"Jim brought
> it to us," says Maggie Malina, MTV's executive in charge
> of the production.
>
> "He's the one who suggested we have a look at this book
> for contemporary treatment."
>
> Steinman, who is also executive producer of "Wuthering
> Heights," which premieres Sunday, Sept. 14, says he only
> had one musical directive from MTV.
>
> "They were very specific," he says. "They wanted it to be
> rock 'n' roll. It was said as, 'This is more important
> symbolically. This has to represent our commitment away
> from boy-band pop back to raw rock 'n' roll.'"
>
> The movie, directed by Suri Krishnamma, updates the basic
> story of "Wuthering Heights" (or at least the first half,
> before the characters' children all start intermarrying)
> to the present day and relocates it to the Northern
> California coast.
>
> "Northern California has a mythical resonance for me,"
> Steinman says. "I thought it was cool to be on the far
> edge of America. Big Sur was in my mind -- the majesty but
> also the bleakness."
>
> For budgetary reasons, the film was actually shot in
> tropical Puerto Rico, where location scouts found both the
> rocky coast and the historic lighthouse they wanted.
>
> "I was stunned to see the shots from the scouting,"
> Steinman says.