MBN: THE MONTE BUBBLES NETWORK: Production Notes/Credits a Good Year

Oscar®-winner Russell Crowe reunites with “Gladiator” director Ridley Scott in A

GOOD YEAR, a Fox 2000 Pictures presentation of a Scott Free production. London-based investment expert Max Skinner (Crowe) moves to Provence to sell a small vineyard he has inherited from his late uncle. Max reluctantly settles into what ultimately becomes an intoxicating new chapter in his life, as he comes to realize that life is meant to be savored.

A GOOD YEAR is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Peter Mayle.

(Mayle and Ridley Scott, who are longtime friends, together came up with the idea for the

novel.) Scott produces from a screenplay by Marc Klein. The film also stars the esteemed

Albert Finney as Max’s late Uncle Henry, who imparts wisdom to his young nephew; Marion

Cotillard (“A Very Long Engagement”) as a café owner who catches Max’s eye; Abbie

Cornish (“Sommersault”) as Max’s supposed long-lost cousin, who may hold the vineyard’s

title rights; Tom Hollander (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”) as his best friend;

and Freddie Highmore (“Finding Neverland”) as the young Max.

Confident and cocky, headstrong and handsome, Max Skinner is a successful London

banker who specializes in trading bonds. A financial barracuda on the banks of the Thames,

Max devours the competition in his efforts to conquer the European market. His latest

conquest has netted a tidy seven-figure profit, much to the chagrin of his Saville Row-draped

rivals. Max’s triumph is in perfect keeping with his philosophy: winning isn’t everything,

it’s the only thing!

Soon thereafter, Max receives word from France alerting him to sad news: his elderly

Uncle Henry has passed away. Max, Henry’s closest blood relative, is the sole beneficiary of

his estate, which includes a Provençal chateau and vineyard, La Siroque, where Henry

cultivated grapes for over thirty years.

Max travels to the chateau where he spent his boyhood summers vacationing with his

eccentric uncle, whom he hasn’t seen or written to in years. While Max tends to the legal

affairs of his inheritance, he is suspended from his firm, pending an investigation into his

questionable bond transaction.

With his future in London in flux, Max reluctantly begins settling into life at the

chateau. He reunites with the chateau’s longtime vigneron, Francis Duflot (still tending the

vines after three decades), whom Max remembers from his boyhood visits. Duflot’s

exuberant wife, Ludivine, the estate’s housekeeper, warmly welcomes Max back.

Max is uncertain as to whether life in the South of France suits him. He rings up his

best friend, London realtor Charlie Willis, to inquire as to what a small chateau and winery

like La Siroque would command on the current market. Charlie advises Max that small

wineries with a good product can bring several million dollars, as boutique wine, made in

small batches, is the rage in wine shops. It’s money in the bank for Max should he lose his

job.

As Max fondly embraces the memories of summers past (spent with a man whose

wisdom and philosophy helped Max chart his successful career) while contemplating a

cloudy future, a complication arises with the sudden arrival of a determined,

twentysomething California girl, Christie Roberts. Christie, a Napa Valley native, claims to

be the illegitimate daughter of the deceased uncle. The revelation, if true, makes her Max’s

cousin and, according to French law, the beneficiary of La Siroque.

Suspecting Christie may be a fraud, Max questions her about her past while bickering

with her over the fate of the vineyard, whose plonk (as the French define bad wine) rivals the

worst vinegar imaginable. Max, who has tasted La Siroque’s awful vin de pays, also finds

some other bottles in Uncle Henry’s cellar bearing the name Le Coin Perdu (‘the lost

corner’). This mysterious, legendary vin de garage has fetched thousands per bottle on the

black market for years, according to the fetching local cafe owner, Fanny Chenal, with whom

Max has become smitten.

Where does the wine come from, and why is Duflot so insistent on staying at La

Siroque whatever the vineyard’s fate? And, what about some unusual vines discovered on

the property by Christie, which the crusty vintner claims are experimental in nature, and a

renowned oenologue has deemed unworthy?

Max’s memories and the passage of time bring forth emotions and feelings he

thought were long lost, and afford him a new appreciation of his late Uncle Henry’s

philosophy on life – and on life in Provence: “There’s nowhere else in the world where one

can keep busy doing so little, yet enjoy it so much!”

Peter Mayle is a native Brit who abandoned a successful advertising career and

reinvented himself as a best-selling author and novelist. He has been writing about the good

life in the South of France for over fifteen years. Critics have praised his books, both fiction

and nonfiction, calling the writer “the world’s foremost literary escape artist” because of his

knack for setting his colorful yarns in a locale one magazine called “the most enticing place

this side of paradise.” Mayle’s first book, a memoir called A Year in Provence, has sold

over five million copies (in 28 languages) since its publication in 1991.

It was over a bottle of Provençal wine that Mayle (who lives full-time in the Luberon

area of Provence) and filmmaker Ridley Scott (who has maintained a vacation home and

vineyard there for fifteen years) came up with the idea for Mayle’s breezy 2004 novel A

Good Year. “Ridley used to work in the commercials business and I used to work in the

advertising agency business in London,” Mayle recounts about his early history with the

filmmaker; their friendship stretches back to London’s advertising world of the 1970s. “He

was about the best there was, so we would always use his company for shooting commercials

if we could afford him. We worked together intermittently in London, and then he went off

and did movies and I went off and (wrote) books.”

Almost three decades later, Scott and Mayle had a memorable lunch. “Ridley arrived

with a newspaper clipping which reported on new wines in Bordeaux – ‘garage’ wines –

which commanded huge prices without a chateau or pedigree. Yet, people paid a fortune for

them.”

“I saw this piece in the newspaper business section of the Times about a vineyard in

France that was selling garage wine for over £30,000 a case,” Scott recounts about the 1996

clipping, which he still keeps in his files in London. “I was looking for an excuse to come

back to France to shoot a film, and this story idea offered the perfect opportunity.

“I bounced this idea off Peter Mayle and he said, ‘That would make a good novel,’”

Scott remembers. “And I said, ‘You write the book, then I’ll get the film rights.’ So, he

wrote the book, which was successful.”

Mayle labored at his laptop for nine months in 2003, researching the subject in both

in his adopted Provence and in one of the world’s renowned wine regions, Bordeaux, on

France’s Atlantic coast. Le Pin, located in the appellation called Pomerol, cultivates what

many believe to be the best Merlot on the planet.

In the meantime, Scott went off to Morocco and Spain to film his epic saga,

“Kingdom of Heaven.” A month after the author turned in his manuscript, a deal was

finalized for the film rights – and Scott and Mayle were back in business together.

Scott also suggested the book’s (and film’s) title. “A winemaker has a difficult life.

But if he gets it right, he’s had a good year,” says the filmmaker. “That’s what a French

winemaker will say: ‘It’s been a good year.’”

Scott chose New York native Marc Klein (“Serendipity”) to adapt Mayle’s novel for

the screen. Klein admits that when he accepted Scott’s offer, he knew nothing about wine or

Provence. Scott advised Klein to visit the South of France to conduct research and get a

flavor of the area. Klein visited Provence in 2004, met with Peter Mayle, and spent almost a

year researching the region and the wines.

Adapting Mayle’s novel provided Klein with some formidable challenges. “Peter

writes books that are like travelogues,” says the screenwriter. “They're more about

atmosphere – the kind of book one likes to read on vacation, where you want to be swept

away to a certain place. We needed to provide additional narrative structure on it. At the

same time, we wanted to give moviegoers the same experience they would have reading the

book.”

“Peter’s book is a jolly romp,” Scott adds. “It’s very much embedded in the lifestyle

of Provence. For the movie, I found that the mechanism for the story needed to be adjusted a

little bit, to turn up the volume on the character of Max, who needed to learn an important

life lesson. The philosophy that Uncle Henry was trying to instill into this young Max really

didn’t take.”

A key change from the novel was the screenplay’s depiction of Uncle Henry, who is

only referred to in the novel. After toying with the idea of making Henry a ghostly figure,

Scott and Klein decided to depict the character in flashbacks, which, says Scott, “allows us to

see the grooming of Max as a child, which pays off as the story unfolds.”

According to Russell Crowe, these flashback scenes accent one of the film’s principal

themes: “That as long as people are in your heart, they never die.

“I thought that was a wonderful metaphor,” Crowe continues. “When Ridley and I

worked on ‘Gladiator,’ the metaphor was death. But on A GOOD YEAR, we discussed the

themes in terms of reincarnation – not necessarily from the dead to the living, but having the

‘living dead’, like Max, become revitalized from his experiences in Provence. Every

character in this story has a situation that changes his or her life for the better.”

Says legendary actor Albert Finney, who portrays Henry: “Max has these memories

of his uncle when he had his summer holidays here as a child. He remembers them

favorably, which suggests he had a good time with Henry. Young Max enjoyed his

company. The philosophy Henry imparts on the boy has mostly to do with wine in particular,

but around that is a philosophy of enjoying life. I think he's a good influence on the boy.”

Max isn’t the only character that undergoes transformation. Says Crowe: “For every

character, something happens within the story that elevates, changes or revitalizes his or her

life. I've had the same thing happen in my own life, when I married and we had a baby. So it

is possible to get yourself out of a rut and change things. That's what the title refers to –

Max’s life. He comes to Provence, reconnects with the memory of his uncle and the things

that his uncle taught him, which opens his heart. And his life changes.”

“I think audiences will come out with memories of their childhood after seeing this

film,” says 14-year-old Freddie Highmore, who portrays the young Max. “The film will

make you look back on the things that have happened in your own life. Young Max didn't

know at the time how important the lessons were that Uncle Henry was giving him. But, as

he got older and comes back to visit this place, he realizes how important they have been in

making him grow up.”

THE CAST AND CHARACTERS

“As a story teller, a novelist, I don't think you can ever completely divorce yourself

from your main characters,” says Peter Mayle. “Bits of you creep in there, whether you like

it or not, whether it's intentional or not. Your characters are often reflections of what you

yourself feel, and Max is representative of a very strong feeling that I had when I was his

age, which is I wanted to basically get out of London and try something else. Of course, Max

does it in a rather more dramatic fashion than I did.”

“You live with these characters by yourself all the time in your own head,” Marc

Klein offers about the craft of screenwriting. “Then, you work with someone like Russell

Crowe, who's a genius. He came to me in between takes and gave me ideas about the

character. He inhabited his character in a way that's even deeper than I could have ever

hoped.”

While looking for a vehicle on which to re-team with Ridley Scott, Crowe remembers

chatting with the director during the production of ‘Gladiator’ about getting together again

for another film. “I enjoy working with Ridley because we have a really good rhythm

together. We talked about what the next project could be, knowing we wanted to do

something entirely different from ‘Gladiator.’ So, we decided to work together on a comedy.”

“I always thought that Russell would be perfect for the character of Max,” Scott adds.

“Russell is like Max. Russell carries a lot of the innocence in him and manages to keep that

innocence fresh, untrammeled somehow.”

Crowe found much to dig into when he took on the role. “Max has had a fortunate

childhood in that he had this wonderful bon vivant uncle who put all the information in him

that he needed in order to become a good bloke. But, he's taken his uncle's advice on

competition and edge and made it his life's mantra, to the point where competition isn't really

any fun for him anymore.

“One of the key things that Ridley said to me when we first talked was, ‘There's a

Provençal saying that you don't own the chateau; the chateau owns you,’” Crowe continues.

“That's one of the things we worked on. Max must travel to Provence in order to receive his

inheritance. From the time that he gets there, events conspire to keep him here. It's very

definitely a fish-out-of-water/coming-of-age adult comedy with humanity, which gives it

realism.”

While the film represented the second Crowe-Scott collaboration, it was the fourth

reteaming for the director and five-time Oscar-nominee Albert Finney. The stage-and-screen

legend essays the role of Uncle Henry, a character that existed in name only in Mayle’s

novel, but comes to life throughout the film.

Finney relates that he did not indulge in creating much backstory for the character,

but acknowledges that a long-ago, fateful trip Henry made to the U.S. West Coast – a visit

that is discussed but not depicted in the film – is an important part of the character’s history. Another AuMax’s inheritance of the property and his future at the chateau.

The actress, who did a videotaped audition for Scott only weeks before filming was to

begin, is well-known Down Under but less so outside of her native country. She has been

winning critical acclaim for several years for her work in such films as “The Monkey’s

Mask” and the sexual drama, “Somersault,” the only Australian film screened at the 2004

Cannes Film Festival, where the actress won a standing ovation.

“Christie is a twenty-one year old American girl from the Napa Valley in California,”

says Cornish, who hails from the Aussie wine region of the Hunter Valley near Sydney. “She

learns that she has a birth father and that he's alive and lives in France. So, she makes the

journey to his front door (which is when we meet Christie in the film). Unfortunately, she

finds out the bad news about Henry, but meets a cousin, Max, whom she never knew she had.

When Christie arrives on the doorstep, it throws something into the mix which changes Max.

He doesn't really believe this girl and of course, he's wary of her. Eventually, the two

characters find something in each other that they can both relate to.”

Also joining the starring cast is Marion Cotillard (“A Very Long Engagement”) as

Fanny Chenal, a Provençal beauty who owns the local café – and who catches Max’s eye. “I

liked the script’s spontaneity,” the Parisian beauty states. “I also appreciated Max’s journey

– how he comes to understand what he really needs is right there at the chateau and in

Provence.

“Fanny is the owner of a restaurant,” she continues. “She's a broken heart who

decided that life would be much easier, less painful, without love. She organized her life not

to be hurt again. Her café is called La Renaissance, which means ‘rebirth’. But, sometimes,

hopefully, life brings you what you need, even if you don’t know what that is. Even if Fanny

doesn't want to confess that she needs love, she definitely needs love. And she deserves it,

too.”

