Stallone Movie Cuts Freeway Stunts

A film company has withdrawn its request that the state close the Simi Valley Freeway for filming of a Sylvester Stallone movie, ending a controversy that enraged commuters and threw a spotlight on the state’s campaign to promote filming in California.

Citing the cost and unspecified scheduling problems, Cannon Films, producer of “Over the Top,” finished shooting after deciding to forgo trucking stunts once slated for a barren three-mile stretch of freeway between Moorpark and Simi Valley, the California Film Office announced Tuesday.

Commuters in the two Ventura County cities learned that the film office planned to close the road when signs were posted along the freeway in June announcing dates and hours that the road would be shut to traffic--including rush hours. The plan drew strong rebukes from the two city councils, which complained that they were not consulted by the state.

Both councils, however, offered to endorse filming on the weekends, and Simi Valley officials said that they would not object to use of the freeway for filming during non-peak traffic times on weekdays.

Until last week, state officials negotiated with Cannon to film the truck scenes on weekends or to stage the stunts elsewhere in California, said Lisa Rawlins, director of the film office. But Cannon decided to avoid the expense of higher weekend labor costs and added travel expenses, she said.

‘Write Around It’

“They ultimately decided to write around it,” Rawlins said. “The company seemed satisfied.”

“That’s good news,” Moorpark Mayor Thomas C. (Bud) Ferguson said. “We just can’t afford to stop that artery of traffic into Moorpark.”

“I’m all for keeping filming in California but that particular spot couldn’t have been a worse pick.”

Rawlins said the community uproar over the Simi Valley Freeway plan had convinced film office officials to “triple- and quadruple-check our bases” before pressing ahead with filming.

Alienating Community

“If we alienate the community, we can’t serve the film industry,” she said.

The state Legislature, backed by Gov. George Deukmejian, created the office in 1984 to serve as a one-stop center for permits for filming on state property, hoping to stop some “runaway” filming in which California loses jobs and tax revenue to other states.

Film officials earlier said that the overtime cost of weekend work was stalling Cannon’s acceptance of filming on those days.

Rawlins and several film industry executives also contended that public uproar and media attention were encouraged by the connection to Stallone, who plays a truck driver who tries to win back the love of his son and win the world arm-wrestling championship.

“If this had been a Sally Field movie or a Disney movie of the week . . . the reaction would not have been as strong,” she said.

“Over the Top,” which was filmed in Las Vegas and several Southern California locations, is scheduled for release in December.