Manatees no threat to $60-million film

After an emergency waiver to race in slow-speed zones is denied, a Columbia Pictures producer visits Gov. Jeb Bush. The chase is on.

By JULIE HAUSERMAN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 1, 2002

Now playing in Miami: action film star Will Smith vs. the gentle Florida manatee.

Guess who wins.

Columbia Pictures is scheduled to begin filming Bad Boys 2 in Miami today, a sequel to the 1995 action-buddy flick in which Smith and Martin Lawrence play Miami cops.

One problem: The producers want to stage high-speed boat chases in slow-speed manatee zones. That violates Florida rules.

Last week, state environmental officials turned down Columbia Pictures' request for an "emergency waiver" of the manatee rules. On Monday, producer Barry Waldman met with Gov. Jeb Bush. On Wednesday, the state agreed to allow the shooting to go ahead, with some restrictions.

A phalanx of manatee observers in the air, on boats and on bridges will keep watch for endangered sea cows. If any are spotted, shooting will stop. The chase scenes are to be shot in the Miami River and Biscayne Bay.

Normally, waiving manatee rules would require public hearings. But not this time.

This emergency is money. Big money.

"This is a $60-million picture," said Ron Book, an influential lobbyist whom Columbia Pictures hired when it ran up against Florida's manatee rules earlier this month.

Book warned the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: "To not approve this variance or waiver will create significant economic hardship to the city of Miami (now officially designated as the poorest big city in America.)"

The state's denial, Book wrote, "will most certainly create catastrophic economic consequences to the state of Florida at a time when Florida's economy could least afford such impact."

Environmentalists were amazed.

"This is really unprecedented," said Patti Thompson, director of science and conservation for the Save the Manatee Club. "I've never heard of any emergency waivers for manatee rules, period. And I certainly know there's never been an emergency waiver for something like this. The public was cut out of the process, and it was purposefully done."

Columbia Pictures said any delays would cost more than $6-million. Book said the movie could be shot elsewhere, costing Miami millions. Shooting is set to last more than 20 weeks. "It's a big deal," Book said.

Big enough to divert 90,000 commuters when filming shuts down the MacArthur Causeway for four days next week. Big enough to get the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to change its mind in a hurry.

Last Thursday, the state ruled that Columbia Pictures' petition "fails to allege any specific facts ... to show that an 'emergency' situation exists and to show how Columbia Pictures will suffer an adverse effect."

By Wednesday, the state found that Columbia Pictures "has presented specific facts to show that the production of Bad Boys 2 will suffer immediate adverse economic hardship if the emergency waiver is not granted and granted expeditiously."

Columbia Pictures apparently got inaccurate information about what is required to film a high-speed chase in manatee zones, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission head Ken Haddad. It was mid July before the studio figured it out.

"They convinced us it would be an undue hardship," Haddad said. "There was absolutely no pressure on me to do this. I had no calls saying 'Make this happen.' They reduced to negligible any possible impact to the manatee."

A spokesman for Bush said the governor and Waldman, the movie's producer, discussed the issue Monday. The governor's staff met with representatives for Columbia Pictures. Two days later, the state issued the waiver.

Thompson, of the Save the Manatee Club, says she's sure Columbia Pictures is trying to do the right thing by posting manatee watchers on location, but she says it doesn't really work.

"There's no way they can guarantee that a manatee won't pop up on this chase," Thompson said.

Book says the restrictions on the film's producers will protect manatees.

"The manatee, during the time of this shoot, will probably be the most protected species in the entire world," he said.

-- Times staff writer Craig Pittman and Times researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright