Studios too busy
for ‘Fantasy Island’

The show's producer intends
to come back to film later episodes

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

Producer Greg Prange is optimistic that Hawaii can be the home base for "Fantasy Island" despite current logistical problems that have forced part of the one-hour television pilot to be filmed in Los Angeles.

"Our long-term plan is to come back here," said Prange, who is in Honolulu.

Columbia-TriStar, which is producing the pilot for ABC, was unable to secure space at Hawaii Film Studio at Diamond Head or find a suitable warehouse, so a Los Angeles sound studio will be used.

For now, though, Prange is concentrating on 10 to 11 days of location shooting that begins April 6 on Oahu, Maui and Kauai.

"The Hawaii film community was very cooperative with us, but with three pilots going on, there's a little bit of a shortage," Prange said.

Other projects being filmed in Hawaii are "Honolulu CRU" by Disney's Touchstone for ABC, and NBC's "Wind on the Water" on the Big Island.

The two studios at Diamond Head are being used by "Honolulu CRU" and a Japanese production company, which signed a three-year lease for $6,000 a month last November to work on an animation feature film.

The studio was rented to the Japanese company during a slow period in a very unpredictable industry, said Georgette Deemer of the state's Film Industry Branch.

Space for a sound studio may be available on the neighbor islands.

"We have space, and I know we would find one," Gorja Skinner, Maui County's film commissioner, said of a warehouse to use as a sound studio.

"We're actively exploring business, community and government partnerships to attract filmmakers. Episodic series are the lifeblood of Hawaii's film and TV industry."

"Fantasy Island," a remake of the popular TV series that aired from 1977-84, could go a long way.

"At this point there's a very strong commitment to the show," Prange said of the plans to film the pilot and six episodes.