From his homeland, the director cast British character actor Tom Hollander (“Gosford

Park,” “Enigma,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”) in the role of Charlie

Willis, Max’s best friend, who guides Max on the possible sale of the property; Archie

Panjabi (“Bend It Like Beckham,” “East Is East,” “The Constant Gardener”) as Max’s

reliable London assistant, Gemma; and Freddie Highmore (“Finding Neverland,” “Charlie

and the Chocolate Factory”) as the young Max, seen in flashbacks with Uncle Henry at the

chateau.

“I'm the young Max, who’s based on the older Max, because they're the same

character,” Highmore offers. “I watched Russell work a bit and we talked about the character

and how each of us thought he was going to be. It just came from that. It was just great fun

from the moment I stepped onto the set to be with Ridley and Albert and Russell.”

Scott also populated his movie with other popular French performers. Didier

Bourdon portrays Francis Duflot, the longtime vintner who has tended to La Siroque’s vines

for three decades and who may know the true secrets of the vineyard’s potential. “Francis

Duflot is a winemaker. Vinyo, as we say in France,” Bourdon describes. “He has a long

history with Max. They knew each other when they were younger. Their relationship is

between friendship and mistrust. When Max returns to Henry’s home, after being away for

years, Duflot is wondering, worried that Max will sell the château.”

Duflot’s wary relationship with Max comes to a head during a tennis match between

the two, which becomes more like a war than a friendly game. “The tennis match scene came

about because Ridley is a great lover of the sport,” Crowe says. “He was bemoaning to me

over a glass of red wine that we didn't have any battle sequences in the movie. That got me

thinking. And we had the whole sequence set up by the tennis court, and a sequence playing

tennis in flashback. And so I made the suggestion that perhaps we find a way of getting these

two men to do battle on the clay court.”

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (“Mon homme,” “Les gens normaux n’ont rien

d’exceptionnel”) plays Nathalie Auzet, the local notaire handling the legal papers on Max’s

behalf; veteran European character actor Jacques Herlin (Visconti’s “The Stranger,” Fellini’s

“Juliet of the Spirits”) plays the irascible Papa Duflot; and French comic actress Isabelle

Candelier (“André le magnifique,” “Versailles rive Gauche”) plays the vigneron’s wife and

chateau’s caretaker, Mme. Duflot. (Scott calls Candelier “the French Lucille Ball.”)

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

In describing the allure of Provence, author Peter Mayle notes the area has three

hundred days of sunshine a year, stunning scenery, remarkably unspoiled countryside, and

extraordinary light. “You don't find that light in many other places in the world. I like the

pace of life down here. It imposes a certain rhythm on you, which, when you get used to it, is

very pleasant. I feel at home here.”

“I loved waking up in Provence,” adds Russell Crowe, who lived there for two

months during production. “There's something extra special about this particular valley, the

Luberon. I think it's got to do with its fertility. The light there is very similar to Australia --

the blues, the pinks and the oranges in the sky. I felt very comfortable there.”

“I loved shooting in Provence…it’s just so beautiful!” adds Ridley Scott, who has

owned a vacation home and operated a vineyard there for fifteen years, but hadn’t filmed in

France since his debut feature, “The Duelists,” almost thirty years ago. “This shoot was one

of my most pleasant experiences.”

Provence itself dates back to 600 B.C., when Phocaean Greeks settled in Massalia,

now modern-day Marseilles on the Mediterranean coast, and the region’s most populous city.

Its history could also be depicted through the history of the wines introduced by these

Phocaeans over 2600 years ago. These ancient vines – the oldest in France – were later

developed by the Romans and, thereafter, in the Middle Ages, by monastic communities.

Comprised of 700 villages, Provence has several regional wine growing appellations

(covering an estimated 27,000 hectares, or 68,000 acres), all designated as A.O.C.

(appellation d’origine controlee), the governmental system established in the 1930s that

regulates production and distinguishes quality French wines from table wines. The region

boasts extraordinarily favorable growing conditions, or terroir, defined as a combination of

conditions in a vineyard site that comprise the vine's total environment and give its wines

what longtime wine writer Matt Kramer calls “somewhereness.”

The Mediterranean climate (year-round sunshine, perfect ventilation from a wind

dubbed "mistral" and good rainfall), combined with the terrain’s siliceous soil, favors red

grapes like Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre, much of which is used to

produce rosé, the region’s specialty of the estimated 140,000,000 bottles produced annually.

White grape varietals common to the terrain include Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Ugni Blanc

and Rolle.

Scott based the production in the sub-appellation called Cotes du Luberon (where his

own vineyard of eleven hectares is situated), an area whose vines extend over 7500 acres

from Cavaillon to Apt in north-central Provence, where 70% are red grape varietals. Most of

the vintners (some 80%, including Scott) grow grapes and sell them to cooperatives to

produce the local table wine (vin de pays) named for the appellation. However, Scott focused

his scouting efforts on several independent vineyards that bottle their own product.

“I looked at almost a dozen chateaux in the area between Roussillon and Bonnieux

before coming back to the first one we saw, La Canorgue,” the director states about the

location where his company of 125 craftsmen spent most of their nine-week shoot in the

Provençal region, which coincided with the vineyard’s prime harvesting season for the next

year’s vintage.

Scott chose La Canorgue due to its spectacular western view looking out over the

Luberon, and the magical dusk light that bathes the main house in the late afternoon. The film

company, under the watchful eye of veteran location supervisor Marco Giacalone (who

worked with director Scott on “Kingdom of Heaven”) and French location manager Thierry

Zemmour, took over the vineyard and chateau for much of the nine-week shooting schedule

in the South of France.

According to Nathalie Margan, who runs La Canorgue with her father, Jean-Pierre,

the Margans were hesitant when approached by the production, because the shoot coincided

with harvest time. “But, we knew the shoot would be an adventure,” Nathalie says, “so we

took on the challenges that came with it.”

Margan describes the experience of huge trucks, vast amounts of equipment and 125

cast and crew swarming all over her property as “initially strange, but ultimately thrilling. It

was great to participate. We were asked a few times to suggest how a real winemaker would

have done things or what the technical terms were for this or that. They made their movie

without disturbing us, and we made a good wine without disturbing them.”

“La Canorgue was interesting,” says production designer Sonja Klaus, noting the

production worked hard to restore the chateau for the shoot. “We re-landscaped the ground,

putting in statutory and ornamentation. Inside, the whole point was to have this slightly

dilapidated, lived-in, comfortable feeling – a feeling of shabby chic…cluttery, lived-in, and

homey. We wanted the place to feel as if one was staying with your favorite uncle or your

favorite aunt.”

Outside the house, among acres of vines, Klaus had a more daunting task, one she

never expected. “Ridley's words to me, when he first asked me to do it, were, ‘We're just

going to hang out in the South of France and throw a few props around,’” she says with a

laugh. “And I thought that sounded nice – until he added, ‘Oh, and by the way, there's a

tennis court. I think we might have to change the swimming pool, or build another

swimming pool for all the stunts.’

“There was this field at the back of the house, which was actually in a perfect spot for

a tennis court,” says Klaus. “The snag was that it wasn't big enough to put a tennis court on

it. So we actually cheated it, made the tennis court slightly smaller. But, when you watch it

on film you won't know that.”

Another key chateau shooting location was its empty pool, where Crowe got the

opportunity to flex both his comedic and physical muscles. “We have a running gag where

Max falls into the pool and then realizes he has fourteen-foot sheer walls, and he simply can't

get out,” says the actor. “The pool doesn't have any water in it, so he has no way of getting

out.”

Apart from the many weeks of filming at La Canorgue, Scott and his

cinematographer, Frenchman Philippe Le Sourd captured the area’s regal beauty in a series

of celluloid French postcard-like images of other quaint villages scattered throughout the

hills and valleys of the Luberon. Those included Gordes (four days at Cafe Renaissance,

dubbed Fanny’s Café in the film), Cucuron, Lacoste, Avignon and Menerbes (where author

Mayle used to reside, and whose former house is still a popular stop on guided tours that

frequent the village). The company also spent three days at another local vineyard, Chateau

Les Eydins, which doubled for the home of the story’s gruff vigneron, Duflot.

Following the two-month Provençal schedule, Scott relocated the crew to London for

the production’s final eight days of filming, at such recognized spots as Piccadilly Circus, the

architecturally-stunning Lloyds of London building in the city’s financial district, and the

trendy Knightsbridge area.

Like Mayle’s book, the film opens in the London financial world, and Scott liked “the

antithesis and juxtaposition of London and Provence. One place is as attractive as the other.

London’s a great place to live. Provence is a fantastic place to live. Is it better? No, it’s

different. For me, I live in Provence… because I live in London. So, I need one to have the

other.”

Adds Peter Mayle: “Knowing Ridley’s eye for landscape, color and composition, I’m

sure he’s made the Luberon look every bit as gorgeous as it is. I can’t wait to see the movie.”

ABOUT THE CAST

RUSSELL CROWE (Max Skinner) received three consecutive Best Actor Academy

Award® nominations for his performances in Michael Mann’s “The Insider” (1999), Ridley

Scott’s “Gladiator” (2000) and Ron Howard’s “A Beautiful Mind” (2001). He won the Best

Actor Oscar for his performance as Maximus, the Roman general-turned-gladiator, in

“Gladiator,” a role that also brought him Best Actor honors from several critics’

organizations, including the Broadcast Film Critics Association. In addition, he received

nominations for the Golden Globe®, the BAFTA Award and the Screen Actors Guild honor.

In Howard’s 2001 Best Picture Oscar winner, Crowe’s masterful portrayal of Nobel

Prize-winning John Forbes Nash, Jr. earned him his third Academy Award nomination in as

many years and garnered him Best Actor awards from the Hollywood Foreign Press,

Broadcast Film Critics Association, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA, among other critics

groups.

Crowe received his first Academy Award nomination for his work in Mann’s non-

fiction drama “The Insider,” as tobacco company whistle-blower, Dr. Jeffrey Wigand. He

earned Best Actor Awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics, Broadcast Film Critics,

National Society of Film Critics and the National Board of Review, and nominations for a

Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild Award™.

He followed this triple triumph with another commanding performance -- as Capt.

Jack Aubrey in Peter Weir’s epic adaptation of Patrick O’Brian’s novels, “Master and

Commander: The Far Side of the World.” The film collected ten Academy Award

nominations (including Best Picture), with Crowe earning nominations for the Golden Globe

and Broadcast Film Critics honors.

He reunited with director Ron Howard as Depression Era prizefighter James J.

Braddock in the highly-praised drama, “Cinderella Man,” an official entry in the Venice Film

Festival. For his critically-acclaimed performance, Crowe received nominations for best

actor from SAG and the Hollywood Foreign Press. He next reteams with director Scott on

the gritty Harlem-set drama, “American Gangster,” also starring Denzel Washington.

Crowe also earned kudos for his performance as sensitive but brutal vice cop Bud

White in Curtis Hanson’s period crime drama, “L.A. Confidential,” a film which was cited

with nine Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture. He later starred in

Jay Roach’s sports drama, “Mystery, Alaska,” and in Taylor Hackford’s action drama, “Proof

of Life.”

He made his American film debut in Sam Raimi’s 1995 western “The Quick and the

Dead,” opposite Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio. He next starred as

the cyber-villain Sid 6.7 in “Virtuosity” alongside Denzel Washington. Additional film

credits include “Heaven’s Burning,” “Breaking Up,” “Rough Magic,” “The Sum of Us,” “For

the Moment,” “Love in Limbo,” “The Silver Brumby” (based on the classic Australian

children’s novel), “The Efficiency Expert” and “Prisoners of the Sun.”

Born in New Zealand, Crowe was raised in Australia (his current residence) where he

has also been honored for his work on the screen. He was recognized for three consecutive

years by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), beginning in 1991, when he was nominated for

Best Actor for “The Crossing.” The following year, he won the Best Supporting Actor

Award for “Proof” and, in 1992, he received Best Actor Awards from the AFI and the

Australian Film Critics for his performance in the controversial “Romper Stomper.” In 1993,

the Seattle Film Festival named Crowe Best Actor for his work in both “Romper Stomper”

and “Hammers Over the Anvil.”

Five-time Academy Award nominee ALBERT FINNEY (Uncle Henry) is the

dynamic British stage and film actor whose career, now spanning a half century, is one of the

most accomplished in the annals of contemporary acting.

Though widely known and praised for inspired performances in such films as “Tom

Jones,” “Night Must Fall,” “Two for the Road,” “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Shoot the

Moon,” “The Dresser,” “Under the Volcano” and “Erin Brockovich,” Finney first achieved

acclaim for his work on the classical theatre stage.

After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (accepted when he was just

17), the Salford, Lancashire, England, native joined the Birmingham Repertory Company and

made his London debut in the company's production of Shaw's “Caesar and Cleopatra” in

1956. During his two years with the BRC, he debuted in the West End opposite Charles

Laughton and Elsa Lanchester in “The Party,” then starred in the title roles of “Macbeth” and

“Othello” before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1959 for the centenary

anniversary season at Stratford-on-Avon.

There, he essayed such roles as Cassio in “Othello” (directed by Tony Richardson,

with Paul Robeson playing the title character), Lysander in “A Midsummer Night's Dream”

(again working with the legendary Laughton) and understudying another English stage

legend, Laurence Olivier, in “Coriolanus,” receiving critical acclaim when he briefly took

over the lead.

