Filmmakers are recreating the illegal overthrow in 1893, transforming the palace grounds and the Richard Street YWCA into historical sites of more than a century ago.

Barry Pepper plays Thurston and Will Patton is Dole, two wealthy Americans who instigated the overthrow.

Director Marc Forby spent four years researching this project often consulting Hawaiian leaders to insure authenticity. But a small group of protestors objects to one particular scene in the script after the overthrow when the princess urges the Americans to give hawaiians voting rights in the republic they've set up.

"I see it where she's actually acquiescing to American rule by asking for our people to have the right to vote in the American government. The fact is that our Ali'i never did accept or acquiesce to the illegal overthrow. Okay, so what I see is our Ali'i being portrayed like that in the movie," said Reinstated Hawaiian Kingdom Henry Noa.

One of the film's producers said Princess Ka'iulani did petition for voting rights. And the director points to this biography of Ka'iulani, which said that Queen Liliuokalani and the princess both pressed the Americans on that point.

"We believe it happened in the way we're depicting it. It may not have happened that way. The point is it happened and the point is that she was responsible for it. and not that she acquiesced to the overthrow or that she was happy about it in any way, but that she dedicated her short life to her people," said Island Film Group Rick Galindez.

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Brit helmer Marc Forby will direct the true story about a Hawaiian princess’ attempts to maintain the independence of the island against the threat of American colonization. Principal photography begins March 14 on location in Hawaii and the U.K.

Pic is a U.S.-U.K. co-production with Matador’s Nigel Thomas (“The Wind That Shakes the Barley”) and Laura Apelian producing alongside Ric Galindez and Roy Tijoe.

ContentFilm Intl. has also acquired international rights to comedy-horror pic “Release.” Stephen Leslie helms while Damian Jones (“The History Boys”) will produce.

Production will start in Apri on location in Manitoba, Canada. Cinetic is repping U.S. rights and has arranged the financing for the project.

Sierra says that Mercer will traverse the cityscape in Parkour style, a method of overcoming any obstacle without mechanical assistance including the urban sport known as Free Running.

Prototype, in development at Radical Entertainment (Crash of the Titans, Scarface: The World Is Yours), is currently rated RP (Rating Pending) by the ESRB and is expected sometime during Q3 2008 for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Joey (played by Maxwell Perry Cotton of Dennis the Menace and Brothers & Sisters) was given up for adoption by his natural mother Wendy (Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino). The only catch was she didn't tell his father Rip (Barry Pepper - The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan, and 25th Hour). When Rip finds out, he wants his son back.

Jack and Molly have raised Joey from birth. They are the only parents he knows. When the court rules that Joey must be returned to his natural parents, Jack and Molly's idyllic family life is shattered. Are forever family ties created by love stronger than blood tiesÿ

The producers pulled together a very talented team for this project, including

Director Jon Gunn (Mercy Streets, My Date with Drew) Screenwriter Steven J. Rivele (Academy Award nominee for Ali, Nixon) Director of Photography Reynaldo Villalobos (Urban Cowboy, Risky Business) Grammy-winning Composer Mark Mancina (August Rush, Shooter) Additional filming will take place in the Dominican Republic. Look for this film to be released next February.