Generally speaking, Los Angelenos are not known for their fondness of inclement weather. But for Tuesday night's premiere party after Columbia Pictures' new Will Smith vehicle, Seven Pounds, a thick crowd—with a notably high celebrity quotient—made its way undaunted from the screening at Mann's Village Theatre clear across Westwood Village to the Hammer Museum, despite the cold temperature and the persistent threat of rain. The reason for their dutiful pilgrimage may be simple: "It's Will. Everyone comes out for Will," said event producer Chris Benarroch, tapped by Columbia Pictures' Alison Bossert.
But—not reliant on star Smith's draw alone—the production team adapted the party's original plans to allow for the possibility of rain (which didn't actually materialize on event night). "I was checking Weather.com all day long," Bossert said, adding a quip about Hollywood's wide-sweeping influence: "But we have connections."
Originally intended to cover the ground-floor courtyard at the Hammer, the party moved largely upstairs to the museum's covered second-floor terrace. In the courtyard, a clear-topped tent (equipped with heating ducts) sheltered some of the 500 guests plus a round center bar. Tea lights—once intended to hover above the entire courtyard area—twinkled under the tent's translucent top, on view for guests above.
Lounge seating above made use of cozy couches, sea blues, and driftwood tables—meant to evoke the Malibu beach and also garden settings that mark the feel-good high points in an otherwise heavy movie. "It's an inspirational but very serious movie," Benarroch said. "And we thought, what was the happiest part for Will [Smith's character]?"
Although the rain held off until after the party, and although the team had contingencies in place in case it hadn't, Bossert admitted there's a bit of luck involved in planning any event. "A little wind and all this would have been ruined," she said at the alfresco party.