John Tucker Must Die Production Notes
If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, just think of the damage three teenage girls
could to do if pushed to their romantic breaking points. Okay, now, take whatever you’re
imagining, and triple it. That’s how much havoc a band of resourceful high school girls end up
wreaking on the triple-timing campus stud in the comedy John Tucker Must Die.
The destruction begins when three gorgeous, popular girls from competing high school
cliques discover that they’ve each been dating the same guy: the school’s smooth and hunky
basketball team captain, John Tucker (JESSE METCALFE). After comparing notes, the fuming
trio – reporter-wannabe Carrie (ARIELLE KEBBEL), head cheerleader Heather (ASHANTI),
and vegan activist Beth (SOPHIA BUSH) – conspire to teach Tucker a lesson he’ll never forget.
They decide to attack his game and make this guy, who is never without a date, “undatable.”
Unfortunately, every wacky, grossly embarrassing scheme they hatch to undermine “Tuck”
backfires and only makes him more popular than ever.
Desperate, the girls realize they’ll have to step up their assault. There’s only one way left
to take: to break his heart…the same way he’s broken theirs. Carrie, Heather, and Beth then
recruit a pretty, but anonymous school newcomer, Kate (BRITTANY SNOW), to get the hot
jock to fall for her, so she can ceremoniously dump him. Kate’s hesitant to play along but,
desperate for new friends and a chance to finally be “visible,” she agrees to help the girls execute
their dastardly plan.
The trio soon turns Kate into the girl of John Tucker’s dreams and, right on schedule, he
falls head over heels for the attractive blonde. At first, Kate plays hard to get, which completely
confounds Tucker, a guy who usually has women falling at his feet. But, despite her best efforts
to resist him, Kate finds herself drawn to Tucker, and gets caught between her loyalty to her new
gal pals and her unexpected attraction to John.
Meanwhile, Kate’s struck up a friendship with her chemistry lab partner, Scott (PENN
BADGLEY), who just happens to be “Tuck’s” younger brother. Scott, who’s used to taking a
backseat to his sibling, can’t let Kate know how he really feels about her, especially as he sees
her falling for John. Even Kate’s single mother, Lori (JENNY McCARTHY), who’s on her own
dating merry-go-round, tries to warn Kate against her mission to dupe the unsuspecting John
Tucker. But Kate’s in too deep – there’s no turning back now. Or is there?
Can Kate keep her romantic wits about her and pull off the ultimate revenge against a
girl’s worst enemy: the serial dater? Can fantasy guy John Tucker possibly change his ways and
become a one-woman man? And can Carrie, Heather, and Beth actually stay friends with Kate –
and with each other – or will they eventually end up back in their respective cliques, never to
cross over into such “uncharted” social territory again?
John Tucker Must Die is the wild movie comedy that proves, when it comes to high
school, dating is still the hardest subject of them all.
The idea for John Tucker Must Die came to screenwriter Jeff Lowell when he was
entertaining his own romantic revenge fantasies. “I came to the conclusion that all heartbreak
begins in the formative teenage years,” says Lowell, “and started thinking about my own high
school, where there was the ‘Big Man on Campus’ that every girl drooled over, including my
girlfriend. Even back then, I realized there was nothing I could do about it. You can’t define
yourself by who you’re dating.
“And then I thought about the popular girls at school, who they were and how they
acted,” Lowell continues. “I remembered how every clique had a leader and, no matter what the
group represented, the hottest one was always in charge. Even the ‘smart girls’ deferred to the
prettier girl to lead them, even if she wasn’t particularly smart.” With those memories in mind,
Lowell set out to write the script that would become John Tucker Must Die.
Lowell’s screenplay eventually found its way into the hands of producer Bob Cooper, the
former president of both HBO and TriStar Pictures and ex-production head of DreamWorks, who
currently runs Landscape Entertainment. “When I first read the script, I thought, Wow, it’s got
all the ingredients. It was breezy, fun, and comedic,” recalls Cooper. “But it also had a relatable
theme which, to me, is the most critical thing. It’s about how everyone in high school pretends
to be something they’re not just to have some kind of acceptable identity. This, of course, makes
it hard to know who anyone really is. It’s a vicious cycle.”
