That ’70s Heist

Toronto – The Royal York subbed for some of the glitziest hotels in New York last month for the three-week shoot of The Pierre Heist, a TV movie for USA Networks turned out by Darius Films (The Limb Salesman) and director Gary Burns (waydowntown). The pic retells the true story of how a gang of thieves robbed the safes at a string of hotels in the 1970s.

‘It’s a poor man’s Ocean’s Eleven,’ quips Nicholas Tabarrok, who produces with Aaron Barnett and Stan Brooks of Once Upon a Time Films. The pic stars James Marsters, Wayne Robson and John Cassini and is slated to air in 2005.

Tabarrok says the MOW’s ‘typical’ budget has been stretched thin because of the unfavorable exchange rate with the U.S., noting that service shoots aren’t the only ones getting hurt by the high loonie. ‘It’s been really difficult,’ he admits. ‘Say they gave me a million [U.S.] dollars, that used to get me $1.5 million up here. Now it gets me $1.2 million.’ Sean Davidson