There’s some private air travel in this movie—what went into shooting those scenes where Ivan’s parents arrive from Russia?
SB: We shot in a real jet at the airport as well as a decommissioned fuselage of a private jet for the interior. We used the [private airfield] in Amityville on Long Island, which is where people like this would fly into.
Moving briefly to Las Vegas, where Ani and Ivan elope—where did they stay?
SB: We were at the Palms Casino, which was really great. When we were looking around, one place rejected us—not because it was a movie about a sex worker and sex and drugs, but because they didn’t want to perpetuate the idea that people come to Vegas and recklessly get married only to regret it later. But the Palms was great because it’s not actually on the Strip, meaning the penthouse has a beautiful view of the Strip.
SP: The penthouse suite has different levels, as well as the restaurant and the club. We had a lot of space.
SB: And they get married at the Little White Wedding Chapel, just like Joan Collins and Michael Jordan, down on Fremont Street. We really wanted to take advantage of Fremont Street, which is a little wild, it’s a real snapshot of America.
SP: There will be, like, six bands playing in a row at any given time on Fremont at different stages set up.
SB: So we had them run down the part of the street where they’ve put this big screen overhead, and that’s where we played the fireworks above them that you see on the poster.
