McTiernan Sentenced to 4 Months in Prison

By: Jarrod Sarafin, News Editor
Date: Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Normally, I don't cover this type of news featuring someone from Hollywood, their personal life or the trouble they tend to get into with the law. However, John McTiernan is a well known genre director (Predator, Die Hard) of the 80s who was supposed to begin production on a new action film very soon. The man who began two hit franchises was sentenced to 4 months in federal prison during a Monday session in Los Angeles Federal Court. The director became involved with the case after a federal sting against an infamous Hollywood private investigator named Anthony Pellicano. The feds brought a 111 indictment against him for illegal wire tapping and bribing law enforcement agencies in the purpose of obtaining information for celebrities.

McTiernan's accused of hiring the man to wiretap another producer from his 2002 Rollerball film. Apparently, there was a recorded conversation between the director and Pellicano discussing the tapping of Charles Roven (one of his producers for the film).

Yesterday morning, the director tried explaining in court why his involvement should be thrown out by lack of credible legal advice from his former lawyer and the fact that when he spoke to an undercover FBI agent, he was in Wyoming on vacation and had consumed two glasses of wine and a variety of anti-depressants. U.S District Judge Dale Fischer wasn't impressed with McTiernan's arguements on the matter.

The director is ordered to turn himself in for 4 months of federal prison time by January 15, 2008 and pay a $100,000 fine.

The question now becomes whether McTiernan can complete his recently announced action film, RUN, which was set to begin production shortly by Arclight Films.

Big thanks to Maniac Scooper, WarCry, for passing this bit along..

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Comments/Responses

metalwater • Sep 25, 2007, 01:54am •

You know...it would be ironic if John McTiernan directed a movie about all of this after he serves his prison sentence.

darkedge • Sep 25, 2007, 03:45am •

McTiernan deserves prison after what he did to the remake of RollerBall. The original was an utter classic, the new one is one of the WORST FILMS EVER.

Whiskeymovie • Sep 25, 2007, 05:44am •

From the way I understand it, the movie we saw was not the movie he wanted to make. He was getting preasure from other places. I actually just watched the remake the other day again (insomnia and being high makes for bad decisions). It is pretty bad, but then again I love LOVE the movie Torque. But Rollerball makes TOrque look like a classic. The 13th Warrior I think is under rated and Basic was ok. Mctiernan was the Michael Bay of his day, but went the way of John Woo and just can't seem to make a good film anymore. I loved the Patrick Dempsy mmovie Run from the late 80's.Early 90s......I wonder if its like that.

metalwater • Sep 25, 2007, 06:53am •

Run was great!!! I just tried to rent it on Blockbuster Onlline, but they sent me a Bollywood movie called Run???!!! However, this new Run that John McTiernan is doing, a rip-off of the Bourne Identity movies, has nothing to do with the original film, yet another reason to lock McTiernan up!!!

And agreed, John McTiernan must do hard prison time for the Rollerball remake!!! He is one of the worst criminals in Hollywood for making that movie...and even worse, his bad casting of the film!!! He deserves life in prison!!!

AlpineWoods • Sep 25, 2007, 07:43am •

That's a funny one, metalwater. Saying that John McTiernan should go to jail for the Rollerball remake. I like that. But it's only four months. He might just do less time than that. Most real criminals would kill to do four months in jail.

• Sep 25, 2007, 07:54am •

I'm sorry but under the strange logic that John McTiernan somehow deserves prison time for the Rollerball movie..

...I'd say he deserves a full pardon for making Die Hard and Predator.

Jarrod

monkeyfoot • Sep 25, 2007, 09:47am •

Agree with you, Jarrod.

amateurscientist • Sep 25, 2007, 11:20am •

I'm very sorry to hear this news. John McTiernan is one of the best film directors ever, certainly unsung, and easily one of the most innovative with camera movement and framing. I won't get into it, but of course DIE HARD, PREDITOR, Hunt for Red October, and the Thomas Crown remake are among his best and trendsetters in the industry.

directors like Steven Soderbergh are among the few on record saying that McTiernan has inspired them with his use of camera work in his directing.

yes, Rollerball was bad, worse than bad, but c'mon, do we have such limited short term memory? this guy is a master filmmaker in a system that really does not give credit where it's due. people plead for different, but lashout when it's not cookie cutter. there are times when McTiernan has tried new ideas, and some have not all worked. but he's tried, and from him, I admire even the experimentations.

I'm bummed out to hear that his freedom will be taken away, and hope that he only comes out sharper, stronger, and able to make more movies.

GentlemenDeath • Sep 25, 2007, 12:57pm •

There was a remake of Rollerball.....?

wish • Sep 25, 2007, 04:39pm •

I agree with Jarrod......only he forgot to metion........Last Action Hero......c'mon! Arnold making fun of himself in one of his most honest character portrayals ever! Digitally edit out the kid sidekick and you've got a great........GREAT........film........

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