While he continued to triumph on the English stage (in such plays as “The Lily White

Boys” and, especially, “Billy Liar” with the Royal Court Theatre), movies beckoned, with

1960 becoming a watershed year for the acting talent. Finney played the small part of

Olivier's son, Mick Rice, in “The Entertainer” (reuniting with director Tony Richardson),

then won critical acclaim and enormous success as the brawling, nonconformist factory

worker, Arthur Seaton, in Karel Reisz’s milestone in British realist cinema, “Saturday Night

and Sunday Morning.” Only his second motion picture role, Finney’s performance earned

him two BAFTA nods (one as Best Actor, the other, winning as Most Promising Newcomer),

as well as the Best Actor prize from the National Board of Review.

That role led Richardson to cast the then 26-year-old as Henry Fielding’s rakish,

picaresque, bawdy “Tom Jones.” The 1963 film, which won four Oscars, including Best

Picture, and earned Finney his first of five Academy Award nominations, cemented his

international stardom. Additionally, he collected his third (of thirteen) BAFTA nomination,

the New York Film Critics honor and two Golden Globe® nods -- Best Actor/Comedy or

Musical, and Best Male Newcomer (which he won).

After the huge success of “Tom Jones,” Finney returned to films (after a sojourn back

on the stage) with Reisz’s 1964 drama, “Night Must Fall” (which the actor also produced),

followed by Stanley Donen’s classic 1967 romantic drama, “Two for the Road,” in which he

starred opposite the luminous Audrey Hepburn. That same year, Finney stepped behind the

camera for his directorial debut on “Charlie Bubbles,” which also marked the debut of actress

Liza Minnelli.

Over the ensuing years, Finney has commanded the motion picture screen in such

projects as Sidney Lumet’s “Murder on the Orient Express” (Oscar and BAFTA

nominations), Ridley Scott’s “The Duellists” (the first of four collaborations with Scott),

Ronald Neame’s “Scrooge” (BAFTA nomination), Alan Parker’s “Shoot the Moon” (BAFTA

and Golden Globe nominations), Stephen Frears’ “Gumshoe” (BAFTA nod) Peter Yates’

“The Dresser” (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations, as well as the Silver Bear at

the Berlin Film Festival), John Huston’s musical “Annie” and his drama “Under the

Volcano” (Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Award),

Alan J. Pakula’s “Orphans” (a role he originated on the London stage), the Coen Bros.’

“Miller’s Crossing,” Mike Figgis’ “The Browning Version” (produced by Ridley Scott),

Yates’ “The Run in the Country,” Bruce Bereford’s “Rich in Love,” Steven Soderbergh’s

“Traffic” and “Erin Brockovich” (Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations) and Tim

Burton’s “Big Fish” (BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations). He recently reteamed with

Burton, providing the voice for one of the animated characters in his highly-anticipted

feature, “Corpse Bride,” and just completed work on Michael Apted’s 18th historical drama,

“Amazing Grace.”

No less accomplished on the small screen, Finney delivered award-winning

performances in such telefilms and miniseries as HBO’s “The Gathering Storm” (winning

BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for his portrayal of Sir Winston Churchill in the

feature produced by Ridley Scott), “A Rather English Marriage” (BAFTA nomination),

“Karaoke” and “Cold Lazarus” (combined BAFTA nomination for both 1996 Dennis Potter

telefilms), “The Green Man” (BAFTA nomination), “The Biko Inquest” (his second

directorial effort, for which he collected a CableACE nomination for his performance),

HBO’s “The Image” (his first Emmy nomination), and CBS-TV’s “Pope John Paul II,”

playing the title role.

In addition to producing the 1964 feature “Night Must Fall,” Finney also produced

(under his Memorial Enterprises Productions banner) “Charlie Bubbles,” Lindsay Anderson’s

“If...” and “O Lucky Man!” and Frears’ “Gumshoe.”

Even with his success on the big screen, Finney never abandoned his stage roots,

continuing his association with the National Theatre Company at the Old Vic in London,

where he performed in the mid-1960s in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” and

Chekov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” He won Tony Award nominations for “Luther” (1964) and

“A Day in the Death of Joe Egg” (1968), and also starred onstage in “Armstrong’s Last

Goodnight,” “Love for Love,” Strindberg’s “Miss Julie,” “Black Comedy,” “The Country

Wife,” “Alpha Beta,” Beckett’s “Krapp’s Last Tape,” “Cromwell,” “Tamburlaine the Great,”

“Another Time” and, his last stage appearance in 1997, “Art,” which preceded the 1998 Tony

Award-winning Broadway run. He won Olivier Awards for “A Flea in Her Ear” and

“Orphans” and the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Osborne’s “Luther.”

MARION COTILLARD (Fanny) made her American movie debut as Josephine in

Tim Burton’s “Big Fish.”

Cotillard is well-known in her native France for her performances in Luc Besson’s

“Taxi” (reprising her role in the equally successful sequels, “Taxi 2” and “Taxi 3”), for which

she collected her first Cesar nomination. She is equally recognized for her work in director

Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s romantic drama “Un long dimanche de fiancailles” (“A Very Long

Engagement”), for which she won the Cesar in 2004 for Best Supporting Actress. She earned

her second Cesar nomination in 2001 for “Les Jolies choses” (“Pretty Things”), under the

direction of Gilles Pacquet-Brenner.

The daughter of working theatre actors (her mother runs acting workshops in Paris),

Cotillard started her career at age sixteen, making her film debut in “L’Histoire du garcon qui

voulait qu’on l’embrasse” (“The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed”). She played the

title role in the 2001 production, “Lisa,” and more recently starred in “Une Affaire Privee”

(“A Private Affair”), “Jeux d’enfants” (“Love Me If You Dare:), “Ma vie en l’air” (“Love Is

in the Air”), “Cavalcade” and “Sauf le respect que je vois dois.”

The busy actress also stars in the current and forthcoming releases “Edy,” “La Boîte

noire,” “Toi en moi,” “Fair Play” and Abel Ferrara’s “Mary,” which unspooled at the 2005

Venice Film Festival, walking off with the Special Jury Prize. She will next play Edith Piaf

in “La Vie en rose,” and also has coming out in 2006 the features “Le Concile de Pierre” and

“Dikkenek.”

Heralded as Australia’s next major acting talent, ABBIE CORNISH (Christie

Roberts) garnered critical-acclaim and the Australian Film Institute Award as Best Actress

for her star turn as a sexually-charged teenager in Cate Shortland’s 2004 coming-of-age

drama, “Somersault.”

For her breakthrough role as Heidi, the sexually tortured teen, Cornish also won the

Inside Film (IF) Award as Best Actress, the Australian Film Critics Circle prize and a Special

Jury Breakthrough Award at the 2004 Miami International Film Festival. “Somersault,” the

only Australian film screened at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival (where Cornish won a

standing ovation) elicited raves from The New York Times film critic A.O. Scott, who called

her “an actress whose delicate and ferocious performance combines classic movie-star

loveliness with serious dramatic ability.”

Cornish hails from Australia’s Hunter Valley, born in Newcastle, New South Wales,

in 1982. Growing up on her family’s farm, she began acting at fifteen after a modelling stint

led to her professional debut on the Australian Broadcasting Company’s series “Children’s

Hospital.” Soon thereafter, she landed a co-starring role on the ABC series “Wildside,” for

which she won her first AFI honor in 1999.

She earned a second AFI nomination in 2003 for her guest-starring role on the ABC

miniseries, “Marking Time.” Other roles include “The Monkey’s Mask” (2000), “Everything

Goes” (2004), “Horseplay” (2003), “One Perfect Day” (2004), and the upcoming feature,

“Candy,” in which she stars opposite fellow Aussies Heath Ledger and Oscar winner

Geoffrey Rush. She has a co-starring role in Shekhar Kapur’s “Elizabeth: The Golden Age.”

TOM HOLLANDER (Charlie Willis) has worked with such acclaimed international

filmmakers as Robert Altman (“Gosford Park”), Michael Apted (“Enigma”), Neil LaBute

(“Possession”), Terry George (“Some Mother’s Son,” his film debut), Richard Eyre (“Stage

Beauty”) and Gore Verbinski (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men’s Chest” and “Pirates of

the Caribbean: World’s End”). For his work as part of Altman’s ensemble cast in “Gosford

Park,” Hollander shared several critics awards, including those from the Broadcast Film

Critics Association, the Online Film Critics Association and the Screen Actors Guild.

He recently completed a role opposite Ralph Fiennes and Donald Sutherland in “Land

of the Blind” and was just nominated as Best Supporting Actor for a 2005 British

Independent Film Award for his performance opposite Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton and

John Malkovich in Laurence Dunmore’s “The Libertine.” He also recently reteamed with

actor Joseph Fiennes in Finn Taylor’s forthcoming release “The Darwin Awards.”

The Oxfordshire-born, Cambridge-educated actor collaborated with directors Joe

Wright (the current release of “Pride & Prejudice,” for which he won critical acclaim and a

‘breakout performance’ citation in The New York Times), Tom Hunsinger and Neil Hunter

(“The Lawless Heart”), Rose Troche (“Bedrooms and Hallways”) and Nick Hamm (“Martha,

Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence,” released in the U.S. as “The Very Thought of You”).

Hollander’s television work is equally accomplished, with roles in the recent

BBC/PBS Emmy-winning miniseries “The Lost Prince” (acclaimed as King George V

opposite Miranda Richardson’s Queen Mary), the adaptation of “The Life and Adventures of

Nicholas Nickelby” opposite Charles Dance, the prominent, BAFTA-nominated BBC drama

“Wives and Daughters” and a memorable guest stint as Saffie’s boyfriend Paolo on the long-

running BBC comedy “Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout.” For his work as Guy Burgess

in the BAFTA-nominated BBC feature “Cambridge Spies,” Hollander won the Best Actor

honor at the International Television Festival in Biarritz 2003.

While at Cambridge, he was a member of the university’s celebrated Cambridge

Footlights revue and was President of the Marlowe Society, where he became well-known for

his performance of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” directed by fellow classmate Sam Mendes. The

London stage veteran also starred in the groundbreaking Donmar Warehouse staging of “The

Threepenny Opera,” directed by Phillida Lloyd.

Onstage, he collaborated with Jonathan Kent in the title role of Moliere’s “Tartuffe”

(Best Actor, Time Out Awards, 1996), and the role of Edgar in Shakespeare’s “King Lear,”

and in Gogol’s stage classic, “The Government Inspector,” all at the Almeida. He also

starred for Oscar-nominee Stephen Daldry in “The Editing Process” and starred in the title

role of the original staging of Jez Butterworth’s Olivier Award-winning drama “Mojo” at

London’s Royal Court Theater. He first worked with theatre director Richard Eyre in his

1998 staging of David Hare’s “The Judas Kiss,” originating his role opposite Liam Neeson in

London’s West End before reprising his performance across the Atlantic on the Broadway

stage the same year. For his work on the English stage, Hollander has won four Ian

Charleson Awards, including one for his performance in "Way of the World" at the Lyric,

Hammersmith, in 1992. Most recently, he returned to the Donmar Warehouse to great

acclaim for his performance as Laurie in “The Hotel in Amsterdam.”

FREDDIE HIGHMORE (Young Max) recently co-starred in two high-profile

motion pictures: as Charlie Bucket in Tim Burton’s box-office hit, “Charlie and the

Chocolate Factory,” and opposite Oscar nominee Johnny Depp, in Marc Forster’s critically-

acclaimed Best Picture Academy Award nominated film, “Finding Neverland.”

For the latter, the young actor won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award as

Best Young Actor, and collected several other award nominations for his work, including two

nods from the Screen Actors Guild (for Supporting Actor and Best Ensemble).

Highmore, a native of England, began his acting career at age six, playing Helena

Bonham Carter's son in “Women Talking Dirty.” He also appeared opposite Guy Pearce in

Jean-Jacques Annaud’s adventure film, “Two Brothers,” and alongside Kenneth Branagh in

“Five Children and It.”

Highmore has also appeared in a number of television productions in the U.K.,

including the BBC film “Happy Birthday Shakespeare” and ITV's miniseries “I Saw You,” as

well as “The Mists of Avalon” in the U.S. He is currently back on the big screen, filming

“Arthur and the Minimoys” for filmmaker Luc Besson in France. He will next star opposite

Robin Williams and Liv Tyler in “August Rush,” which will be produced by Jim Sheridan

and directed by his daughter Kirsten (screenwriter for her father’s 2003 Oscar-nominated

drama “In America”).

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

RIDLEY SCOTT (Director, Producer) earned consecutive Academy Award

nominations as Best Director for his stunning recreation of the deadly 1993 battle in

Mogadishu, Somalia, in “Black Hawk Down” (one of 2001’s biggest box-office hits) and for

the epic adventure “Gladiator,” his vivid and dramatic evocation of ancient Rome that won

five Oscars (out of twelve nominations), including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell

Crowe (as well as directing nominations for Scott from the DGA and BAFTA).

“Gladiator” also won both the Golden Globe and British Academy Awards as Best

Picture, and has earned over $800 million at the global box office. Both motion picture

triumphs further solidified his reputation as one of contemporary cinema’s most innovative,

influential and versatile visual stylists.

Scott was born in South Shields, Northumberland, England. Reared in London,

Cumbria, Wales and Germany, he returned to Northeast England to live in Stockton-on-Tees.

He studied at the West Hartlepool College of Art where he excelled in graphic design and

painting, two strengths that would later serve as his signatures on the movie screen. He also

studied at London’s Royal Academy of Art, where his contemporaries included the famous

artist David Hockney. During his studies there, Scott completed his first short film.

Graduating with honors, Scott was awarded a traveling scholarship to the United

States. During his year there, he was employed by Time Life, Inc., where he gained valuable

experience working with award-winning documentarians Richard Leacock and D.A.

