Calgary Herald (Front Page) Wednesday 23 June 1999

Travolta looking forward to playing nine-foot alien

Jamie Portman, Calgary Herald

Richard Eman Jr. photo / John Travolta to film Battlefield Earth.

For years, John Travolta has wanted to produce a film version of Battlefield Earth, the epic science-fiction novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

But Travolta says people are wrong if they perceive the project -- which finally starts shooting this summer in Montreal -- as a piece of Scientology propaganda.

"This is not about him -- it's a science-fiction story," Travolta protests. He says many people don't realize that Hubbard was a major writer of science fiction and fantasy before he founded the Church of Scientology.

"He started writing in 1937 and in 1938 got his first sci-fi deal with a big book company. This is what he did initially to make a living and it's how he was able to finance his research into Scientology years later."

Travolta, one of Hollywood's most prominent Scientologists, says Battlefield Earth was Hubbard's biggest success, and continues to sell well in 23 countries.

"We're talking about a monster book, and to me that has nothing to do with Scientology."

The thousand-page saga covers several years in telling the story of Jonnie Goodboy Taylor, who has survived an alien destruction of Earth and finds himself rebelling against the ruthless rule of the Psychlos. Travolta is enthusiastic about playing one of the bad guys.

"I play a nine-foot alien who is more wicked than you ever dreamed of in your life. I wear these stilt-like prosthetics on my feet and I have this big apparatus on my head as a combination headpiece and hairpiece. I also have amber eyes and talons for hands."

Roger Christian, who worked with George Lucas on Star Wars, is directing Battlefield Earth. "We also have a cinematographer from Star Wars working on this film," Travolta says. "We've got the best people in the industry involved."

He says he opted to shoot it in Montreal for financial reasons. "It's cheaper in Canada. You get a lot more bang for your buck. It may be costing $80 million Cdn but that's the equivalent of $50 million US."