Working as a location manager is the film equivalent of middle-management. You not only have to answer to the director and producers, but also to local government, film commissions, locations owners, and law enforcement. Location manager Greg “Rocky” Brooks found out the hard way just the kind of unfortunate position it can put you in.
When filming on the Tupac/Biggie Small investigation film City of Lies had already gone past the permitted time for the hotel location at which they were filming, Brooks told director Brad Furman that they would have to stop production for the night. Furman allegedly replied “Why don’t you tell that to Johnny Depp?”
Brooks states that he went to get an on-set police officer to help him tell Depp, but that before had the chance to, Depp accosted him, yelling, “Who the fuck are you? You have no right to tell me what to do!” Depp, who is reported to have smelled like alcohol, then supposedly punched Brooks twice the lower left side of his rib cage, yelling “I will give you $100,000 to punch me in the face right now!”
Brooks states he was fired from the production three days later after refusing to sign a release waiving his right to sue over the incident. So he’s suing Depp over the incident.
City of Lies opens September 7, 2018.