Pennebaker. Upon his return to the U.K., he joined the BBC as a production designer and,

within a year, graduated to directing many of the network’s popular TV programs.

After three years, he left to form his own company, RSA, which soon became one of

the most successful commercial production houses in Europe (later adding offices in New

York and Los Angeles). Over the years, Scott has directed over three thousand commercials,

including the captivating spot for Chanel No. 5 entitled “Share the Fantasy” and the

memorable one for Apple Computers that aired but once, during the 1984 Super Bowl. His

work in the commercial arena has collected awards at the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals,

as well as being honored by the New York Art Directors’ Club. RSA still maintains a high

profile in the global marketplace and represents some of the most acclaimed directors in the

film and advertising arenas.

Scott made the leap from commercial production (“pocket versions of feature films”

he calls them) to movies with 1977’s “The Duellists,” the lustrous Napoleonic War saga that

brought him the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. His second film switched genres,

taking the filmmaker from the past into the frightening future with the groundbreaking sci-fi-

thriller, “Alien,” which walked off with an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

He stayed in the future (and set the stage for future filmmakers) with his next feature,

“Blade Runner,” the landmark masterpiece starring Harrison Ford that is considered one of

the milestones of contemporary moviemaking. The film was nominated for two Academy

Awards -- art direction and visual effects. It was also added to the National Film Archives

(maintained by the U.S. Library of Congress), the “youngest” film to be so honored.

Scott followed this triumph later in the decade with three more films -- the big screen

fairy tale, “Legend,” starring Tom Cruise; the urban thriller, “Someone to Watch Over Me”

with Tom Berenger; and the cross-cultural gangster epic, “Black Rain,” starring Michael

Douglas and Andy Garcia.

In 1987, Scott formed Percy Main Productions to develop and produce feature films.

The first production, which he helmed, was “Thelma and Louise.” Starring Oscar-nominees

Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, the film collected five Academy Award nominations,

including Scott’s first as director (the film won the Best Original Screenplay prize and was

also nominated for two British Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director). He

followed with “1492: Conquest of Paradise,” his historical epic starring Gerard Depardieu as

Christopher Columbus, and “The Browning Version,” produced by Scott and starring Albert

Finney and Greta Scacchi.

In 1995, along with younger brother Tony (also a successful filmmaker), he formed

Scott Free productions, which produced “White Squall,” with Jeff Bridges, “G.I. Jane”

starring Demi Moore, and the blockbuster sequel, “Hannibal,” with Anthony Hopkins and

Julianne Moore (all three directed by Ridley Scott). Scott Free also produced “Clay Pigeons”

and “Where the Money Is,” a caper comedy starring Paul Newman.

Scott directed his own caper comedy, “Matchstick Men,” starring Nicolas Cage and

Sam Rockwell, and the epic story of the Crusades, “Kingdom of Heaven,” which toplined

Orlando Bloom and Jeremy Irons. He will once again step behind the cameras on the gritty

Harlem-set drama, “American Gangster,” reteaming with actor Crowe and collaborating with

Oscar-winner Denzel Washington for the first time.

Scott also recently executive produced Kevin Reynolds’ costume epic, “Tristan &

Isolde”; Curtis Hanson’s family drama “In Her Shoes”; and “The Assassination of Jesse

James by the Coward Robert Ford,” starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck.

The company also produced Showtime’s CableACE-winning anthology series “The

Hunger” (adapted from Tony Scott’s 1983 film) and the Emmy and Golden Globe award-

winning HBO telefilm, “RKO 281,” starring Liev Schreiber as Orson Welles in the

docudrama recreating the making of “Citizen Kane.” Scott Free also executive produced

“The Gathering Storm” for HBO, the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning telefilm (Best Made

for Television Movie) depicting the life of Winston Churchill that starred Emmy-winning

Best Actor Albert Finney and Emmy nominee Vanessa Redgrave. The company also

recently signed a two-year deal with CBS to develop up to three projects for the network, the

first of which is the acclaimed drama “Numb3rs.”

The film director was involved in the combining of the two preeminent European film

studios, Pinewood Studios and Shepperton Studios into a studio complex which houses forty-

two stages, backlots and locations as well as award-winning post-production and production

support services. Scott originally filmed “Alien” at this facility. Ridley together with his

brother Tony Scott were part of the consortium which purchased Shepperton Studios in 1995

which subsequently merged with Pinewood in 2001.

In recognition for his contributions to the arts, Scott was awarded knighthood in 2003

from the Order of the British Empire.

MARC KLEIN (Screenwriter) has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most

sought-after writer/directors following his work with three compelling, well-regarded, and

buzzworthy projects. Combining his ability to work with various genres and his innate sense

of both male and female characters, Klein has proven himself an undeniable filmmaking asset

on the rise.

Klein is currently editing his feature directorial debut, “The Girls’ Guide to Hunting

and Fishing,” which he also adapted for the screen. Melissa Banks’ international bestseller is

an endearing tale of a Manhattan book editor (Sarah Michelle Gellar) who changes her take

on the game of romance after she lures the attention of an influential older man (Alec

Baldwin). The film is scheduled for release in 2007.

Klein is also writing the screenplay for “Golden Gate,” based on his original pitch.

Produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, the Paramount Pictures romance is scheduled to

begin production next year with Cruise attached to star.

Klein made his first impression on audiences worldwide with the acclaimed Miramax

release “Serendipity.” Directed by Peter Chelsom (“Shall We Dance”), the film stars John

Cusack and Kate Beckinsale in an enchanting tale of a long-distance love that stands the test

of time and happenstance. “Serendipity” garnered positive notices for Klein’s richly drawn

romantic characterizations and a narrative economy which branded the film’s time-lapsing

effect.

Prior to his debut as a screenwriter, Klein earned his first stripes in the romantic

comedy genre working for director Jon Turteltaub, whose film “While You Were Sleeping”

charmed audiences worldwide and launched Sandra Bullock to international acclaim. Klein

graduated from New York University Film School, where he honed his skills for

screenwriting while studying film icons such as Woody Allen, Peter Sellers, and John Sayles.

His first sold script, “Love, Jenny,” was purchased by Overbrook Entertainment (“Hitch”) as

a staring vehicle for Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Klein also co-wrote the

script “Instant Message,” currently in development at Village Roadshow/Warner Bros. for

director Jay Roach (“Meet the Parents”).

FOX 2000 PICTURES Presents

In Association with

INGENIOUS FILM PARTNERS

Directed by............................RIDLEY SCOTT

Screenplay by............................MARC KLEIN

Based on the book by.............PETER MAYLE

Produced by..........................RIDLEY SCOTT

Executive Producer.............BRANKO LUSTIG

Executive Producers.................JULIE PAYNE

..................................................LISA ELLZEY

RUSSELL CROWE

ALBERT FINNEY

MARION COTILLARD

ABBIE CORNISH

DIDIER BOURDON

TOM HOLLANDER

And FREDDIE HIGHMORE

ISABELLE CANDELIER

KENNETH CRANHAM

ARCHIE PANJABI

RAFE SPALL

Director of Photography...................................

.....................................PHILIPPE LE SOURD

Production Designer...............SONJA KLAUS

Film Editor.....................DODY DORN, A.C.E.

Co-Producer.............................ERIN UPSON

Costume Designer...........................................

..............................CATHERINE LETERRIER

Music by....................MARC STREITENFELD

Casting by...................JINA JAY – UK Casting

......ANTOINETTE BOULAT – France Casting

A SCOTT FREE Production

A RIDLEY SCOTT Film

CAST (In Order of Appearance)

Young Max..................FREDDIE HIGHMORE

Uncle Henry.........................ALBERT FINNEY

Max Skinner......................RUSSELL CROWE

Kenny........................................RAFE SPALL

Gemma..............................ARCHIE PANJABI

Amis..................................RICHARD COYLE

Trader #1................................BEN RIGHTON

Trader #2.......................PATRICK KENNEDY

20-Something Beauty.................ALI RHODES

Bert the Doorman....................DANIEL MAYS

Newscaster #1.............................NILA AALIA

Newscaster #2...............STEPHEN HUDSON

Maitre D'.............................GIANNINA FACIO

Charlie Willis.....................TOM HOLLANDER

Rental Car Employee ..........LIONEL BRIAND

Gemma’s Friend......................MARIA PAPAS

Francis Duflot...................DIDIER BOURDON

Ludivine Duflot..........ISABELLE CANDELIER

Sir Nigel......................KENNETH CRANHAM

Fanny Chenal...............MARION COTILLARD

Russian Couple #1...................IGOR PANICH

Russian Couple #2........OLEG SOSNOVIKOV

Secretary................................MAGALI WOCH

Nathalie Auzet...VALERIA BRUNI TEDESCHI

Papa Duflot......................JACQUES HERLIN

Christie Roberts..................ABBIE CORNISH

English Couple #1.......CATRIONA MACCOLL

English Couple #2...............PATRICK PAYET

Hostess..............................FÉLICITÉ DU JEU

American Customer #1...MITCHELL MULLEN

American Customer #2......JUDI DICKERSON

Oenologue........GILLES GASTON-DREYFUS

Chateau Buyers...................PHILIPPE MERY

..................................DOMINIQUE LAURENT

Broker #1.......................STEWART WRIGHT

Broker #2.................................TOM STUART

Fanny's Mother.........CATHERINE VINATIER

Young Fanny........................MARINE CASTO

Hip Hopper #1.....................GREGG CHILLIN

Hip Hopper #2.........................TONEY TUTINI

Voice Actors...............PHILIPPE BERGERON

.........EDITA BRYCHTA, HELENE CARDONA

......JEAN-LOUIS DARVILLE, NEIL DICKSON

.................JEAN GILPIN, NICHOLAS GUEST

..................PATRICK HILLAN, FRANK ISLES

.................................................PETER LAVIN

...................CAITLIN MCKENNA-WILKINSON

........PAULA JANE NEWMAN, MOIRA QUIRK

.........................VALERIA MILENKA REPNAU

................................DARREN RICHARDSON

...............................JEAN-MICHEL RICHAUD

..........................SAMANTHA JANE ROBSON

.............................IAN RUSKIN, LINDA SANS

..BRUNO STEPHANE, KAREN STRASSMAN

...........JEAN-PAUL VIGNON, CRAIG YOUNG

Stunt Coordinator............PHILIPPE GUEGAN

Stunts........................CAROLINE BOUFFARD

.........................DAVID FORAX, JULES MADI

........KZENIA ZAROUBA, ALEXIS BOUTIERE

...............ALAIN GAUDIARD, DAVID OLIVER

Unit Production Manager...........MARK ALLAN

Unit Production Manager....BRANKO LUSTIG

First Assistant Director..........DARIN RIVETTI

Second Assistant Director................................

.......................................EMILIE CHERPITEL

Made in Association with DUNE

ENTERTAINMENT LLC and MAJOR

STUDIO PARTNERS

French Line Producer ..............MARK ALLAN

Art Director......................FREDERIC EVARD

Set Decorator....BARBARA PEREZ-SOLERO

Stand-by Art Director.......................................

..........................ANTHONY CARON-DELION

Production Buyer..........KRISSI WILLIAMSON

Art Department Coordinator......AMY SIMONS

Art Department Assistant.....LYDIE RUGIERO

Unit Manager.......................REMI BERGMAN

Assistant Unit Manager....NCENT LEFEUVRE

Second Second Assistant Director...................

..........................................ELIOT MATHEWS

Third Assistant Director....TARIK AIT BEN ALI

Set Production AssistantsFREDERIC MILLET

..............................................BONNIE PIRES

First Assistant Camera.MARCO SACERDOTI

Second Assistant Camera........BASIL SMITH

Loader.............................FREDERIC HAUSS

B-Camera Operator/Steadicam........................

..............................................JÖRG WIDMER

First Assistant B-Camera.......LEAH STRIKER

Second Assistant B-Camera.LIONEL PEDRO

Additional First Assistant Camera....................

............................................TRISTAN FAVRE

Additional Operator.......ROGER MCDONALD

Still Photographer...........RICARDO TORRES

Video Technician...........ROBERT HAMILTON

Video Assistant.............GREGORY PAGNIER

Video Production Assistant..............................

.....................................LAURIANE VINCENT

Production Sound Mixer..JEAN-PAUL MUGEL

Boom Person......................SAMUEL COHEN

Cable Person............................IVAN DUMAS

Prop Master............................MATT FOSTER

Prop Hands..................JEAN-MICHEL PUPIN

.............................TRISTAN CARLISLE-KITZ

Trainee.............................AUDREY CARROT

Local Buyer..............STEPHANE CRESSEND

Prop Chargehand............EMMANUEL DELIS

Drapery....................FREDERIC DE VILLERS

..........................................OLIVIER BREBAN

Script Supervisor.......................NIKKI CLAPP

Co-Editor............................ROBB SULLIVAN

Post Production Supervisor..TERESA KELLY

Visual Effects Supervisor..WESLEY SEWELL

1st Assistant Editor (Los Angeles)...................

......................................DEBRA L. TENNANT

1st Assistant Editor (France)............................

........................................CELINE KELEPIKIS

Assistant Editors..............EMILY AULAGNON

.............................................YON VAN KLINE

Music Editors................................DEL SPIVA

.........................................CHRIS BENSTEAD

Editorial Coordinator (France).........................

...........................................PHILIPPE AKOKA

Editorial Assistants...............QUINBY CHUNN

.....................................EMMANUEL FLEURY

Supervising Sound Editors..............................

.............................PER HALLBERG, M.P.S.E.