Within nine months of Cooper bringing the script to Twentieth Century Fox, the studio
gave John Tucker Must Die the green light. Says Cooper, “They saw what I saw in it: a big, fun
movie.” Now they needed the right director to execute that big comedy vision. Enter Betty
Thomas, who’d helmed such major studio features as The Brady Bunch Movie, Private Parts and
Doctor Dolittle. “Betty had a very specific vision for the film,” explains Cooper. “She wanted it
to be more than just your typical fast-cutting, MTV-style youth movie. She was obsessed with
giving John Tucker a design, an aura, and an energy all its own. I always found her an
extraordinary framer of comedy and knew her work here would be no exception.”
Like Cooper, Betty Thomas was immediately intrigued by the script. “The story felt
fresher and more real than the average romantic comedy,” notes the director. “I felt like I’d
never done a film like this, one that’s about finding out about the world of romance, how it
affects you, what it means. I loved the idea of exploring all the games that go into having a
relationship--fake or real.”
The filmmakers assembled a talented ensemble to play the various teens caught up in the
comic undoing of campus heartthrob John Tucker. Rising star Brittany Snow was brought on
board to play the lead role of Kate, the new girl in school enlisted to give serial dater Tucker a
taste of his own medicine. Snow, who made strong impressions in both the acclaimed NBC
series American Dreams and the hit movie comedy The Pacifier, was intrigued by the pivotal
role. “I really, really identified with Kate,” the actress maintains. “I’d never read a script where
I felt a part was ‘so me.’ I also thought it’d be a great chance to play the underdog, because it’s
not often those characters get to be the lead.
“Kate and I have had similar experiences,” continues Snow. “We’ve both moved around
a lot during school and we’re both a little dorky. I also identified with her quirks and how, as
more of the quiet, observer type, she was constantly being overlooked. Kids in high school just
don’t take the time to notice people that are a bit under the radar.”
For the prime role of high school ladies’ man John Tucker, Desperate Housewives’
hedge-clipping hottie Jesse Metcalfe turned out to be a hand-in-glove fit. Says producer Bob
Cooper: “We needed an actor who would not only look the part, but could actually play
basketball. Jesse knew his way around the hoops and liked to do his own stunts, too. He really
filled the bill.”
Betty Thomas agrees. “Jesse’s so easy to respond to. Yes, he’s attractive, charming,
relaxed, and athletic – qualities that were important for the role – but he also makes you feel at
home, like you’re the only person in the room. That’s John Tucker’s greatest strength, too, why
all the girls respond to him. Once I realized that, Jesse didn’t even have to audition for me. I
knew he was the one.”
Adds Jesse Metcalfe: “I definitely wasn’t John Tucker in high school. I was a more
‘alternative’ kind of kid who was into music and dying my hair different colors. I sort of
marched to my own beat. I wasn’t popular enough to be in any clique, either. I had basically,
like, one really good friend and was probably a bit reclusive. That’s why it was so much fun to
play this part; it was such a stretch from who I was at that age.”
But Metcalfe also took the acting challenge seriously. “I knew I’d have to be very
careful playing someone like John Tucker, because it’s an easy role to turn into caricature. There
was also a responsibility to the audience to show the character’s vulnerability. Otherwise, he’d
just be another jerk.”
A trio of young actresses was then cast as the conspiring students who decide to take
action against the three-timing John Tucker. Arielle Kebbel, who was recently seen in Fox’s
Aquamarine, was hired to play the ambitious Carrie. Kebbel calls her character “the kind of girl
a guy would want to bring home to his parents. She has unstoppable energy, great
resourcefulness, and definite intelligence. Carrie’s got plenty of sex appeal, too, can’t forget
that!”
Chart-topping singing sensation Ashanti, who also acted in last year’s feature Coach
Carter, was chosen to portray the school’s confident head cheerleader, Heather. “Ironically, in
high school, I was a cheerleader and belonged to a clique, so my character and I share a few
similarities,” says Ashanti. “On the other hand, I was a lot more down-to-earth than Heather and
also very humble. And I never tried to seek revenge against anyone!”
