NEW YORK—A word of advice to gay couples: If Lucas Entertainment exclusive Matan Shalev decides he wants your cheating boyfriend, let him have the hussy. The soft-spoken, sultry Israeli is every bit as tough as he looks.
That’s what the cast and crew of Lucas’ new title, Revenge, discovered during filming, they said. The movie includes a fight scene that went far beyond anything the studio scripted, thanks to Shalev’s training in hand-to-hand combat.
Starring Shalev and Rafael Alencar, Revenge depicts how one evening of debauchery can decimate a storybook romance. Shalev portrays a go-go boy on the prowl, shamelessly grinding his toned body against any man who walks into the club where he works. When he latches onto Alencar’s fiancé, Alencar swears revenge.
The story culminates in a climactic fight scene during which Alencar was supposed to storm into Shalev’s Manhattan apartment, physically dominate the home-wrecker and then have his way with him. The plot worked fine on paper. On the set, however, things took an unexpected turn.
Shalev—a former Israeli soldier who holds a brown belt in karate—reportedly found curbing his training and reflexes to be somewhat of a challenge. With cameras rolling, what was scripted to be a tussle became a real-life brawl, according to Lucas insiders. The action escalated into punches, choking and broken furniture…and everything was captured on film. A behind-the-scenes outtake is available on the LucasNews blog.
“Under any other conditions, Rafael Alencar would have lost this fight,” Lucas Entertainment President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Lucas said. “But since he wants to be a top only, he had to win the brawl in the film. This only made it all the more challenging for everyone on set.
“Matan did restrain himself, but obviously things got out of control. He’s a very strong person, and probably could have killed Rafael with his pinky if he wanted to.”
Both performers survived.
Directed by Lucas and mr. Pam, Revenge incorporates five hardcore scenes featuring Justin Beal, Kyle DeAnthony, Jesse Martin, Johnny Angel, Roy Jones and Murphy Maxwell in addition to Shalev and Alencar. DVD extras include cast interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes. More information is available at LucasEntertainment.com.
