fig.: Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the role of bicycle messenger 'Wilee' on a lightweight, single-gear bike with no brakes in a life and death chase through Manhattan and Dania Ramirez ('Vanessa') in the Sony Pictures' movie 'Premium Rush'. Photos: (C) 2012 Sony Pictures Releasing GmbH. "For the messengers, the bike is like their babies," says Dania Ramirez. "They talk about their bikes like it's a relative. Same thing with the helmet – every sticker means something."

Bike fashion for a 90 minutes race through Manhattan

...collected and provided by costume designer Luca Mosca (known for his work for '21') who dressed the main role 'Wilee' of the upcoming movie 'Premium Rush' (release starts in Europe in September 2012) into a red t-shirt so actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character wouldn't be lost in the streets filled with yellow taxis.

Director David Koepp explains the decision for the vibrant red color of the t-shirt: "I was watching people on bikes – gray t-shirts, black t-shirts all melt into the asphalt. And then I saw a guy in a red t-shirt and I watched him from 8 blocks, coming up all the way. I think it really pops in the movie. You can always pick him out in the shot. I can get a wide shot and you'll still pick him out. Also, it's just vibrant and alive and that's always his character."

Luca Mosca provided for each character 50 multiples of his or her costume, in increasing stages of wear and tear as dictated by the story.

David Koepp is director and co-writer of 'Premium Rush'. He is known for his work as co-writer of 'Jurassic Park' or 'Mission: Impossible' or for writing 'Spider-Man'. Koepp says about the casting of the bikes: "It's like casting the horses in a Western."

The filmmakers chose an Affinity Metropolitan bike and Continental tires as the main components of Wilee's fixie. In sum, Wilee had seven bikes: three to be ridden by Gordon-Levitt, three by stuntmen, and a seventh permanently mounted on a camera rig for POV shots.

Video: Trailer for the movie 'Premium Rush', co-written and directed by David Koepp, starring Joseph
Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, and Jamie Chung. The movie will be released in Europe in September, October, November; for more information go to worldwide release dates.




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