Sophia Bush, who plays Brooke Davis on the popular TV series One Tree Hill, was cast
as Beth, a ditzy, vegan/environmentalist. “The movie spoke to me on many levels,” states Bush.
“I liked the way it looked at how men modify their behavior to be with women and the lies they
tell to keep them interested. The script also said a lot about friendship – how boyfriends come
and go, but friends are forever. That’s a great message and I wanted to be a part of it.”
As the main adult in the film, television and film star Jenny McCarthy was the top choice
for Kate’s gorgeous, itinerant mother, who’s got a revolving door of boyfriends. “I’ve always
played these wacky comedic characters, so the chance to actually play a mom with a teenage
daughter seemed like such a nice change for me,” says McCarthy. “I really wanted the
opportunity to show people I’ve got heart as well as a funny bone.”
Principal photography began in Vancouver, where most of the film was shot. While
many American productions have filmed in the beautiful Canadian city, it’s generally used as a
generic stand-in for somewhere else. John Tucker, however, is actually set in the Pacific
Northwest, so the decision to shoot in Vancouver worked perfectly from not only the visual,
technical, and financial standpoints, but for the story as well.
During the location scout, a happy accident led to the selection of the film’s most
important venue, the Heritage Woods Secondary School, which would become the story’s
fictional high school. The brand new high school, located in affluent Port Moody just 30
minutes from downtown Vancouver, had been built with an eye to the future and in response to
all the new housing development underway in the area. The filmmakers couldn’t believe their
good luck when they happened upon this ultra-modern structure.
“This high school had all of the elements we needed and then some,” says executive
producer Marc S. Fischer. “The building offered all of the different looks we needed and, as we
were shooting over the summer, we were able to use the school’s empty auditoriums as stages. It
became a mini-studio for us.”
The school and its grounds were converted into over 30 different, fully dressed sets,
including the library, the science room, the gym, the cafeteria, the hallway, the locker room, the
war room, the track, and the parking lot, along with Kate’s bedroom and six different kitchens.
“We were able to offload our equipment, store it in the classrooms, come back the next morning,
and everything would be right where we’d left it the night before,” says Fischer. “It was an
extremely efficient way to work.”
“Betty [Thomas] wanted to ‘keep it real,’ so using such a modern-looking building fit her
mantra to a tee,” says production designer Marcia Hinds. “It was exactly what new suburban
high schools look like nowadays. It’s no longer about red brick and little desks. At the same
time, we wanted to be visually inventive, which was a challenge with such a stark concrete-and-
wood structure. The first thing we did was to introduce in a lot of color and character. We chose
a maroon, burgundy and gray palette, which may sound subtle, but was actually quite enriching
and, again, ‘real.’
“In addition to adding a lot of interior graphics and signage, we utilized the school’s
existing team name, the Kodiaks, as well as their bear paw logo,” Hinds continues. “It fit the
film and it fit us, so we kept it. All in all, we worked with the school to create a look that would
be permanent. That alone saved us a tremendous amount of time and money because we didn’t
have to undo everything when were finished with it. When the kids came back to school in
September, the entire school was professionally decorated!”
That décor also included new landscaping, an outdoor concrete sitting area, truckloads of
classroom equipment, and a fully painted and graphically-designed gymnasium. Everything was
left behind for the students to utilize and enjoy, including all of the production’s scenic painting,
which went to support the school’s burgeoning theatre department.
Hinds says she had the most fun designing a scene depicting a birthday bash for John
Tucker. “Think: the coolest party for the coolest kid in the school,” she says of the sequence,
which was set in an enormous industrial warehouse. “The whole thing had a sexy, rock ‘n’ roll
feel, which [cinematographer] Tony Richmond did a great job lighting. We filled the space with
tons of huge balloons and giant fluorescent murals.”
