DirectorJohn McTiernanbecame one of the most beloved directors of the ’80s and ’90s, with his filmsDie Hard,Predator,Hunt for Red October, andDie Hard with a Vengeancebeing well-received and becoming part of the culture.Die Hardis still celebrated every yeardue to its Christmas themes. While the success of the director would wane in the 2000s, with McTiernan calling both his work onRollerballandBasicdisastrous for him, he remained an admired director within the Hollywood system.
However, all that would change with a famous case that would see the once revered director vilified for his actions. This would all start with instances surrounding the filmRollerballand a dispute with the producer, Charles Roven. Here’s how the production ofRollerballgot John McTiernan sent to prison.
How Rollerball Got John McTiernan Sent to Jail
Rollerball
The simplified version of director John McTiernan being sentenced to jail resulted from him lying to the FBI. Specifically, he was convicted as part of the prosecution of private detective Anthony Pellicano for illegal wiretapping. He was convicted in October 2010 and sentenced to a 12-month period, which he served in the Federal Prison Camp, Yankton, South Dakota. But what led up to this point, and how did the filmRollerballplay a significant part in the lead-up to the arrest eight years after the film premiered in 2002?
While director John McTiernan was working onRollerball, he had a dispute with producer Charles Roven. The specifics of this dispute are not widely known, but to get dirt on the producer, John McTiernan hired the previously mentioned Private Eye, Anthony Pellicano, to set up a wiretap on Roven in the summer of 2000.
The subsequent trialproved slightly messy, with McTiernan, on being indicted, agreeing to plead guilty to one count of making a false statement in connection with a Justice Dept. investigation. An offense that carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. However, he later rescinded the plea under new legal advice, with his new attorney claiming that McTiernan’s lying was the result of jet lag and the influence of alcohol and medication. The withdrawal of the guilty plea was ultimately denied.
On sentencing, the judge did not show leniency on the request from McTiernan that prison time was not a valid punishment and that he suffered from depression, making the sentence unusually cruel. McTiernan was released in February 2014 after serving 328 days, serving the last 37 at his Wyoming ranch. The director has since remained primarily out of the spotlight, with his final film coming via 2003’sBasic,starring John Travolta.
Others Involved in the Anthony Pellicano Illegal Wiretapping Operation
The Hollywood PI would alsoface prison time, sentenced to a 15-year prison term starting in 2008, with the scheduled release of June 07, 2025. Upon release and after his probation ended, Pellicano began working as a self-described “negotiator.” Pellicano’s actions, though, had a broader effect on the industry, with others getting caught up in the scandal. Here are a few of note:
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John McTiernan on His Time in Prison and Film Legacy
John McTiernan has been willing to speak about his time in prison and how it affected him, with him havingan interview with The Guardianduring his time as a juror for international film at the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in Switzerland. Regarding his prison sentence, the once iconic director of ’80s and ’90s cinema was generally optimistic about the experience.
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I had worked as a carpenter all through college so they put me with the carpenter crew. I spent my whole time, the whole summer, up on these big old Victorian houses, tearing off roofs and putting new roofs on, with my shirt off in the sun, just like I was back in college.
However, the director still has strong feelings about the case itself and his treatment, reviving his indication of the events and believing that the initial call in which he lied was one of his many friends calling to play the role of a character, which he claimed was a common occurrence. Whether one believes this or not is up to the individual, but McTiernan seems to be in good spirits even after the trial and prison time.
During this interview, he touted his legacy, including hiring such actors as James Earl Jones inThe Hunt for Red Octoberin a commanding rolemore often reserved for white actors. His future as a director remains in the air, with his last project, a sci-fi thriller,Tau Ceti Foxtrot, left in limbo after the director first tried to get it off the ground pre-COVID. With a return at this point unlikely, McTierman may have lost respect for his involvement in the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping scandal, but his legacy in cinema is cemented.
