Tagline: It’s a non-stop party.
Why just fly when you can soar with soul! After a humiliating experience on an airplane, Nashawn Wade sues the airline and is awarded a huge settlement. Determined to make good with the money, he creates the full-service airline of his dreams, complete with sexy stewardesses, funky music, a hot onboard dance club, and a bathroom attendant. Departing from all-new Terminal X in Los Angeles, Soul Plane gives “fly” a whole new meaning, taking its passengers on a maiden voyage full of comedy.
After a humiliating and horrific experience on a commercial flight, Nashawn Wade (Kevin Hart) sues and is awarded a $100 million settlement. Determined to make good with his newfound wealth he decides to create the airline of his dreams. With the help of his cousin Muggsy (Method Man), Nashawn creates NWA Airlines, the first full-service carrier designed to cater to the urban traveler.
A one-of-a-kind airliner, NWA’s metallic purple and chrome-colored plane comes complete with a hot onboard dance club, live DJs and funky music, its own sassy security crew (including Mo’nique), sexy flight attendants (including Sofia Vergara), a bathroom attendant named Johnny (D.L. Hugley), and a first class section where the Cristal flows like the flightpath – non-stop.
The Soul Plane Passengers
Soul Plane is a comic film built around one general premise: what if you created an urban airline and filled it with the most outrageous characters possible? The answer: You get one wild ride!
After making a name for himself in the world of music videos, director Jessy Terrero makes his feature film debut with Soul Plane. “When I read the script, I thought it was hysterical,” says Terrero. “In terms of comedy, nothing was off limits and everyone was fair game. That gave us the opportunity to get as crazy as we wanted with the humor, and I knew it would be a lot of fun.” Terrero quickly climbed on board to help shape the feature and take up his position as captain; he really helped pulled the project together, give it focus, and help it get off the ground.
With so many roles in the script, the filmmakers’ attention quickly turned to casting. “When we first started casting it was tough,” says Terrero. “The comedy in the script was really wild in some places, and many of the actors and comedians were hesitant about committing to the project because they were unsure what kind of movie we were trying to make.” When the actors actually met with Terrero, however, those with reservations quickly saw the passion he had for the project and understood what he was going for; Terrero let them in on the joke, and they really liked the punch lines.
One by one, the actors, comedians, and music stars in the project signed on. The first actor Terrero went after was rapper Snoop Dogg, with whom he had collaborated on several music videos. “I was shooting a video with Snoop Dogg when I agreed to direct the film,” says Terrero. “I was really excited and told him I was going to direct a movie that was kind of an urban take on Airplane!. The first thing he said was ‘Jessy, I want to fly that plane.’ A few months later we were in Brazil working together and he again said to me, ‘Jessy, I’m flying that plane,’ so I knew he was serious. I went to the studio and told them I had found our pilot; I knew he had a great comedic sensibility and was really passionate about being involved in the project, and that was enough for me.”
For Snoop Dogg, playing Captain Mack (NWA’s not-so-qualified pilot) was not an option – it was a necessity. “I told Jessy many times there was only one captain for his plane,” says Snoop Dogg. “When he called me to do this film, I said, ‘I’m your Captain Mack with the sack so lay your head back and enjoy the ride.’”
Hired by Nashawn’s cousin Muggsy (Method Man) to fly NWA’s inaugural voyage, Mack shows up 20 minutes before departure looking more like a hip street character than an airline pilot. “Captain Mack is new to the flying game and the only training he’s had is a pilot class taken at Pelican Bay State Penitentiary,” says Snoop Dogg. “It was either get a G.E.D. or get a pilot’s license, so basically Mack is just trying to get the plane to N.Y.C. safely and make sure everything is beautiful while we coast.”
“Snoop Dogg does a great job in the film,” says Terrero. “He’s known for his music and his rap skills, but he’s also got great coming timing and a super sense of humor. Audiences will love him in this film.”
With Snoop Dogg flying the Soul Plane, Terrero went to East Coast rapper Method Man to play the role of Muggsy, Nashawn’s cousin. “Muggsy always has some sort of scam going on,” says Terrero. “He’s a fun kid who doesn’t take anything seriously and is always looking for the easy way out. That makes for a wonderful dynamic between Muggsy and Nashawn [Kevin Hart], who is trying to buckle down and be straight up.
“It’s been great to watch the growth and dedication Method Man has put into this project,” continues Terrero. “He brought so much to his character that it ended up being much bigger than we initially anticipated.”
For Method Man, working under Terrero allowed him to bring his own special flavor into the mix. “I’ve only done music videos with Jessy, but when it came time for him to give us some actual direction, I was like, ‘Wow, he is really on his job.’ He used to be an actor, so he speaks in a way that makes it very easy to understand what he wants.