Adds executive producer Marc S. Fischer: “That was a really big scene to shoot; we had
400 extras, four cameras going at once, techno cranes, and a band. There was a lot to organize
for three days.” This included the coordination of the scene’s centerpiece: a super tricked-out
partymobile. This custom-designed, gun-metal gray Chevy Tahoe came complete with a 50-inch
flat screen TV monitor rising from the center of the roof, as well as over 100 speakers. “There
were enough speakers for a Bruce Springsteen concert at the L.A. Coliseum,” laughs Fischer. “It
was a pretty wild vehicle.”
The most logistically-complex scene to film involved two days on Vancouver’s scenic
Burrard Inlet, where the production shot a sequence depicting of Kate’s first date with John
Tucker. “Anytime you shoot on water, it’s very, very complicated,” explains Fischer, “and this
time was no exception.” This particular sequence, in which Heather, Beth, and Carrie take out a
motorized dinghy to spy on Kate and John – who are getting cozy in a huge sailboat – required
much local cooperation to pull off.
To capture this nighttime scene, the crew was perched on three different floating barges –
one for camera, one for lighting, and a third for director Betty Thomas and her “video village” to
view what was being shot. The evening marine layer started kicking up during the filming,
requiring divers to hunker down in the water and hold the boats steady.
Jesse Metcalfe was involved in another daunting scene, one of a more...personal nature.
When John Tucker is seduced by the sexy Kate into visiting her hotel room, on the condition that
he wears a red lace thong, he ends up risking life and limb to satisfy her unusual request. “I have
to scale an outside ledge, until I reach her window, which is supposedly, like, four rooms down,”
says Metcalfe. “I get through that, while wearing just a towel [over the thong], then come in
through a sliding glass balcony door which turns out to be the girls’ gym teacher’s room, and not
Kate’s. I’m then completely embarrassed by the gym teacher and my coach in front of all the
other kids, and I don’t even get to be with Kate, who’s duped me, anyway!
“It was a fun, physical, and very liberating scene to shoot, though I’m never wearing a
thong again if I can help it. Those things are really uncomfortable.”
Metcalfe was also put through the paces for a scene where he acrobatically slam-dunks a
basketball to impress Kate. The actor, who did most of his own stunts in the film, shot this crazy
backward dunk with the help of a trampoline and a wire harness, which added a bit of visual
magic to his own already solid hoop skills. Brittany Snow also worked with safety wires for the
scene in which, as newbie cheerleader Kate, she tries to impress “Tuck” by balancing atop a
precision pyramid. Says Snow: “Like many people, I have this incredible fear of falling and a
fear of heights, so I had to overcome both in order to do the scene. If it hadn’t been for Betty
[Thomas] making me laugh the whole time, I’m not sure I could’ve gotten through it.”
One of the hottest rock bands out of the U.K., People In Planes, makes its big screen
debut in the film, providing the music for John Tucker’s birthday extravaganza. People In
Planes band members found their first movie experience a little overwhelming. Singer-
songwriter Gareth Jones, who also wrote the film’s title track entitled “Instantly Gratified,” says
of the shoot, “We hadn’t done anything like that before. We’d filmed music videos but this was,
like, a million times bigger. Though it sometimes felt bizarre, it’s ultimately an excellent
opportunity to have our music heard by millions of people. You can’t beat that for motivation.”
In the end, lead actor Jesse Metcalfe thinks the film will leave young audiences with a
solid, relatable message. “Though the movie reconfirms that high school is a lot about the social
hierarchy, it also says to ignore that hierarchy. Fitting in isn’t always such a good thing. In fact,
it’s hardly ever a good thing. It’s always best just to be true to yourself.”
ABOUT THE CAST
JESSE METCALFE (John Tucker) makes his feature debut in John Tucker Must Die
after playing John Rowland, Eva Longoria’s hot gardener/boy toy on ABC’s phenomenally
successful Desperate Housewives.
Earlier, the actor played another heartbreaker on the popular NBC daytime soap
Passions. He appeared as Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald for four years, departing from the show in
2004.
Other TV appearances include the FX telefilm 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-
Out and a recurring role on the WB’s Smallville.
Metcalfe is the recipient of the 2005 Young Hollywood Award for Exciting New Face,
and was nominated for two 2005 Teen Choice Awards, including one for Choice Actor in a
Television Comedy.