.............................KAREN BAKER LANDERS

Sound Mixing ........................PAUL MASSEY

..............................................D.M. HEMPHILL

Gaffer............................FRANCK BARRAULT

Best Boy Electric...................YVAN QUEHEC

Genny Operator................BRUNO BIMBARD

Rigging Best Boy Electric.........YVES COHEN

Key Grip.............................FRANCOIS BERT

Best Boy Grip....................PHILIPPE JANOIS

Additional Best Boy Grip....GIL FONTBONNE

Assistant Costume Designer...........................

..........................................CAMILLE JANBON

Wardrobe Supervisor......................................

..........................KAREN MULLER-SERREAU

Russell Crowe's Costumer..............................

................................MICHAEL CASTELLANO

Set Dresser..................CELINE COLLOBERT

Key Textile Artist..................CAMILLE JOSTE

Key Makeup Artist...........FABRIZIO SFORZA

Makeup Artists...ALESSANDRA SAMPAOLO

.........................................RAFFAELLA IORIO

Hair Designer..GIANCARLO DE LEONARDIS

Key Hair.................HAYAT OULED DAHHOU

Hair Stylists.................DANIELE PEROSILLO

..........................................ALESSIO POMPEI

Wigs by...........GIANCARLO DE LEONARDIS

Location Supervisor.....MARCO GIACALONE

Location Managers.......THIERRY ZEMMOUR

.................................................JEREMY BAU

Assistant Location Manager.GAETAN DINON

Production Coordinator...................................

.................LAURENCE COUTAUD-GARNIER

Production Secretary.......SEGOLENE AMICE

Accommodations.......PENELOPE BISCHOFF

Production Assistants............ERIC LEBLOND

.............PASCAL JOUVAL, MARC GARETTO

Special Effects Supervisor..............................

.........................................STEVEN WARNER

Construction Manager...DANIEL HOFFMANN

Construction Chargehand...............................

...................................JEAN-CLAUDE GIUSTI

Construction Runner..........SAMUEL GARCIN

Painter Chargehand.............JAMES NEWELL

Greensman.......................DICKEN WARNER

Assistants to Ridley Scott................................

.............................NATASCHA MAKSIMOVIC

.......................................JORDAN SHEEHAN

Special Advisor to Ridley Scott........................

.......................................NEVILLE SHULMAN

Assistant to Branko Lustig.......HELEN OLIVE

Assistants to Russell Crowe.KEITH RODGER

..............BRUNO DE OLIVA, ANDREA BICHI

Research Consultant.GERALDINE SERAFINI

Financial Controller.........GARY GILLINGHAM

Key Production Accountant..............................

...................MAUREEN "MO" CRUTCHFIELD

Production Accountant.........BERNARD LAMY

France Casting Assistant....KASIA KRYNSKA

Unit Publicist..........................ERNEST MALIK

Dialogue Coach for Russell Crowe..................

..........................................JUDI DICKERSON

Dog Handler.....................JOEL SILVERMAN

Action Vehicles................................................

.......................MEDHI-EMMANUEL SEKNAJI

Transportation Captain...STEPHAN ARNOUX

Russell Crowe's Bodyguard.............................

.................................MUSTAFHA ADDOUDA

Security.....................................................VIP

Catering........................................LOCAFETE

Chef...............................ANTOINE PAUTROT

Craft Service ........................JOELLE CUGNY

.....................................BERENICE MOLIERE

Facilities..........................................................

............ON-SET LOCATION SERVICES LTD.

.................................................STUDIO PHIL

Supervising ADR Editor..........CHRIS JARGO

Supervising Foley Editor..................................

.........................CRAIG S. JAEGER, M.P.S.E.

Assistant Sound Editors..PHILIP D. MORRILL

.......................TONY R. NEGRETE, M.P.S.E.

Sound Effects Editors......................................

.............CHRISTOPHER ASSELLS, M.P.S.E.

...........................DINO R. DIMURO, M.P.S.E.

........................................DANIEL HEGEMAN

............................PETER STAUBLI, M.P.S.E.

.......................KERRY CARMEAN-WILLIAMS

Dialogue Editors..............PATRICK J. FOLEY

..........................JOHN C. STUVER, M.P.S.E.

ADR Editors..........................KIMAREE LONG

................FREDERICK H. STAHLY, M.P.S.E.

Foley Artists...................ALICIA STEVENSON

...............................................DAWN FINTOR

ADR Mixing......................................................

...............CHARLEEN RICHARDS-STEEVES

Post Production Facilities Provided by.............

........TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX STUDIOS

Negative Cutter.....................GARY BURRITT

Color Timer................................JIM PASSON

Main & End Title Sequence by.............yU+co.

End Title Crawl by .........SCARLET LETTERS

Digital Intermediate by.MODERN VIDEOFILM

Digital Film Colorist .................SKIP KIMBALL

Visual Effects by............INVISIBLE EFFECTS

Production Services in France Provided by.....

.........................................@RADICAL.MEDIA

LONDON UNIT

Unit Production Manager....EMILY STILLMAN

Second Assistant DirectorANTHONY WILCOX

Crowd Wrangler.........CAROLINE CHAPMAN

A-Camera Focus Puller...JULIAN BUCKNALL

Clapper Loader...........................TOBY EEDY

Video Assist Operator.....................................

........................CARLOS HERRANZ MERINO

Gaffer.................................HARRY WIGGINS

Best Boy............................JOSH BRECKEEN

Grip...................................PAUL HATCHMAN

Assistant Grip....................ROD PATTERSON

Art Director......................ROBERT COWPER

Graphic Designer....................CORALIE LEW

Prop Master........................NICK TURNBULL

Construction Manager.............HUGO SLIGHT

Stand-by Rigger........................VINCE SHAW

Stand-by Carpenter....DEREK REDDINGTON

Costume Supervisor............LEE CROUCHER

Russell Crowe's Tailoring by.............ARMANI

Make-up Artists...............CARLA VICENZINO

..............................MELISSA LACKERSTEEN

..................................PASCALE BOUQUIERE

Hair Stylist.............................ANITA BURGER

Location Manager...........ALEX GLADSTONE

Assistant Location ManagerLINZI BALTRUNAS

UK Casting Assistant............DIXIE CHASSAY

Unit Manager..........................KEITH WHALE

Production Coordinator......FIONA GARLAND

Production Secretary..............AMELIA PRICE

Rushes Runner......................SCOTT EATON

Accountant.............................MATT DALTON

Transportation Captain..........GERARD GORE

Film Assistant........................JOANNE DIXON

Health & Safety Officer......LARRY EYDMANN

Medic.........................................JOHN GIBBS

Music Supervisor.......MARC STREITENFELD

Music Conducted by ...............NICK INGMAN

Music Orchestrated by .......BRUCE FOWLER

Music Recorded and Mixed by........................

..............................................PETER COBBIN

Assistant Engineer....RICHARD LANCASTER

Music Recorded & Mixed at ...........................

................ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS LONDON

Orchestra Leader...............THOMAS BOWES

Orchestra Contractor.......................................

................................ISOBEL GRIFFITHS LTD

Assistant Orchestra Contractor.......................

..................................CHARLOTTE TRINDER

Music Preparation......................VIC FRASER

..............................................JILL STREATER

Score Pre-Record Laybacks...........................

............................................JOEL RICHARDS

SONGS

"Breezin’ Along With The Breeze"

Written by Haven Gillespie, Seymour

Simons and Richard

Whiting

Performed by Josephine Baker

Courtesy of Columbia Records

By arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT

"For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow"

Traditional

"Lounge Lizard"

Written and Performed by Joe Lervold

Courtesy of Marc Ferrari / MasterSource

"Moi…Lolita"

Lyrics by Mylène Farmer

Music by Laurent Boutonnat

Performed by Alizée

Courtesy of REQUIEM - POLYDOR

"How Can I Be Sure Of You"

Written and Performed by Harry Nilsson

Courtesy of RCA Records Label

By arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT

"Sur les chemins…"

Written by Aurélie Peytier, Armelle Ita &

Makali

Performed by Makali

Courtesy of Makali and Aurélie Peytier

"A Room With A View"

Written by Noel Coward

Performed by Noel Coward & Orchestra

Courtesy of EMI Records

Under license from EMI Film & Television

Music

"No. 11 Final du Deuxième Acte from La

Vie

Parisienne"

Written by Jacques Offenbach

"Gotta Get Up"

Written and Performed by Harry Nilsson

Courtesy of RCA Records Label

By arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT

"Hey Joe"

Written by Billy Roberts

Performed by Johnny Hallyday

Courtesy of Mercury Records France, A

Division of

Universal Music S.A.

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

"Never Ending Song Of Love"

Written by Delaney Bramlett

Performed by Delaney & Bonnie

Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group

By arrangement with Warner Music Group

Film & TV Licensing

"Le linge sèche au vent"

Written by Barnabé Saïd-albert & Makali

Performed by and Courtesy of Makali

"Jump Into The Fire"

Written and Performed by Harry Nilsson

Courtesy of RCA Records Label

By arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT

"2 Arabesques: No. 1 Andantino Con Moto"

Written by Claude Debussy

Performed by Pascal Rogé

Courtesy of Decca Music Group Limited

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

"Paris"

Written and Performed by Stephen Lang

Courtesy of Marc Ferrari / MasterSource

"Vous, qui passez sans me voir"

Lyrics by Charles Trenet

Music by John Hess

Performed by Jean Sablon

Courtesy of Promosound Ltd., Ireland

"La Puissance"

Written by Jonathan Rotem and Housni

M’Kouboi

Performed by Rohff

Courtesy of EMI Records

Under license from EMI Film & Television

Music

"Le Chant Du Gardian"

Written by Jean Féline and Louis Gasté

Performed by Tino Rossi

Courtesy of Arkadia Records

By arrangement with Source/Q

"Je Chante"

Lyrics by and Performed by Charles Trenet

Music by Charles Trenet and Paul Misraki

Courtesy of EMI Records

Under license from EMI Film & Television

Music

"Quand On S’ Promène Au Bord De L’eau"

Written by Maurice Yvain, Jean Sautreuil,

Julien

Duvivier and Louis Poterat

Performed by Jean Gabin

Courtesy of Promosound Ltd., Ireland

"Les Ex"

Written by Camille Dalmais and Alexandre

Chatin

Performed by Camille

Courtesy of EMI Records

Under license from EMI Film & Television

Music

"Il faut du temps au temps…"

Written by Barnabé Saïd-albert, Armelle Ita

& Makali

Performed by and Courtesy of Makali

"The Wedding Samba"

Written by Abraham Ellstein, Allan Small

and Joseph Liebowitz

Performed by Edmundo Ros & His

Orchestra

Courtesy of Decca Music Group Limited

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

"Old Cape Cod"

Written by Allan Jeffrey, Claire Rothrock

and Milton

Yakus

Performed by Patti Page

Courtesy of Mercury Nashville Records

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

"Walk Right Back"

Written by Sonny Curtis

Performed by The Everly Brothers

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.

By arrangement with Warner Music Group

Film & TV Licensing

"J’Attendrai"

Lyrics by Louis Poterat

Words and Music by Dino Olivieri & Nino

Rastelli

Performed by Jean Sablon

Courtesy of Promosound Ltd., Ireland

"Boum"

Lyrics and Music by Charles Trenet

Performed by Adrien Chevalier

"La fleur que tu m’avais jetee from Carmen"

Written by Georges Bizet

"Itsy Bitsy Petit Bikini"

Written by Lee Pockriss and Paul Vance

Performed by Richard Anthony

Courtesy of EMI Records

Under license from EMI Film & Television

Music

THE PRODUCERS WISH TO THANK THE

FOLLOWING FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE:

CHATEAU CANORGUE

CHATEAU LES EYDINS

AIRPORT OF MARSEILLES

BLOOMBERG L.P.

ALBION RIVERSIDE

SNCF

MAISON CHARVET

HERMES

CHANEL

E.B. MEYROWITZ OPTICIENS

BUREAU DU CINEMA LUBERON

PROVINCE OF LUBERON

CITIES OF BONNIEUX, GORDES,

CUCURON, AVIGNON, MENERBES, APT

and LACOSTE

Michelin Map 113 © Michelin et Cie, 2005

THE DAILY MAIL and EVENING

STANDARD provided by SOLO

Syndication

PENTHOUSE Material courtesy of General

GMCI

Photograph courtesy of Jeff Dunas

Footage courtesy of Trans World

International

Footage courtesy of ESPN Enterprises,

Inc.

Photographs by Jacques Henri Lartigue ©

Ministère de la Culture - France / AAJHL

Footage from LES VACANCES DE MR

HULOT and MON ONCLE courtesy of

Films Distribution

Footage from AND GOD CREATED

WOMAN courtesy of TF1 International

The following film clips licensed by Société

Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC, Group

M6), with special thanks to Ellen Schafer,

Christophe Bigot, and Marie-Armelle

Imbault (SACD):

LA BANDERA, courtesy of SNC and Julien

LA CHARTREUSE DE PARME, courtesy

SYLVIE ET LE FANTOME, courtesy of

Color and Prints

by DELUXE®

KODAK

FILM STOCK (Logo)

DOLBY STEREO (logo)

In Selected Theatres

DTS

Approved No. 42357 (MPAA Globe)

MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF

AMERICA

Film Corporation and Dune Entertainment

LLC in all territories

except Brazil, Italy, Japan, Korea and

Spain.

Rights Exploitation Limited Liability

Company, Twentieth Century Fox

Film Corporation and Dune Entertainment

LLC in Brazil, Italy, Japan, Korea and

Spain.

Ingenious Film Partners 2 LLP and AGY

Service, Inc. are the authors of this

motion picture for purposes of copyright

and other laws.

The events, characters and firms depicted

in this photoplay are fictitious. Any

similarity to actual persons, living or dead,

or to actual events or firms is purely

coincidental.

