iMahal Interview Series:
Bill Riead
November 12, 2000
iMahal:
When will Island Prey be in theaters?
Bill:
That's not up to me, it's up to the distributors. And distributors sometimes hold them for a summer release or a Christmas release. We are in the process of finding the right distributor. When I make a film, I can pretty much tell you I'm going to do this and that. But as far as distribution, that's not my area of expertise. I defer to the experts. But it will for sure be released sometime in 2001.
iMahal:
So Island Prey is finished -- what movie project is next for Bill Riead?
Bill:
I'm doing a movie called Lost, and that's a love story. There are three types of movies that consistently make money: action adventures, suspense thrillers, and love stories. Love stories are big sellers. This movie I am making, Lost, is a love story, but I don't want to give away the plot because we are just about to begin filming it and I don't want anyone to grab it. It's going to be a very interesting movie and I'm very anxious to get on location.
iMahal:
Where is that? And when do you start filming?
Bill:
Early 2001, probably on Maui, though that is subject to change. We may film in Canada, depending on who treats us better, but it's likely to be in Maui.
iMahal:
And what is next for the "off hours" Bill Riead? What things, other than making movies, are you passionate about?
Bill:
My priorities are my family first, and film second. I've always kept it that way. My family knows how much I love film. And so you can imagine how much I appreciate my family.
To be honest, my work is my passion. I'm kind of embarrassed to say, I don't have any hobbies. My hobby is my work. For me there are not enough hours at the end of the day to have a hobby, at least not at this time in my life. I dedicate every waking moment, other than diet and exercise, to the film project I am involved in at the time.
Because you see, if I make a mistake, it's on the screen for all to see. And I never lose sight of the fact that at a certain point there's going to be an audience for my film and I'm going to be so embarrassed if I did something wrong and I'm broadcasting that mistake. So it's ever-present on my mind to make certain that the film I am making is dead-on and is as bullet-proof as I can make it as far as being a good motion picture.
Of course not everybody is going to like what I do. There were people who didn't like Titanic, and I thought it was an incredibly well done film. There were people -- I couldn't believe it -- who didn't like Dances With Wolves! I thought it was as flawless a movie as anything I had ever seen in my life. So there will be people who don't like Island Prey. And that's okay. You know for every Siskel, there is an Ebert. And it's okay with me. I know that I did everything in my power, pushing myself further than anybody would ever have expected me to push myself, to make it a good movie, and I will do the exact same thing with Lost and the pictures we do in the future. And the day that I don't do that anymore, and I don't feel that passion, I'll hang it up.