BRITTANY SNOW (Kate) first gained widespread attention playing 1960s teenager Meg
Pryor on the acclaimed NBC series American Dreams, which ran from 2002 to 2005. She then
appeared opposite Vin Diesel in the successful Disney comedy The Pacifier.
Previously, Snow had a regular role on the long-running daytime drama Guiding Light,
portraying troubled teen Susan Lemay. She has also been seen on such TV series as SeaQuest
DSV and Safe Harbor, and in the WB pilot Murphy’s Dozen.
More recently, Snow enjoyed a recurring role on the hit FX series Nip/Tuck. She also
acted in the pilot episode of Fox’s one-hour drama Skater Boys.
Snow will next be seen in the indie feature On the Doll. She recently began production
on New Line’s big screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Hairspray, in which she plays
Tracy Turnblad’s arch-nemesis, Amber Von Tussle.
ASHANTI (Heather) has been one of the most popular talents on the music scene since
she struck gold with her 2002 debut album, Ashanti. It topped Billboard’s Top 200 and R&B
album charts, and sold a whopping 504,593 units in its first week of release. This figure set a
record on SoundScan for most albums sold by any first-time female artist, since the retail
tracking system began.
At the same time, Ashanti secured the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart and
its R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart with her song "Foolish." She made Billboard history
by having her first three chart entries simultaneously place in the top ten of the magazine’s Hot
100 list. Ashanti is the first female – and only the second recording artist since The Beatles – to
accomplish this feat.
That same year, Ashanti won the Grammy Award for best contemporary R&B album.
She also received eight Billboard Awards, with her debut album topping the Billboard album
chart. In addition, she won two American Music Awards, as well as Soul Train’s Aretha Franklin
Entertainer of the Year Award.
Ashanti’s follow-up release, Chapter II, debuted at number one on Billboard’s album
chart and spawned two Top Ten singles. Her other albums include Ashanti’s Christmas and the
platinum-selling Concrete Rose.
Ashanti made the leap to acting with a role on an episode of the 1960s drama American
Dreams, in which she portrayed famed pop singer Dionne Warwicke. She has also appeared on
the series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; and Las Vegas.
In 2005, Ashanti made her big-screen acting debut opposite Samuel L. Jackson in Coach
Carter and also starred as Dorothy in the ABC telefilm The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz.
In addition, she made a special appearance in the indie Bollywood musical Bride &
Prejudice, in which she sang in both Hindi and English.
The singer-actress has also performed on virtually every music awards show from The
American Music Awards to the Grammys, the MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Europe Awards,
the Soul Train Awards, and the Kids’ Choice Awards.
SOPHIA BUSH (Beth) portrays Brooke Davis on the hit drama series One Tree Hill.
Other television credits include appearances on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and
Nip/Tuck; the one-hour ABC pilot The Flannerys; and the HBO film Point of Origin, with Ray
Liotta and John Leguizamo.
The actress has also been seen in such features as National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, the
indie drama Learning Curves, Fox’s sports adventure Supercross: The Movie, and the chiller
Stay Alive.
Bush will next star in a feature remake of the cult thriller The Hitcher.
ARIELLE KEBBEL (Carrie) appeared in a string of feature films over the last few years
including The Brothers, Soul Plane, Be Cool, the independent horror picture Reeker, Dirty
Deeds, and The Kid & I.
She also acted in the made-for-DVD sequel, American Pie: Band Camp.
On television, Kebbel has had recurring roles on such series as Gilmore Girls and
Grounded For Life, and has appeared in episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Judging
Amy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Entourage, Clubhouse, and CSI: Miami.
Kebbel will soon be seen in the indie features Outlaw Trail and Daydreamer, along with
Sony’s upcoming horror sequel The Grudge 2.
JENNY McCARTHY (Lori) has enjoyed a varied and successful career as a film and
television actress, comedienne, TV host, author, and spokesperson. She gained fame early on as
Playboy’s Miss October 1993, and was subsequently named the magazine’s Playmate of the
Year.