Ownership of this motion picture is

protected by copyright and other applicable

laws, and any unauthorized duplication,

distribution or exhibition of this motion

picture could result in criminal prosecution

as well as civil liability.

"A GOOD YEAR"

BORAT PRODUCTION NOTES

Jagshemash! Sacha Baron Cohen, the star and creator of HBO’s "Da Ali G

Show,” brings his Kazakh journalist character Borat Sagdiyev to the big screen for the first time. Leaving his native Kazakhstan, Borat travels to America to make a documentary. As he zigzags across the nation, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences. His backwards behavior generates strong reactions around him, exposing prejudices and hypocrisies in American culture. In some cases, Borat's interview subjects embrace his outrageous views on race and sex by agreeing with him, while others attempt to offer a patriotic lesson in Western values. Wa-wa-wee-wa!

Hilarious. Jaw-dropping. Inflammatory. Dangerous. Subversive. Borat, a satirical Kazakh journalist caricature invented and portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen, has been called all this – and more. Borat became a phenomenon in the U.K. with the comedy series “Da Ali G Show,” in which Baron Cohen’s outlandish humor and razor-sharp satire on anti-Semitism, misogyny and racism, came to life through his creation’s bizarre behavior and interviews.

Baron Cohen’s innovative and unique work has brought him two BAFTA awards.

“Da Ali G Show” was a worldwide phenomenon, and Baron Cohen is the only person to twice host the European MTV Awards. Dictionaries added two words based on his characters’ “inventive” use of the English language, and even the Queen Mother was a fan.

In addition, Baron Cohen received critical plaudits for his role opposite Will Ferrell in this summer’s blockbuster comedy “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” Also, Baron Cohen was the voice of the King of the Lemurs in “Madagascar.”

Even before its release, critics heralded BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN as one of the funniest pictures of all time, and it became the highest-rated comedy on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com). The film’s humor and acclaim stem from its comedy “dream team”: Sacha Baron Cohen, Larry Charles from “Seinfeld” and Jay

Roach, director of the “Austin Powers” films. Baron Cohen and Roach are the film’s producers, with Charles serving as director.

The production of BORAT – as one might expect about a project centered on the character – was unlike any other. Baron Cohen, whose commitment to the role is unwaveringly intense, stayed in character through the shooting, and elected to conduct publicity and interviews promoting the picture, as Borat.

BEGINNINGS

“My profession television reporter. I second most successful in all Kazakhstan,” Borat explains. “I also have work in past as gypsy catcher, ice make, and in computer maintenance – I would paint the outsides and remove dead birds from their pipes.”

From those humble beginnings, Borat rose up the ranks of Kazakh broadcasting – until he got his big shot at fame. “1 years ago, Kazakh Ministry of Information send me to US and A to make reportings that would help Kazakhstan,” Borat recounts. “We want to be like you. America have most beautiful womens in world – for example Liza Minnelli and Elizabeth Taylor. It also center for democracy and porno. I like! I so excite to do my movie!”

Filmmaker Jay Roach, who in addition to the “Austin Powers” films also helmed the mega-hits “Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers,” was fascinated by Baron Cohen’s work as Borat, and saw the potential for a movie starring the character.

“I think what Sacha does in this film is revolutionary,” says Roach.. “He’s created a totally believable, hilarious, fish-out-of-water character. Then Sacha takes Borat into often dangerous predicaments with real people who have to believe Borat is authentic the entire time – or else Sacha could face serious consequences. That’s fantastic suspense!

“Sacha takes risks like no performer I’m aware of,” Roach continues. “He’s a true comedic high-wire act. On top of that, whatever these real people do in the scene not only drives the scene, but changes the direction of the story. And it’s all insanely funny, even though he only gets one take for every performance. He does all that, and then also spoofs and holds a mirror up to racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, jingoism and hypocrisy. With no exaggeration, I believe what Sacha accomplishes with this character sets an entirely new standard for filmed performances.”

It is this combination of explosive humor, rawness and satire that led Roach to believe that a Borat film could be very special – and very different from traditional Hollywood comedies. “We saw an opportunity to do a film that was bold, subversive and fresh,” explains Roach. “We wanted to transplant the reality format of [“Da Ali G”] TV show, which has Sacha in character, interacting with real people. Then, we created a story that supports a feature film.”

Peter Baynham, Anthony Hines and Dan Mazer were drafted to write an outline for the film. There was no script. The movie is an experiment – a new form of filmmaking for an age in which reality and entertainment have become increasingly intertwined. Real events with real people push the film’s fictional story, and when scenes played out in unexpected ways, Baron Cohen and his colleagues had to rewrite the outline.

PRODUCTION

Following a grand send-off from his Kazakh village, Borat made the long journey to the US and A to begin work on the documentary. He was accompanied by his obese and ineffectual producer, Azamat Bagatov. Comments Azamat: “I got involved in this project because I am very experienced in industry of film and television – in fact during last 20 years I have personally watched 27 programs. I also got job because I am only producer in Kazakhstan.”

Borat traveled to the U.S. in style—Azamat, not so much. “We fly Kazakh Airways,” Borat recalls. “Azamat go in hold, with luggage, animals and Jews – I travel first classes – which meant that when toilet box was passed around, I was the sixth person to make my ‘dirty’ in it.” No expense was spared to bring the film to the big-screen. “This documentary was most expensive film ever made for Kazakhstan,” says the intrepid reporter. “It cost 48 million tenge – this equivalent to 5000 US dollar. Ministry of Information supplement budget by selling uranium to some brown men.”

Larry Charles, a creative force on the landmark series “Entourage,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Seinfeld,” joined the project as director. Like Jay Roach, Charles was a fan of Baron Cohen’s work. “There is an intensity and incredible intelligence to Sacha’s performances, as well as a certain bravery,” says Charles.

Charles marveled at Baron Cohen’s ability to stay in character throughout production, even during on-location filmmaker conferences. “Sacha as Borat was always real, believable, complex and spontaneous. I’ve never seen a performance like that.

“Our collaboration was multi-leveled,” Charles continues. “During our creative meetings, I was talking to both Sacha and to Borat, which was disconcerting sometimes, but fun. I understood why Sacha did this: He has to be in the moment, and yet still be somewhat detached and self-aware. He managed to strike a delicate balance.”

Executive producer Monica Levinson says the production was true guerilla-style filmmaking. “All we had was an eight-person crew, including Sacha, a sound person, camera people, Larry Charles, and a production assistant. We all traveled around in a van, followed by a pickup truck that carried the equipment.”

Borat began his cross country odyssey in ‘New Yorks,’ where he experiences for the first time a subway car, an elevator, and a feminist group. Then, a revelation turned his plans upside-down. “Although we had initial planned to stay in New Yorks, because of a reason I cannot say, we needed to get to California.”

Unable (or forbidden) to fly, Borat had to learn how to drive. “We too have cars in Kazakhstan,” he notes. “They now very modern –some of them reach top speeds of up to 120 miles per week! Also, they better than western cars, because when engine get old you can eat it. I was interest to see if America cars were as fancypants.

“I was very nervous about sitting alone in a car with my drive instructor,” Borat continues. “In my country only time two men ride together in car, is when they journey to the edge of town to make bang bang in anoos.”

To capture on film the character’s cross-country adventure – much of it done via an ice-cream truck – the BORAT filmmakers also traveled to Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Virginia, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, California, Oklahoma, Alabama, South Carolina – and Romania.

At many locations, the production’s guerilla-style, hit-and-run filmmaking attracted the interest of various law enforcement officials.

In New York, for example, a warrant was issued for Baron Cohen’s arrest. He also narrowly escaped incarceration while filming a segment at a local hotel. (Earlier, Baron Cohen had been advised to leave the state.)

Monica Levinson and unit production manager/first assistant director Dale Stern didn’t fare as well – they were arrested by New York’s Finest. The production had borrowed from a local hotel, a phone, alarm clock, and comforter – all of which were going to be used as props. Even though the filmmakers had a location agreement and a five million dollar insurance policy for lost or stolen goods, New York City police went ahead with the arrests. Later, as Levinson and the crew member were being questioned, she saw Stern eating a copy of a sheet listing the names and phone numbers of the film’s crew – to protect them from legal action. (The two arrests were later expunged.)

“Monica’s night in jail raised the bar for a filmmaker sacrificing for his or her art,” says Jay Roach.

Another time, twelve police cars surrounded the ice cream truck in which Borat makes much of his cross-country trek. The authorities hoped to find and interrogate Baron Cohen, only to discover that he had again made a narrow escape, this time in another crew vehicle.

The FBI often followed the filmmakers, whom the residents of several locales suspected of being terrorists. In the nation’s capital, the Secret Service questioned the filmmakers outside the White House, and at a Louisiana location, state troopers investigated the strange group ostensibly making a documentary. Again, Baron Cohen’s determination to stay in character – even while facing Secret Service and state police questioning – was impressive. “He never let on that this wasn’t ‘real,’” says Larry Charles.

Borat learned many lessons during his journey – some of them the hard way.

“Along my travelings, I learn many new things about America. For example that it no longer legal to shoot at Red Indians. Once again I apologize with all my heart to the staff of the Potawotomi Casino in Kansas.”

Wherever Borat touched down, he left a shaken populace in his wake. In Washington, D.C., he rocked a Gay Pride parade – “Many peoples friendly to me in America. In Washingtons, a guy in bikinis grab my busherka,” Borat exclaims. But his travels through the South left an especially strong imprint on Borat and his “subjects.”

Baron Cohen, as Borat, infuriated audience members at a Salem, Virgina rodeo by singing the Kazakh “national anthem” to the tune of the American anthem. After the rendition, a group of irate rodeo hands on horseback surrounded the filmmakers’ van, demanding that they be lynched.

Also in the South, Borat tried to figure out the American art of shopping – strangest of all, the practice of paying lots of money for old things called “antiques.” At a small antique store, Borat is incredibly clumsy and manages to destroy hundreds of dollars of items.

In Birmingham, Alabama, Borat paid a visit to a dinner party, where he hoped to learn the fine art of dining etiquette. The Southern hospitality didn’t stop there. “While were in the South, we passed by a group of soldiers making re-enacting of the Americans Civil Wars. It very similar to the Kazakh re-enactment of the Tishniek Massacre, which we do every year by traveling to the town Tishniek and massacring them. Why not?”

Producer Azamat had more practical concerns during their stay in the South.

“Most challenging aspect of filming there was to find film in Mississippi that would fit our 1912 Krasnogorsk Super 13mm camera,” he notes.

These are just a few of the many highlights of Borat’s adventures in the U.S. But the story ends where it began – in Borat’s hometown of Kuczek, Kazakhstan. A gypsy village two hours north of Bucharest, Romania doubled for Kuczek. Against the stunning backdrop of the Carpathian Mountains, the filmmakers found themselves working amid livestock wandering through the streets. And the BORAT team often went without benefit of indoor plumbing. “Working in this village was as far from our lives in Los Angeles as you can get,” notes Larry Charles. “Yet it was exhilarating and exciting.”

Grateful for the cooperation and graciousness of the townspeople, the production and Baron Cohen donated computers, backpacks, supplies and books to the local school.

At one point, the filmmakers had considered capturing these scenes at a Hollywood studio backlot. “But we realized we couldn’t ‘art direct’ that village,” says Charles. “You can’t art direct the horses, pigs, and jerry-built huts. So we didn’t have to pretend we were in Borat’s village; we were there!”

Borat himself couldn’t be happier that his documentary is finally ready for the US and A, but he reminds us that an earlier version had already opened in his native country.

“This movie have already been release in Kazakhstan and was blockbusterings,” exclaims Borat. “It take top spot from Hollywood movie ‘King Kongs’ – which had been number one film in Kazakhstan ever since it was release in 1932.”

But Borat warns American audiences they’re in store for more than a few jolts. “I hope you Americans see my movie, but please be warn that since it contain foul cursings, needless violence and a close-up of a man’s bishkek, it have been given most strict certificate in Kazakhstan, meaning no one under age of 3 will be able to see it.

“Also this film have been very controversial in my country because of amount of anti-Semitisms in it – however, eventually our Censor decide there was enough and allow its release.”

But whatever obstacles Borat has faced in making and releasing his movie, he’s thrilled to see it finally reach the U.S. “My movie finally coming in America!” he concludes. “High five!”

Sacha Baron Cohen

Fact Sheet

Awards

• 2003-2004 Da Ali G Show nominated for 6 Emmy® awards

• BAFTA [British Academy of Film and Television - equivalent to an EMMY] for Best

Comedy Program

• BAFTA for Best Comedy Performer [Da Ali G Show]

• Broadcast Award for Best Comedy Program

• Royal Television Society Award for Best Comedy Program

• Winner: Bronze Rose of Montreaux – Best Comedy Program

• 1999 and 2000 GQ Comedian of the Year [92% of vote]

• EMMA Award for [Ethnic Multicultural Media Award voted for by African-

American and Asian communities] Best Entertainment Show Da Ali G Show

• Winner: Best New Comedian at British Comedy Awards

• Winner: British GQ Man of Year Award 3 times, and American GQ Man of Year.

TV Shows

• Hosts MTV Europe Music Awards as Ali G in 2001, to a television audience

exceeding one billion. MTV implements “delay” for fear of what ‘Ali’ might say. It

proves to be a good decision.

• In 2005, again hosts European MTV Awards, this time as Borat. Walking on stage

after a Madonna performance, Borat said, “It is very brave of MTV to start the show

with a genuine transvestite.”

• 2005 European MTV Awards – introduces Madonna as ‘me main bitch’

• HBO: Two seasons of Da Ali G Show

• Channel 4: Da Ali G Show

• Ali G Innit Video becomes one of the highest selling comedy videos ever, exceeding

over a million units.

