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Return to Blues Brothers 2000The Blues Brothers' first album, Briefcase Full of Blues, hit #1 on the national charts and quickly started its climb to what has now become triple platinum status.
The following year, Aykroyd and Belushi began filming The Blues Brothers with director and co-writer John Landis at the helm. The 1980 film instantly became a huge box-office success, grossing over $80 million domestically and propelling The Blues Brothers to the forefront of pop culture and putting rhythm and blues back on the pop charts. The mission was successful.
Belushi's untimely death stalled the mission, but the movie's cult status throughout the world has kept his and Aykroyd's passion for rhythm and blues alive.
Now, with Blues Brothers 2000, the story and the music continue.
"I always thought there was another story to be told, but when John died everything just kind of stopped," explained Aykroyd. "As time went by and I began to play with the band again at House of Blues openings and went through a few changes in my own life as well, I came to the point where I felt I could finally sit down and write the next chapter in Elwood's life."
For director John Landis, bringing the Blues Brothers back to the big screen presented a rare opportunity to explore the events that play out in people's lives over an extended period of time.
"Blues Brothers 2000 is a sequel in the truest sense of the word and I find that really exciting," commented Landis. "Not only does it pick up 18 years after the old one left off end genuinely continues the story of Elwood Blues, but I think it's one of the few pictures in history to actually have most of the original cast members - Aretha Franklin, Kathleen Freeman, Frank Oz, Steve Lawrence, the Band, James Brown - return to play the same characters. And they're all literally 18 years older."
It was apparent from the beginning that a new partner would have to be found for Elwood. To play his new associate, Aykroyd recruited John Goodman, a self-professed rhythm and blues buff and longtime fan of The Blues Brothers, whom everyone agreed was a natural to play the role.
The Blues Brothers have long been associated with some of the greatest American music ever written, a tradition upheld in Blues Brothers 2000. "The first movie really ignited a contemporary understanding of rhythm and blues," explained co-producer Leslie Belzberg, "and I think the expectation of the audience is that it will continue in Blues Brothers 2000."
"We've assembled a fantastic group of performers," enthused Landis. "Well-known, traditional rhythm and blues artists such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks, Taj Mahal, Sam Moore and new and upcoming artists such as Jonny Lang, Erykah Badu and Blues Traveler. It's a really amazing group of players."
The filming of Blues Brothers 2000 was a significant event for music supervisor Paul Shaffer in that, 20 years earlier, he had handpicked the original Blues Brothers Band with Belushi and Aykroyd. "I don't think that anyone at the time thought that The Blues Brothers would endure the way they have. We knew we were picking the ultimate rhythm and blues band, but never in our wildest dreams did we guess that the band would still be basically together 20 years later."
As with most musicals, the element of dance also figures prominently. The film's 14 musicial numbers incorporate a blend of theatrical Broadway styles and Busby Berkeley and burlesque-type numbers with traditional concert staging.
The tradition of elaborate multi-car crashes and chases is also continued in Blues Brothers 2000. The vehicle Elwood uses to elude the cops, gangsters and bad guys is a 1990 Crown Victoria known as "The Bluesmobile." The former police car, fitted with a 400 hp NASCAR stock engine and a "nitro" button capable of boosting its speed to 700 hp, is acknowledged by all to be a magical vehicle. Among other things, the Bluesmobile can fly, park anywhere and drive underwater.
Cameras rolled on Blues Brothers 2000 in June 1997 and continued through early September. The action in the film spans five states (Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi and Louisiana), which presented interesting challenges to the production designer and his art department, since the majority of the film was shot on location in and around Toronto.
The magical architecture and skylines of Chicago would have been impossible for the production team to match anywhere but the Windy City itself, so as filming was winding to an end in Toronto, a second unit in Chicago was gearing up. Landis and the second unit spent a week there shooting drive-bys and establishing shots of landmarks. Landis also took the opportunity to revisit the southside location of what had been Ray's Music Exchange in the first movie.
The costumes in Blues Brothers 2000 were designed by Academy Award nominated designer Deborah Nadoolman, who also designed costumes for the first movie.
"Ask any of the guys what the most attractive thing about being a Blues Brother is and, without hesitation, they'll answer 'the clothes," laughed Nadoolman.