Her sexy, pinup girl status eventually led to a co-hosting gig on MTV’s dating game
show Singled Out. The network then hired McCarthy as a vee-jay and later allowed her to
develop her own comedy/variety series, The Jenny McCarthy Show. The success of that show
led to acting roles on TV series like Silk Stalkings, Baywatch, and Wings, and her own NBC
sitcom, Jenny.
Around this time, McCarthy began to appear in feature films including Things to Do in
Denver When You’re Dead, The Stupids, BASEketball, Diamonds, and Scream 3.
More television roles followed, including episodes of Home Improvement, Going to
California, The Drew Carey Show, Fastlane, Charmed, Wanda at Large and All About the
Andersons, as well as recurring parts on Just Shoot Me!, Less Than Perfect, Wild Card, One on
One, and Hope & Faith.
More recently, McCarthy starred on UPN’s The Bad Girl’s Guide and appeared in
episodes of What I Like About You and Stacked.
Additional feature credits include the indie comedy The Perfect You, Scary Movie 3, and
Dirty Love (which she wrote and starred in).
McCarthy has hosted numerous TV specials including MTV Europe Music Awards 1998,
The 29th Annual American Music Awards, MTV’s 25 Greatest Power Ballads, FX’s DVD
Exclusive Awards, The Brady Bunch 35th Anniversary Reunion Special: Still Brady After All
These Years, and E!’s 101 Craziest TV Moments and What Hollywood Taught Us about Sex.
On the literary front, HarperCollins published McCarthy’s autobiography, Jen-X, in 1997.
Her comedic take on pregnancy and childbirth, Belly Laughs, was released in Spring 2004 and
placed on The New York Times best seller list, as did the book’s follow-up, Baby Laughs,
published in Spring 2005.
McCarthy stars in the upcoming ABC Family telefilm Mary Christmas.
PENN BADGLEY (Scott) has been a series regular on three WB shows: The Mountain,
Do Over, and The Bedford Diaries. The young actor has also had recurring roles on such series
as Daddio, The Young and the Restless, and The Brothers Garcia. Episodic credits include Will
& Grace, Bull, What I Like About You, and The Twilight Zone.
Badgley has also acted in the indie features The Fluffer and Debating Robert Lee. He
will next be seen in the horror comedy Drive-Thru as well in the upcoming CBS drama series 3
lbs.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
BETTY THOMAS (Director) has been at the helm of a successful string of feature films
beginning with The Brady Bunch Movie and Private Parts, followed by Fox’s Doctor Dolittle
remake, with Eddie Murphy; 28 Days, with Sandra Bullock; and I-Spy, starring Murphy and
Owen Wilson. Thomas also directed the celebrated HBO telefilm The Late Shift, for which she
won a Director’s Guild Award and an Emmy® nomination.
Prior to venturing into feature directing, Thomas helmed episodes of such TV series as
Hooperman, Doogie Howser, M.D., Shannon’s Deal, Dream On (Emmy and CableACE award
wins, DGA nomination), Parenthood, Sons and Daughters, and Midnight Caller, as well as the
telefilms My Breast and Couples.
She directed the pilot episode of the Fox comedy The Loop as well as the network’s
upcoming telefilm That Guy.
Thomas began her career as an actress and was best known for her portrayal of Sgt. Lucy
Bates on NBC’s landmark, long-running Hill Street Blues. From 1981 to 1987, the role earned
her consecutive yearly Emmy Award nominations (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
Series), with a win in 1985.
Her many feature acting credits include Tunnel Vision, Jackson County Jail, Used Cars,
Loose Shoes, and Troop Beverly Hills. She also appeared in such telefilms as The Nashville
Grab, When Your Lover Leaves, No Greater Gift, and Prison For Children.
JEFF LOWELL (Screenwriter) began his career writing for such TV series as The
George Carlin Show, Cybil, The Drew Carey Show, Bless This House, Spin City, Just Shoot Me!
and Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane. Lowell wrote and co-executive produced the acclaimed
comedy-drama Sports Night, as well as the NBC sitcoms Go Fish and Inside Schwartz.
