Rick Romer's Opinion

[Rembrandt's Girl]

With all this reboot business I was thinking about Rick Romer and wondered if he was perhaps working on the pilot. I messaged him a couple times a few years with some MPI questions and he always got right back to me and was so kind. I know some of you have had the same experience with Rick. And once again, he got right back to me.

Bottom line is he's not working on it and he said the film industry on Oahu has "changed back to the way it was 35 years ago" when all department heads come from LA. Basically he's overqualified for anyone they want to hire on Oahu. He said he might post a brief update on his blog to say that he's not working on it.

He said they are basically just extending the Hawaii 5-0 season to do this pilot and using their already in-place crew and studio for the most part. He said it would be "very difficult to try to do two shows at the same time as the facility is barely large enough for one, and there isn't enough crew here for two shows."

He went on to give his take on the reboot which I thought you all might like to read. Although it's not surprisingly very similar to viewpoints already expressed here on MM, it's also confirming to hear from someone who actually worked/lived/breathed the original MPI in the making...

"My personal guess on this revival is based on the passion that I still see from the fans that loved the original. Peter Lenkov supposedly created a "hit" with the new 5-0--although I don't know a single person here who watches it. However, in his "updating" and "improving" Magnum for today's audience, I don't think he's going to be able to reproduce the characters, personalities, or camaraderie of the original show."

[Steve]

Great job again RG, interesting to hear Rick's take on the reboot and Hawaii 5-0...........By the way, I still watch H-50 especially last nights with Jimmy Buffett but my goodness, they should win an award for the worst use of a big name guest star....

[ConchRepublican]

Romer nailed it.

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

He said they are basically just extending the Hawaii 5-0 season to do this pilot and using their already in-place crew and studio for the most part. He said it would be "very difficult to try to do two shows at the same time as the facility is barely large enough for one, and there isn't enough crew here for two shows."

I've heard from fans that visited the studio for H50 and they reported that they were shocked at how tiny it is. I'm trying to remember if there has ever been two series totally filmed in Hawaii at the same time. Anybody know?

[Core 4]

Yes. Last year Hawaii Five-0 and Inhumans. In 90's even three shows at the same time.

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

What were the three shows?

[Sam]

Yes. Last year Hawaii Five-0 and Inhumans. In 90's even three shows at the same time.

Also Lost and HFO
HFO and The River

And maybe... One Waikiki West and The Birds of Paradise

https://filmoffice.hawaii.gov/hawaii-a- ... oductions/

[Rembrandt's Girl]

Going back to MagnumsLeftShoulder's question, which I think was a result of Rick's comment of it being "very difficult to try to do two shows at the same time as the facility is barely large enough for one"... does anybody know if they were actually using the studio at the same time when making these shows vs different times of the year such as they're doing now?