Story of movie The Bling Ring : The Bling Ring is a 2013 internationally co-produced satirical crime film written, directed and produced by Sofia Coppola. It features an ensemble cast, led by Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga and Claire Julien. It is based on the 2010 Vanity Fair article "The Suspects Wore Louboutins" by Nancy Jo Sales, which dealt with a real-life gang known as the Bling Ring.
| The Bling Ring | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sofia Coppola |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | Sofia Coppola |
| Based on | The Suspects Wore Louboutins by Nancy Jo Sales |
| Starring |
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| Music by |
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| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Sarah Flack |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | A24 |
Release date |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $8 million |
| Box office | $19.1 million |
The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival on May 16. Distributed by A24, it began a U.S. limited release on June 14, before opening in a wide release on June 21, 2013.
The Bling Ring represents the final work of cinematographer Harris Savides, who died of brain cancer while the film was in post-production. The film is dedicated to him.
Screenplay
Quiet teenager Marc Hall arrives as a new student at Indian Hills High School in Agoura Hills, California. He is befriended by fame-obsessed Rebecca Ahn. While at a party at Rebecca's house, the pair check unlocked vehicles on the street, taking valuables such as cash and credit cards.
When Marc mentions that one of his wealthy acquaintances is out of town, Rebecca persuades him to join her in breaking into his house. Rebecca steals a handbag, mentioning that her idol, Lindsay Lohan, has the same one. She also steals cash and the keys to a Porsche, which the pair use to flee the scene. With the cash, the two go on a shopping spree, affording themselves the luxury lifestyle they admire in magazines.
Marc visits a nightclub with Rebecca and her friends Nicki Moore, Nicki's adoptive sister Sam, and Chloe Tainer, where they rub shoulders with celebrities such as Kirsten Dunst and Paris Hilton. While researching Hilton on the Internet, Marc and Rebecca realize that she will be out of town. The pair go to her house, and finding the key under the doormat, they go through Hilton's belongings, taking some jewelry. Rebecca then flaunts a stolen bracelet to Nicki, Sam, and Chloe at a party.
At Nicki's request, Rebecca and Marc take her, Sam and Chloe back to Hilton's house. The group marvels at the excess of Hilton's lifestyle, and steals shoes, bags, dresses, cash, and jewelry. Marc and Rebecca return to rob Hilton's house on a third occasion. The pair also decides to rob the home of Audrina Patridge, once again using the Internet to determine when she will not be home. The entire group uses the same method to burgle the home of Megan Fox, with Nicki's younger sister Emily squeezing through a pet door to gain access to the home.
The group enters the home of Orlando Bloom and his girlfriend, Miranda Kerr. The girls proceed to steal similar items, while Marc finds a case filled with seven of Bloom's Rolex watches along with a roll of cash. Chloe then helps Marc sell the watches to her friend, a night club manager named Ricky. The group returns once again to Hilton's house, with Sam's boyfriend Rob, who also steals from the home.
A news report releases captured CCTV footage from the robbery at Patridge's home. This concerns Marc, but Rebecca is undeterred and instigates a burglary at the home of Rachel Bilson. Word spreads amongst the group's social circles, and the girls boast of their accomplishments at parties, also posting photographs of the stolen items on social media sites. The group ultimately breaks into Lohan's house and robs it. Shortly after, Rebecca moves to Las Vegas with her father due to troubles at home, leaving some of her stolen items with Marc, who inadvertently helps Rebecca transfer stolen items across state lines.
News reports of the Hollywood Hills burglaries intensify, with the media labeling the group "The Bling Ring". CCTV from several robberies in addition to the evidence on social media allows authorities to identify the group. Police arrest Marc, Nicki, Chloe, Rebecca, Rob, and Ricky, but Sam is not identified in the footage and avoids arrest. Marc cooperates with the police, informing them on the details of the burglaries, much to the chagring of Rebecca, who has been identified as the ringleader. A Vanity Fair journalist interviews Marc, who is remorseful, and Nicki, who vehemently suggests the others were at fault, and that she was simply involved with the wrong people. Rebecca also denies being at fault and tries to pass the blame for all of this to Marc and her other friends. The group is ultimately prosecuted, receiving varying amounts of jail time and is ordered to collectively pay millions of dollars in restitution for the stolen items.