In addition to John Tucker Must Die, which is Lowell’s first produced feature credit, he
co-wrote Landscape Entertainment’s upcoming Romantic Comedy. He will next write Fetch for
Sony Pictures, and will write and direct Gold Circle’s How I Met My New Boyfriend's Dead
Fiancée.
BOB COOPER (Producer) is the chairman and CEO of Landscape Entertainment, a film
and television production company he formed in 2003 after two decades in top entertainment
posts at DreamWorks Pictures, TriStar Pictures, and HBO.
Cooper recently produced the comedy Mr. Woodcock starring Billy Bob Thornton, Seann
William Scott, and Susan Sarandon. He and his company have numerous films in various stages
of development including The Hypnotist and 92 Minutes, for Revolution Studios; the New Line
comedies The Salesman, I Know That You Know That I Know (with Jim Carrey attached), Man
In Uniform (to star Kevin James), and High T (with Steve Carell), as well as the drama The
Crusaders, also for New Line. At Paramount, Landscape is in development on Au Pair, a thriller
set to star Mandy Moore.
Landscape also has a number of TV projects in development and, last year, produced its
first series, NBC’s Medical Investigation.
While Cooper headed production at DreamWorks, he oversaw such films as the Oscar®-
winning American Beauty as well as the hit comedy Galaxy Quest. Before he began his tenure
there, Cooper also co-produced Amistad, which was produced and directed by Steven Spielberg.
Prior to joining DreamWorks, Cooper served as president of TriStar Pictures, where his
slate included hit movies like My Best Friend’s Wedding, As Good As It Gets, The Mask of
Zorro, and Stepmom. He also played a key role in marketing Best Picture Oscar-nominee Jerry
Maguire.
Before his post at TriStar, Cooper was president of HBO Pictures for eight years, and
turned the nascent cable network into a major production force. Television films produced under
Cooper’s watch won best picture Emmy and Golden Globe® awards an unprecedented five years
in a row. These distinguished movies included Barbarians at the Gate, And the Band Played
On, The Josephine Baker Story, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas
Cheerleader-Murdering Mom, The Burning Season, and Citizen X.
Preceding HBO, Cooper founded Citadel, a Canadian–based development and production
company and, in 1993, produced the first ever made-for-HBO movie, The Terry Fox Story. He
also produced the award-winning Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story. In 1991,
Cooper sold Citadel to HBO/Time Warner; Citadel continued to flourish, reporting to Cooper in
his capacity as President of HBO.
MICHAEL BIRNBAUM (Producer) also produced the Golden Globe-nominated caper
comedy Bandits, directed by Barry Levinson, starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and
Cate Blanchett. In addition, he served as executive producer on the features Keys to Tulsa, a
mystery that starred Eric Stoltz, James Spader, Mary Tyler Moore, and Cameron Diaz; and the
dark comedy The Big White, with Robin Williams and Holly Hunter.
KAREN LUNDER (Executive Producer) currently serves as senior VP of features for
Bob Cooper’s Landscape Entertainment. She was co-producer on the company’s teen comedy
Sleepover, as well as on its soon-to-be-released Mr. Woodcock. She will executive produce the
upcoming Landscape feature comedies, Man In Uniform and High T.
MARC S. FISCHER (Executive Producer) has enjoyed a long association with the
Farrelly Brothers and worked as a producer on all the features they’ve produced and/or directed
since 1996’s Kingpin. He served as co-producer on There’s Something About Mary, Me, Myself
& Irene, Say It Isn’t So, Osmosis Jones, Shallow Hal, and executive produced Stuck On You and
Fever Pitch.
Fischer’s other feature credits as either producer or co-producer include The Forbidden
Dance, Hexed, Foxfire, Beverly Hills Ninja, Music From Another Room, Gun Shy, Freddy Got
Fingered, and The Ringer. In addition, he was line producer on Leaving Las Vegas.
Fischer was unit production manager on such films as The Phantom of the Opera (1989);
Bad Jim; Captain America; Kingpin; Foxfire; Beverly Hills Ninja; There’s Something About
Mary; Music From Another Room; Me, Myself & Irene; Say It Isn’t So; and Like Mike.
