game. That gave us the opportunity to get as crazy as we wanted with the humor, and I knew it would be a lot of fun." Terrero quickly climbed on board to help shape the feature and take up his position as captain; he really helped pulled the project together, give it focus, and help it get off the ground.
With so many roles in the script, the filmmakers' attention quickly turned to casting. "When we first started casting it was tough," says Terrero. "The comedy in the script was really wild in some places, and many of the actors and comedians were hesitant about committing to the project because they were unsure what kind of movie we were trying to make." When the actors actually met with Terrero, however, those with reservations quickly saw the passion he had for the project and understood what he was going for; Terrero let them in on the joke, and they really liked the punch lines. One by one, the actors, comedians, and music stars in the project signed on.
The first actor Terrero went after was rapper Snoop Dogg, with whom he had collaborated on several music videos. "I was shooting a video with Snoop Dogg when I agreed to direct the film," says Terrero. "I was really excited and told him I was going to direct a movie that was kind of an urban take on Airplane!. The first thing he said was �essy, I want to fly that plane.' A few months later we were in Brazil working together and he again said to me, �essy, I'm flying that plane,' so I knew he was serious. I went to the studio and told them I had found our pilot; I knew he had a great comedic sensibility and was really passionate about being involved in the project, and that was enough for me."
For Snoop Dogg, playing Captain Mack (NWA's not-so-qualified pilot) was not an option �it was a necessity. "I told Jessy many times there was only one captain for his plane," says Snoop Dogg. "When he called me to do this film, I said, �'m your Captain Mack with the sack so lay your head back and enjoy the ride.'"
Hired by Nashawn's cousin Muggsy (Method Man) to fly NWA's inaugural voyage, Mack shows up 20 minutes before departure looking more like a hip street character than an airline pilot. "Captain Mack is new to the flying game and the only training he's had is a pilot class taken at Pelican Bay State Penitentiary," says Snoop Dogg. "It was either get a G.E.D. or get a pilot's license, so basically Mack is just trying to get the plane to N.Y.C. safely and make sure everything is beautiful while we coast."
"Snoop Dogg does a great job in the film," says Terrero. "He's known for his music and his rap skills, but he's also got great coming timing and a super sense of humor. Audiences will love him in this film."
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