The group serves their jail time, and Marc and Rebecca each go into seclusion and never see or speak to each other again, both of them steadfastly blaming each other for the robberies.
In the final scene, set a few months later, Nicki is on a talk show talking about her time in jail, and reveals that her cell was next to Lohan’s. After digressing, she turns to the audience (and the viewers) as she finds a way to enhance her newfound notoriety, telling them to visit her now-popular website detailing her life after "The Bling Ring".
- Katie Chang as Rebecca Ahn (based on Rachel Lee)
- Israel Broussard as Marc Hall (based on Nick Prugo)
- Emma Watson as Nicki Moore (based on Alexis Neiers)
- Taissa Farmiga as Sam Moore (based on Tess Taylor)
- Claire Julien as Chloe Tainer (based on Courtney Ames)
- Carlos Miranda as Rob (based on Roy Lopez, Jr.)
- Gavin Rossdale as Ricky (based on Johnny Ajar)
- Leslie Mann as Laurie Moore (based on Andrea Arlington-Dunn)
- Georgia Rock as Emily Moore (based on Gabby Neiers)
- Annie Fitzgerald as Kate (based on Nancy Jo Sales)
- Stacy Edwards as Mrs. Hall
- G. Mac Brown as Henry
- Marc Coppola as Mr. Hall
- Janet Song as Mrs. Ahn
- Doug DeBeech as Adam
- Erin Daniels as Shannon
- Patricia Lentz as Judge Henley
- Maika Monroe as Beach Girl
- Halston Sage as School Girl
- Cameos
- Paris Hilton as herself
- Kirsten Dunst as herself
- Brett Goodkin as himself
Development
In December 2011, it was reported that Sofia Coppola was developing a screenplay for a film based on The Bling Ring burglaries, to be directed and produced by herself. Her father, Francis Ford Coppola, executive produced the project through his American Zoetrope production company. In April 2012, it was announced that financing had been set up with NALA Films, and Roman Coppola would also serve as a producer.
Casting
Emma Watson joined the cast of the film on February 29, 2012, and on March 1, Taissa Farmiga was reported to have joined the main cast. Also in early March, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the casting of Leslie Mann and Israel Broussard. On March 16, Claire Julien joined the cast, and Katie Chang and Georgia Rock were also confirmed for roles. That same month, Carlos Miranda was cast in a supporting role. In late March, Kirsten Dunst and Paris Hilton were both confirmed to make cameos in the film, as themselves. Gavin Rossdale was spotted on the set of the film on March 27, 2012.
Filming
Production primarily took place in and around Los Angeles, California in March and April 2012; notably in West Hollywood, Lynwood, and Venice. Paris Hilton, who was a victim during the actual Bling Ring robberies, and Kirsten Dunst, both made cameo appearances in the film. Some scenes were shot in the celebrity victims' homes and at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California.
| The Bling Ring: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
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| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | June 11, 2013 |
| Genre | Film soundtrack |
| Length | 1:19:44 |
| Label | Def Jam Records |
– Reitzell, on the variety of music
The Bling Ring: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was supervised by frequent Coppola collaborator Brian Reitzell. The film's soundtrack album was released on June 11, 2013 by Def Jam Recordings. It contains a mix of music ranging between such genres as hip-hop/rap, krautrock, and electronic.
The musical score for the film was written by Reitzell in collaboration with Daniel Lopatin, known mostly under the recording name of Oneohtrix Point Never. Coppola's husband's band, Phoenix, also contributed the title track from their album Bankrupt!.
In addition, Reitzell worked closely with Coppola to find contemporary music that would fit within the film's setting. After being contacted for song contributions, rapper Kanye West recommended Reitzell use Frank Ocean's then-unreleased "Super Rich Kids".
- Tracklist
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