Fischer will next executive produce Regency’s adventure drama Jumper, to be directed
by Doug Liman.
ANTHONY B. RICHMOND, ASC/BSC (Director of Photography) is a veteran
cinematographer who has shot over sixty features and telefilms. His early credits include
Sympathy for the Devil, Let It Be, Don’t Look Now (BAFTA Film Award for best
cinematography), The Man Who Fell To Earth, The Eagle Has Landed, The Greek Tycoon, and
The Kids Are Alright.
He went on to shoot the features Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession, Improper Channels,
That’s Life!, Sunset, The Indian Runner, Candyman, The Sandlot, and such telefilms as The Road
Raiders, In the Arms of a Killer, Midnight’s Child, A Case For Murder, Heart of Darkness,
Bastard Out of Carolina, and Rough Riders.
Richmond’s more recent credits include the features Playing God, A Walk on the Moon,
Agnes Browne, Men of Honor, Legally Blonde, The Sweetest Thing, Dumb and Dumberer: When
Harry Met Lloyd, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, A Cinderella Story, and Just Friends, as well
as the TV movies And the Beat Goes On: The Sonny and Cher Story, Sister Mary Explains It All,
and Riding the Bus With My Sister.
MARCIA HINDS (Production Designer) previously collaborated with director Betty
Thomas on the Fox TV comedy The Loop, the feature remake of I-Spy, and the Sandra Bullock
drama 28 Days.
Hinds’ other feature designing credits include Dangerously Close, 1969, Bright Angel,
Paradise, The Linguini Incident, The Public Eye, Josh and S.A.M., Larger Than Life, Double
Tap, Can’t Hardly Wait, and Boys and Girls.
For television, she served as production designer on such films as Crash: The Mystery of
Flight 1501, Aftermath: A Test of Love, and Winchell. Hinds designed the pilot episode of
HBO’s acclaimed series Six Feet Under.
MATTHEW FRIEDMAN (Editor) worked with Betty Thomas on the Fox series The
Loop and the movie of I Spy. He also held various editing positions on the director’s Private
Parts, Doctor Dolittle, and 28 Days.
Friedman’s other editing credits include the independent features We Married Margo,
Certain Guys, Cold Heart, The Last Run, The Truth About Miranda, Novel Romance, and
English as a Second Language. Friedman also edited the recent WB series Pepper Dennis.
Friedman also served as an assistant editor on the films How to Make an American Quilt,
The Muse, Road Trip and Highway.
ALEXANDRA WELKER (Costume Designer) created the wardrobe for an eclectic mix
of independent and studio features, as well as for series and telefilms.
Her long list of feature credits includes Simple Men, Amateur, Somebody to Love, Flirt,
The Low Life, The Big Brass Ring, Meet Wally Sparks, Meet the Deedles, Phoenix, Seven
Girlfriends, Joe Dirt, American Pie 2, How to Deal and Just Friends.
For television, Welker designed the costumes for such movies as Fortunate Son, See
Arnold Run, and A House Divided, and for the series Relativity, Snoops, Leap of Faith, The O.C.,
and, most recently, Pepper Dennis.
RICHARD GIBBS (Composer) has amassed over 50 feature and TV scoring credits.
For the big screen, he has composed the music for Sweet Hearts Dance, Say Anything,
Bingo, Once Upon a Crime, Ladybugs, Passed Away, The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag, Amos &
Andrew, Son-in-Law, Fatal Instinct, The Chase, Clifford, That Darn Cat, Doctor Dolittle, 10
Things I Hate About You, 28 Days, Big Momma’s House, Queen of the Damned, Like Mike, and I
Spy, among many others.
His most recent feature credits include Step Into Liquid, Love Don’t Cost a Thing, My
Baby’s Daddy, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Johnson Family Vacation, Fat Albert, The
Honeymooners, and the upcoming indie drama Valley of the Heart’s Delight.
Gibbs scored the telefilms A Deadly Silence, A Killing in a Small Town, How to Murder a
Millionaire, Barbarians at the Gate, The Christmas Box, and The Jesse Ventura Story; the mini-
series Battlestar Galactica; and the HBO special Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed.
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