A Remake from the 1987 of the same title with Scott Glen.A wave of kidnappings has swept through Mexico, feeding a growing sense of panic among its wealthier citizens, especially parents. In one six-day period, there were twenty-four abductions, leading many to hire bodyguards for their children. Into this world enters John Creasy, a burned-out ex-CIA operative/assassin, who has given up on life. Creasy's friend Rayburn brings him to Mexico City to be a bodyguard to nine-year-old Pita Ramos, daughter of industrialist Samuel Ramos and his wife Lisa. Creasy is not interested in being a bodyguard, especially to a youngster, but for lack of something better to do, he accepts the assignment. Creasy barely tolerates the precocious child and her pestering questions about him and his life. But slowly, she chips away at his seemingly impenetrable exterior, his defenses drop, and he opens up to her. Creasy's new-found purpose in life is shattered when Pita is kidnapped. Denzel Washington was cast in this film because of a trip to a doctor. He ran into director Tony Scott in the waiting room of a medical office and the two men started chatting. Scott had not seen Washington in person since they worked together on Crimson Tide. Scott happened to see Dakota Fanning in I Am Sam the night before and seeing Washington made Scott think using of the two actors together. Tony Scott was originally slated to direct the original in the 1980s, but the studio balked because he had not had any hits and they felt he was not accomplished enough to pull off the project. In A.J. Quinnell's novel Dakota Fanning's character in Italy was named Pinta. After director Tony Scott's changed the film's setting to Mexico and discovered that "Pinta" is Mexican slang for "whore", he had the name changed to "Pita" and made her full name Lupita. Dakota Fanning took piano, swimming, and Spanish lessons for her role. A couple of Mercedes S-class were bought and utterly destroyed during filming. Dakota Fanning was missing her front teeth during filming. The film-makers debated whether they should add fake teeth on her and even made them for the actress. In the end, they decided not to use them. The zebra in Pita's house belonged to the real owner of the house. It is a real stuffed zebra. There were also leopard skin rugs around the house. Writer Brian Helgeland first saw the original Man on Fire when he was renting videos in the late-'80s. He walked in to the video store where Quentin Tarantino was working, and asked what was good. Tarantino recommended Man on Fire. Denzel Washington's watch is a Casio Protrek PRG-40. The kidnappers first names in the movie, Daniel and his brother Aurelio, are the actual first names of real life Mexico City kidnappers in the late 90s, Daniel and Aurelio Arizmendi Lopez, the infamous "Ear Loppers". Radha Mitchell had three bodyguards protecting her when she was in Mexico for filming. She said they were hired after her driver was carjacked at gunpoint in Mexico City.