• C4 The Alternative Christmas Message: Ali G went up against the Queen’s speech on

Christmas Day. The Princes were caught – by the Queen Mother, watching Ali G,

instead.

• C4 Da Best of Ali G: 2 x 30min. compilation shows of interviews

• C4 11 O’clock show – Series I, II, III – a late night topical comedy show. There were

about 30 x 4 minute Ali G segments.

• 2001 Comic Relief – interviews Posh Spice and David Beckham

The Ali G Phenomenon

• Changes English language – after introducing the word ‘mingin’ [meaning ugly],

it’s included in the Oxford English Dictionary

• Reported that the Ali G phenomenon is responsible for changing the main type of

slang amongst English youth from cockney to Jafaican [a mixture between

Jamaican patwa and street slang].

• Doctors report a new injury called “Booyakasha Syndrome,” after teenagers are

admitted with wrist injuries after trying to imitate Ali’s trademark fingerclick.

• Tony Blair names his policy “Respect: Ali G’s catchphrase to try to appeal to

British youth.”

Movies

• BORAT movie – winner of audience and critics award at Traverse Film Festival.

• Ali G Indahouse – turned out to be the highest British grossing movie of that year.

Stays No. 1 atop the Dutch charts for 7 weeks, knocked off by Star Wars.

• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby – plays Jean Girard in the highest

grossing comedy movie in the U.S. in 2006.

Race

• Baron Cohen was involved in the ARA anti-racist alliance for many years – actually

marching against fascists and racists in London and against apartheid in the 80s

• The Times wrote a piece entitled “Ali G Creator is in fact Leading Civil Rights

Scholar,” which examined how Baron Cohen made a pilgrimage to the birthplace of

Martin Luther King while doing research for his dissertation in Cambridge. Entitled “

A Case of Mistaking Identities – the Jewish Black Alliance,” the thesis examines the

nature of cooperation between the African-American and Jewish communities and

suggests ways of how to improve relations in the current day. His professor describes

it as a major work of importance on the civil rights movement and is suggested

reading for history students in Cambridge.

• Da Ali G Show has been commended for its positive effects on race relations by the

CRE [commission for racial equality]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/racism/Story/0,2763,244214,00.html

• Da Ali G Show led to lectures during police training, on why it is crucial not to see

the population solely in terms of black and white.

Permission is hereby granted to newspapers and periodicals to reproduce this text in articles publicizing the distribution of

the Motion Picture. All other use is strictly prohibited, including sale, duplication, or other transfers of this material. This

press kit, in whole or in part, must not be leased, sold, or given away.

None of the real persons, companies, or organizations in the film are affiliated or associated with the film or its producers

in any way. No real person or entity depicted or appearing in the film has sponsored or otherwise endorsed its contents.

The same applies to the government and people of Kazakhstan, none of whom are involved in this film or have approved

it in any way. Nothing in this film is intended to convey the actual beliefs, practices or behavior of anyone associated with

Kazakhstan.

BORAT CREDITS

Directed by........................LARRY CHARLES

Screenplay by..........SACHA BARON COHEN

.....& ANTHONY HINES & PETER BAYNHAM

...............................................& DAN MAZER

Story by...................SACHA BARON COHEN

.....& PETER BAYNHAM & ANTHONY HINES

..........................................& TODD PHILLIPS

Based on a character created by.....................

................................SACHA BARON COHEN

Produced by............SACHA BARON COHEN

...................................................JAY ROACH

SACHA BARON COHEN

Executive Producer.....................DAN MAZER

Executive Producer.........MONICA LEVINSON

Co-Producer.....................PETER BAYNHAM

Directors of Photography.................................

..................................ANTHONY HARDWICK

....................................LUKE GEISSBÜHLER

Edited by.........................PETER TESCHNER

............................................JAMES THOMAS

Music Supervisor.....RICHARD HENDERSON

Original Music by.....ERRAN BARON COHEN

KEN DAVITIAN as Azamat

A FOUR BY TWO Production

AN EVERYMAN PICTURES Production

A TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX Release

Unit Production Manager/

First Assistant Director....................Dale Stern

Unit Production Manager/

First Assistant Director............David A. Siegel

Borat’s Image Created By.............Jason Alper

Cast

Borat..............................Sacha Baron Cohen

Azamat......................................Ken Davitian

Luenell.................................................Luenell

Naked Fight Coordinator............Alex Daniels

Kidnapping Consultant.........James P. Vickers

Safety.................................Peewee Piemonte

Action Team.........Michael Li, Harry Wowchuk

.................................................Nicole Randall

Made In Association with

Dune Entertainment LLC and Major Studio

Partners

Editor...........................................Craig Alpert

Production Sound Mixer...Scott Harber C.A.S.

First Assistant Camera......Mark Schwartzbard

Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist......Thomas Kolarek

Items from Kazakhstan Designed

By.................................................Jason Alper

Production Coordinator........Susannah Julien

Field Supervisors...................Todd Schulman

......................Jenny Hunter, Tim Schildberger

Field Coordinators.................Chelsea Barnard

.................................Erik Tily, Julie Chouinard

Researchers............................Sophie Charles

...........................................Kieran R.M. Baker

Production Accountant.........Berni Tanchauco

Assistant Accountant.............Sherry Kecskes

Assistant Production Coordinator....................

.............................................Leslie E. A. Rider

Production Secretary....Matthew Ryan Lepore

Key Set Production Assistant..........................

.....................................Alexandra Lambrinidis

Production Assistant.......................Blair Miller

Assistant to Mr. Baron Cohen

............................................J. Christian Walsh

Assistant to Mr. Baron Cohen /NY...................

..............................................Conor Copeland

Assistants to Mr. Charles......Tanya Oskanian

.................................................Laurie Epstein

Mr. Baron Cohen’s Feces

Provided by..................................Jason Alper

Behind The Scenes.................Ruben Fleisher

Transportation Coordinator.............................

....................................Jonathan A. Rosenfeld

Drivers..........Jeff Lira, Jeff Verdick, Monty Lira

Post Production Supervisors..Patrick Esposito

.......................................Bradley M. Goodman

Additional Editor......................Andrew Dickler

1st Assistant Editor................Scott M. Davids

Assistant EditorsJeff Mee, Sarah K. Thiessen

Apprentice Editor..........................Colin Patton

Editorial Assistant to Mr. Baron Cohen............

...............................................Todd Schulman

Post Production Assistant...............................

...............................Frederick W. Chandler, Jr.

Casting by..................................Allison Jones

Consultant............................Andrew Newman

Props Consultant.......................Kevin Hughes

Additional Production Supervisor....................

...................................Jamie Boscardin Martin

Second Assistant Director..........John Isabeau

Web Consultant.............................Andrew Lin

Bears...............................Chester and Charlie

Bears Provided By....................Animal Insight

Head Trainer..................................Dana Dubé

Trainers.....................................Ruth LaBarge

..........................Andrew Simpson, Clint Rowe

Production Counsel.........................................

........Russell Smith, Smith Dornan & Dehn PC

................Christine Bergren Music Consulting

Research Consultant................Ashley Kravitz

Music Researcher...........................Shira Arad

Travel.....................Travelcorps, Julie Shapiro

Supervising Sound Editor................................

...........................Andrew DeCristofaro, MPSE

Supervising Dialogue and ADR Editor.............

..........................Nancy Kyong Nugent, MPSE

Dialogue Editors..........John C. Stuver, MPSE

......................Michael Hertlein, Mary Andrews

Sound Effects Editors...............Michael Paine

........Kerry Carmean-Williams, David Esparza

Assistant Sound Editors...........Patrick Cusack

......................................................Jeff Glueck

Sound Editorial by...........................Soundelux

Re-recording Mixers..............Lora Hirschberg

..............................................Brandon Proctor

Post Production Sound Re-

recording by.....................Todd-AO Hollywood

Foley Artists..................Sean Rowe, Alan Kerr

Foley Mixer...............................Ryan Maguire

ADR Stage..............................Wilshire Stages

ADR Mixer......................Eric Thompson, CAS

ADR Recordist...........................Chris Navarro

Voice Casting......................Wendy Hoffmann

Loop Group................................Jack Blessing

...................David Cowgill, Marissa Goodman

.....................Wendy Hoffmann, Anna Mathias

.........................Kevin Schwimer, Hans Tester

......Ranjani Brow, Caitlin Cutt, Briget Hoffman

...............................Mark Ivanir, Philip Proctor

...............................Shane Sweet, Ines Wurth

Music Editor......................Richard Henderson

Scoring Mixer...........................Jonathan Allen

Orchestrations.......................Geoff Alexander

Orchestra Contractor................Isobel Griffiths

Orchestra Leader....................Thomas Bowes

Vocalist..........................Dessislava Stefanova

Visual Effects and Titles by.............YARD FX

Supervising Digital Effects Artist......................

...............................................Scott M. Davids

Digital Effects Artist....................Jalal Jemison

Digital Intermediate Color Timer......................

...............................................Kathy Thomson

Dolby Sound Consultant.................Jim Wright

Romania Unit

Art Director.............David Saenz de Maturana

Romanian Production services

provided by.......................Castel Film Studios

Additional Photography

Art Director.............David Saenz de Maturana

Production Supervisors............Susan Ehrhart

...................................................Shirley Davis

Production Coordinator.............Lisa Davidson

Assistant Production Coordinator....................

........................................Charline St. Charles

1st Assistant Accountants...........Jeff Wickline

.................................Alexa Song-Lindenthaler

Field Coordinators.............Jaqueline Lofstrom

................................................David Feinberg

Songs

Chaje Shukarije

Written and Performed by Esma

Redzepova

Courtesy of Time Square Records/World

Connection

Talijanska

Written and Performed by Goran Bregovic

Courtesy of Mercury Records France, a

Division of Universal Music S.A.

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

Magic Mamaligia

Written by German Popov

Performed by O.M.F.O.

Courtesy of Essay Recordings GmbH

By arrangement with The Royalty Network,

Inc.

“Eu Vin Acasa Cu Drag”

Written and Performed by Stefan de la

Barbulesti

Courtesy of AMMA

Mahalageasca

Written by Mahala

Performed by Mahala Rai Banda

Courtesy of Crammed Discs

By arrangement with Ocean Park Music

Money Boney

Written by German Popov

Performed by O.M.F.O.

Courtesy of Essay Recordings GmbH

By arrangement with The Royalty Network,

Inc.

Everybody’s Talkin’

Written by Fred Neil, performed by Harry

Nilsson

Courtesy of MGM Music Inc.

Under license from Columbia Pictures

Industries, Inc.

Aisle Two

Written and Performed by Daniel May

Courtesy of Mastersource/Marc Ferrari

Music From “Jingle All the Way”

Composed by David Newman

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film

Corp.

Take My Breath Away

Written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom

Whitlock

Performed by Berlin

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Ederlezi

Written and Performed by Goran Bregovic

Courtesy of Mercury Records France, a

Division of Universal Music S.A.

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

Kalasnjikov

Written and Performed by Goran Bregovic

Courtesy of Mercury Records France, a

Division of Universal Music S.A.

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

Born to Be Wild

Written by Mars Bonfire

Performed by Steppenwolf

Courtesy of Geffen Records

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

Ridin’ The Rodeo

Written by Vince Gill and Kostas Lazarides

Performed by Vince Gill

Courtesy of MCA Nashville

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, II Andante

Written by W.A. Mozart

Courtesy of 5 Alarm Music

Siki Siki Baba

Written by Nestor Cok Rakia

Performed by Kocani Orkestar

Courtesy of Crammed Discs

By arrangement with Ocean Park Music

Group

Heart Says Yes

Written and Performed by Joey Scarbury

Courtesy of Mastersource/Marc Ferrari

Lullaby

Written and Performed by Goran Bregovic

Courtesy of Mercury Records France, a

Division of Universal Music S.A.

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

Szerelem, Szerelem

Written by Marta Sebestyen

Performed by Marta Sebestyen & Muzikas

Courtesy of Hungatoon Records

Dreams

Written and Performed by Goran Bregovic

Courtesy of Mercury Records France, a

Division of Universal Music S.A.

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

U Can’t Touch This

Written by Kirk Burrell, James Johnson and

Alonzo Miller

Performed by MC Hammer

Courtesy of Capitol Records

Under license from EMI Film & Television

Music

Le Matin

Written and Performed by Goran Bregovic

Courtesy of Mercury Records France, a

Division of Universal Music S.A.

Under license from Universal Music

Enterprises

Nothin’ Like Being Able

Written by Frank O’Brien

The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power

Written by Andrae’ Crouch

There Is Power In the Blood

Traditional

Glory In My Soul

Written by Howard McCrary

Performed by Mekka Johnson

Courtesy of Mastersource/Marc Ferrari

Amen, Amen

Traditional

Istoria Na Edna Lyubov (Lover Song)

Written by Ivo Papasov

Performed by Ivo Papasov & His Orchestra

Courtesy of Hannibal Records, a Rykodisc

label

My Friend Franz

Written and performed by Ken Korade

Courtesy of Kid Gloves Music

Mahalageasca (Remix)

Written by Mahala

Performed by Mahala Rai Banda featuring

Shantel

Courtesy of Crammed Discs

By arrangement with Ocean Park Music

"Born to be Wild"

Written by Mars Bonfire

Performed by Fanfare Ciocarlia

Produced by Henry Ernst

Fanfare Ciocarlia Performs Courtesy of

Asphalt Tango Records

The Producers Wish To Give Special

Thanks To The Following For Their

Assistance:

Isla Fisher

Matt Stone

Trey Parker

Pamela Anderson

James L. Brooks

Alec Berg

Tom Gammill

Dave Mandell

Max Pross

Jeff Schaffer

Villagers of Moroieni, Romania

Special Thanks to Talkback Productions

and Channel Four Television

Footage Provided by

FremantleMedia

ITN Archive

‘COPS’ Courtesy of Twentieth Television.