“Working with Jessy was also great,” he continues, “because as long as we stuck to the schematics of what the scene was about, he would let us fly off the handle and improv lines. Genuine slang keeps it real because it’s got to taste right when it comes out your mouth.”
Muggsy wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for his cousin, NWA’s creator Nashawn Wade. For the filmmakers, finding an actor to play Nashawn resulted in the casting of relative newcomer Kevin Hart. “We saw a ton of actors for the role,” recalls Terrero. “But we were getting a little frustrated. Then casting director Sheila Jaffe brought Kevin to my attention, telling me he was going to be a star. I agreed to have him come in for an audition, and his take on the character was amazing. The minute he walked out the door we all agreed that finally, he was our guy.”
Nashawn creates the airline after winning a $100 million lawsuit and deciding to change his life for the better once and for all. “Nashawn is basically a guy that’s been running away from things all his life,” says Kevin Hart. “He’s kind of a slacker, but he decides to start his own airline to show people how to run one. He takes it very seriously – but the people he surrounds himself with don’t necessarily make it easy.”
“Nashawn really wants to prove to everyone he can follow through on something,” says Terrero. “Unfortunately he can’t seem to catch a break and is constantly putting out fires caused by his crew and employees. This makes for great comedy because when things go wrong you really empathize with the character.”
For Hart, working with many of his favorite comedians was an experience he would not soon forget. “There were some days I wasn’t scheduled to work but I’d come to set to watch everyone else,” he says. “Everyone in this cast has great comedic timing. I really learned so much from them and had a great time doing it.”
“Kevin brought the magic everyday and has an undeniable dynamic screen presence,” says Terrero. “No matter what we threw at him, he always held his own and consistently delivered one great comedic moment after another. Many people still didn’t know who Kevin Hart was when we started shooting, but everyone will soon discover the depth and range of his comedic talents.”
There are many colorful characters aboard the Soul Plane, including the Hunkees – Mr. Hunkee, played by Tom Arnold, along with his girlfriend and two kids. Speaking about his character, Arnold says, “Mr. Hunkee is a great dad. He really loves his kids but is recently divorced and has a young new girlfriend the kids really don’t like. We are returning from a family vacation when our flight is cancelled and we’re offered tickets on NWA instead, which Hunkee mistakenly thinks stands for Northwest Airlines.”
“Tom was perfect for the part,” says Terrero. “He is a funny guy who plays the fish-out-of-water character very well. We were able to team him with Missi Pyle, whose subtle comedic style complimented Tom’s high-energy, frantic nature. Ryan Pinkston and Arielle Kebbel also do a wonderful job as Hunkee’s kids. The Hunkees inspire a lot of great comedy in the film.”
Before any passengers get on the plane they have to go through NWA airport security. Paying very little attention to what’s going through those checkpoints are security attendants Jamiqua and Shaniece, played by Mo’Nique and Loni Love. “Jamiqua does security for NWA by checking the passengers with her wand as they come into the terminal,” explains Mo’Nique. “If a fine looking man comes walking through, a strip search might also be necessary. Jamiqua loves her job, but she’s really not that good at it because when she’s in a conversation with her home girl Shaniece she don’t give a damn. She’s loud, wild and crazy, but she has a big heart.”
Keeping flight #O-69 bumping and thumping are Blanca, Tamika and Flame; a trio of flight attendants played by Sofia Vergara, Angell Conwell and Gary Anthony Williams. Wearing sexy purple micro-mini outfits, NWA’s female flight attendants patrol the aisles of the plane’s very distinctive cabins.
Sofia Vergara really enjoyed her flight aboard the Soul Plane. “I hosted a travel show for many years and have always been fascinated with the job of a flight attendant,” says Vergara. “Blanca’s very lucky because she gets to work in first class where it is very luxurious and the passengers are very easy to please.”
Summing up the Soul Plane cast, Terrero says, “One of my biggest obsessions in casting was audience goodwill. The movies that always seem to do well are filled with actors who make audiences smile when they come onscreen. This is the common thread that runs through the entire cast of Soul Plane. We have a huge ensemble cast, all of whom are uniquely funny – it’s pretty much a guarantee that in almost every scene there is someone who will make audiences laugh.”
Soul Plane (2004)
Directed by: Jessy Terrero
Starring: Kevin Hart, Method Man, Tom Arnold, Snoop Dogg, Arielle Kebbel, K.D. Aubert, MoNique, Missi Pyle, Sofia Vergara, Ryan Pinkston, Cynthia Pinot
Screenplay by: Chuck Wilson
Production Design by: Robb Buono
Cinematography by: Jonathan Sela
Film Editing by: Michael R. Miller
Costume Design by: Shawn Barton
Set Decoration by: Robert Gould
Art Direction by: Jeff Wallace
Music by: Christopher Lennertz, RZA
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexual content, language and drug use.
Distributed by: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Release Date: May 28, 2004
Visits: 132