“Married with Children” courtesy Sony

Pictures Television

ImageBank Film/Getty Images

Footage provided courtesy of HBO

Color by MODERN VIDEOFILM®

Prints by DELUXE®

LENSES AND CAMERAS

BY ABEL CINETECH®

DOLBY (logo)

In Selected Theatres

Approved No. 42670 (MPAA Globe)

MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF

AMERICA

IATSE "Bug"

Film Corporation and Dune Entertainment

LLC in all territories except

Brazil, Italy, Japan, Korea and Spain.

Rights Exploitation Limited Liability

Company, Twentieth Century Fox Film

Corporation and Dune Entertainment LLC

in Brazil, Italy, Japan, Korea and

Spain.

One America Productions, Inc. is the

author of this motion picture for purposes

of copyright and other laws.

None of the real persons, companies, or

organizations in the film are affiliated or

associated with the film or its producers in

any way. No real person or entity depicted

or appearing in the film has sponsored or

otherwise endorsed its contents. The same

applies to the government and people of

Kazakhstan, none of whom are involved in

this film or have approved it in any way.

Nothing in this film is intended to convey

the actual beliefs, practices or behavior of

anyone associated with Kazakhstan.

Ownership of this motion picture is

protected by copyright and other applicable

laws, and any unauthorized duplication,

distribution or exhibition of this motion

picture could result in criminal

prosecution as well as civil liability.

CREDITS NOT FINAL AT PRESS TIME

PRESTIGE

TOUCHSTONE PICTURES

and

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Present

THE PRESTIGE

NEWMARKET FILMS

and

SYNCOPY

Production

A Film by

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

Directed by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

Screenplay by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JONATHAN NOLAN

and CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

Based on the Novel by . . . . . CHRISTOPHER PRIEST

Produced by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EMMA THOMAS

AARON RYDER

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

Executive Producers . . . . CHARLES J.D. SCHLISSEL

CHRIS J. BALL

WILLIAM TYRER

VALERIE DEAN

Director of Photography . . . . . WALLY PFISTER, ASC

Production Designer . . . . . . . . . NATHAN CROWLEY

Edited by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LEE SMITH, A.C.E.

Costume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOAN BERGIN

Music by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAVID JULYAN

Casting by . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOHN PAPSIDERA, C.S.A.

CAST

Robert Angier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUGH JACKMAN

Alfred Borden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRISTIAN BALE

Cutter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICHAEL CAINE

Julia McCullough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIPER PERABO

Sarah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . REBECCA HALL

Olivia Wenscombe . . . . . . . SCARLETT JOHANSSON

Jess. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SAMANTHA MAHURIN

Tesla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAVID BOWIE

Alley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANDY SERKIS

Judge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DANIEL DAVIS

Prosecutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JIM PIDDOCK

Defender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRISTOPHER NEAME

Captain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MARK RYAN

Owens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ROGER REES

Sullen Warder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JAMIE HARRIS

Stagecoach Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MONTY STUART

Hotel Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RON PERKINS

Milton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RICKY JAY

Virgil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.PAUL MOORE

Boy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANTHONY DEMARCO

Chung Ling Soo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAO-LI CHI

Policeman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . GREGORY HUMPHREYS

Voice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOHN B. CRYE

Merrit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W.MORGAN SHEPPARD

Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEAN HOWSE

Elegant Lady . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JULIE SANFORD

Ticket Hawker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EZRA BUZZINGTON

Moderator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JAMES LANCASTER

Jess (Toddler). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OLIVIA MERG

ZOE MERG

Scalper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOHNNY LISKA

Men in Hotel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RUSS FEGA

KEVIN WILL

Ackerman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EDWARD HIBBERT

Burly Stagehand . . . . . . . . . CHRISTOPHER JUDGES

Blind Stagehand 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JAMES OTIS

Blind Stagehand 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SAM MENNING

Blind Stagehand 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BRIAN TAHASH

Carriage Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SCOTT DAVIS

Glamorous Assistant . . . . . . . . . . JODI BIANCA WISE

Housekeeper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NIKKI GLICK

Workman 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ENN REITEL

Warder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CLIVE KENNEDY

Leonard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ROBERT ARBOGAST

Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRIS CLEVELAND

Stunt Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RICK AVERY

Stunt Double—Angier . . . . . . . . . . . . RICK MARCUS

Stunt Double—Borden . . . . . . . . . . PAUL LACOVARA

Stunt Double—Cutter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STEVE HART

Stunt Double—Julia . . . . . . . . . MEEGAN GODFREY

Stunt Double—Olivia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JONI AVERY

Stunt Riggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICHAEL HUGGHINS

DAVID HUGGHINS

Stunt Warder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THOM WILLIAMS

Utility Stunts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MIKE AVERY

Angier Test Stunt Double . . . . . . . BRIAN MACHLEIT

Unit Production Manager

CRISTEN CARR STRUBBE

First Assistant Director

ALAN B. CURTISS

Second Assistant Director

JODY SPILKOMAN

Associate Producer. . . . . . . . . . JORDAN GOLDBERG

Production Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . GREGG EDLER

CREDITS

Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KEVIN KAVANAUGH

Assistant Art Director . . . . . . NAAMAN MARSHALL

Set Decorator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JULIE OCHIPINTI

Costume Supervisor . . . . . . . ROBERT Q. MATHEWS

Key Costumer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KENN SMILEY

Set Costumers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOM CUMMINS

TONI KEHAULANI REED

Costumers

JO KISSACK ANTONIO ALMARAZ

DONNA MARICONE POLLACK DENNIS MCCARTHY

MONICA HAINES JOSE HERNANDEZ

MARCI JOHNSON APRIL KRUEGER

TRICIA YOO SHANDRA BERI

Dept. Head Make-Up . . . . . . . . . PETER ROBB-KING

Dept. Head Hair. . . . . . . . . . . . JANICE ALEXANDER

Key Make-Up Artist . . . . . . . . . . . JOHN R. BAYLESS

Make-Up Artist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MAGGIE FUNG

Mr. Jackman’s Make-Up Artist . . . . . KENNY MYERS

Ms. Johansson’s

Make-Up Artist . . . . . . . . . . . HEBA THORISDOTTIR

Prosthetic Make-Up . . . LEO COREY CASTELLANO

Hairstylists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TERRY BALIEL

KAREN MYERS

Wigs by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VICTORIA WOOD

First Assistant Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOB HALL

Second Assistant Camera . . . . . . PHILIP SHANAHAN

Loader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAN MCFADDEN

Steadicam Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CRAIG FIKSE

Additional Camera Operator . . . . . . TONY GAUDIOZ

Script Supervisor. . . . . . . . . . . . STEVEN R. GEHRKE

Sound Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ED NOVICK

Boom Operator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KURT PETERSON

Utility Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JESSICA BENDER

Location Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RUSS FEGA

Key Assistant Location Managers . . . . . . JESSE COLE

KIM CRABB

Asst. Location Manager. . . . . . . . . . GUY MORRISON

Production Accountant . . . . . . . . GREG HEMSTREET

First Assistant Accountant . . . . . . . JENNIFER CLARK

Assistant Accountants . . . . ANDREW T. JABLONSKI

MIKE MACCUISH

Payroll Accountant . . . . . . . . . . . . KAREN M. FUCHS

Accounting Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . JARETH COSTELLO

Construction Estimator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LEDIA TELO

Post Production Accountant . . . . . . JEANIE DANIELS

First Assistant Editor/VFX Editor . . . . . . . . JOHN LEE

Assistant Editors . . . . . . . . . . SCOTT WESLEY ROSS

LAURA RINDNER

Post Production Supervisors . . . NANCY KIRHOFFER

TERESA KELLY

Post Production Assistant . . . . CHARLES HARRISON

Music Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ALEX GIBSON

Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor

RICHARD KING

Re-Recording Mixers . . . . . . . . LORA HIRSCHBERG

GARY A. RIZZO

First Assistant Sound Editors . . . . . . LINDA YEANEY

ANDREW BOCK

Dialogue Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUGO WENG

ADR Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LINDA FOLK

ADR Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KIMBERLY HARRIS

Sound Effects Editors . . . . . . PAUL BEROLZHEIMER

MICHAEL W. MITCHELL

Foley Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . CHRISTOPHER FLICK

Foley Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JONATHON KLEIN

Foley Artists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOHN ROESCH

ALYSON MOORE

Foley Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MARYJO LANG

Foley Recordist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SCOTT MORGAN

ADR Voice Casting . . . . . . . . . . . BARBARA HARRIS

ADR Mixers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOM O’CONNELL

ERIC GOTTHELF

ADR Recordists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RICK CANELLI

CAROLYN TAPP

Recordist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRIS SIDOR

Chief Lighting Technician. . . . . . . . . . CORY GERYAK

Assistant Chief

Lighting Technician . . . . . . . . . . . LARRY SUSHINSKI

Key Grip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RAY GARCIA

Best Boy Grip . . . . . . . . . . . . RODERICK G. FARLEY

Dolly Grip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TONY GARRIDO

Rigging Gaffer . . . . . . . CHARLES H. MCINTYRE, II

Rigging Electric Best Boy . . . . . . . . CRICKET SLOAT

Rigging Key Grip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BLAKE PIKE

Best Boy Rigging Grip . . . . . . JERRY L. MARSHALL

Construction Coordinator . . . . . . . . . JOE ONDREJKO

Leadman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. SCOTT DURAN

Set Designers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SCOTT ZUBER

SALLY THORNTON

MARK LUCERO

Property Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . SCOTT BUCKWALD

Assistant Property Masters . . . . . . . . JARED FLEURY

JEANNE MARIE KUKOR

Special Effects Coordinator . . . . . DAVID BLITSTEIN

Special Effects Set Foreman . . . DAVID L. SIMMONS

Special Effects Shop Foreman. . . . . . MARIO VANILO

Special Effects Rigging Foreman . . WILLIAM D. LEE

Assistant

Production Coordinator. . . . . . . . . JEFFREY CARUSO

Additional Second

Assistant Director . . . . . CY ROSCOE STRICKLAND

2nd 2nd Assistant Director. . . . . . LYNN STRUIKSMA

Stand-In—Mr. Jackman . . . . . . . . . . . . ROB MCCABE

Stand-In—Mr. Bale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JIM LINDSEY

Stand-In—Mr. Caine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ALAN BRAGG

Stand-In—Ms. Johansson . . . . . . AMY TREADWELL

Caterer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHEF ROBERT

Craft Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JIMMY SMITH

Transportation

Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOMMY TANCHAROEN

Transportation

Co-Captains . . . . . . . . . . MAXWELL R. JOHNSON II

TOM WHELPLEY

Dialect Coach for Mr. Jackman . . . . . . . . JESS PLATT

Dialect Coach for Mr. Bowie . . . . SUSAN HEGARTY

Technical Advisors/

Magic . . . . . . . RICKY JAY AND MICHAEL WEBER

Assistant to Mr. Nolan . . BENJAMIN T. MOREHEAD

Assistant to Mr. Ryder . . . BEATRICE SPRINGBORN

Assistant to

Mr. Schlissel . . . . . . . . . M. MICHELLE NISHIKAWA

Assistant to Mr. Jackman. . . . . LAWRA ROBERTSON

Production Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . . ERIN A. RAMOS

Production Assistants

BEAU FOSTER PETER SCHEER

COLIN DUNNING CLAYTON COGSWELL

CINDY A. TAYLOR TERRENCE B. ZINN

JOSHUA SCHEER MICHELLE SCHRAUWERS

SHAWN WILLIAMSON

Costume Dept. PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CARRIE DACRE

Art Dept. PAs . . . . . . . . . . . . CAPELLA KINCHELOE

ERIN CIPOLLETTI

Camera Intern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PETER KROUSE

Still Photographers . . . . . . . . FRANÇOIS DUHAMEL

STEPHEN VAUGHAN

Video Assist Operator . . . . . . . . . MICHAEL HERRON

Casting Assistant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JENNIFER CRAM

Extras Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RICH KING

Animal Trainer—

Horses, Birds. . . PHIL SMITH’S ANIMAL RENTALS

PHIL SMITH

Animal Trainer—Horses . . . . . . . . . . . . SCOTT DAVIS

Animal Trainer—

Cats . . . . . . ANIMAL ACTORS OF HOLLYWOOD—

CHERYL SHAWVER

Wranglers—Horses. . . . . . . . . . VICTORIA M. VOPNI

CODY SMITH

Wranglers—Cats . . . . . . . . . . JESSE BRACKENBURY

LEE ROESER

MEGHAN C. FRASER

CATHY PITTMAN

First Aid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANTHONY PENIDO

HENRY HUMPHREYS

Visual Effects Producer . . . . . . . . . . SCOTT SHAPIRO

Visual Effects Consultant . . . . . . . . . . . JANEK SIRRS

Visual Effects by

BUF

Visual Effects Supervisor . . . . . STEPHANE CERETTI

Associate Visual

Effects Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . OLIVIER DUMONT

CG Sequence Supervisor . . . . . FLORENT ANDORRA

CG Artists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FLORENT CADEL

ROBIN DELEDICQUE

LAURENS EHRMANN

EDDY MOUSSA

LAURENT PANISSIER

MICHEL SAMRETH

MATHILDE TOLLEC

Software Development . . . . . . CLÉMENT RAMBACH

Visual Effects Producers . . . . . . . . . SIMON VANESSE

VANESSA FOURGEAUD

Visual Effects Coordinators . . . . . MÉLANIE CUSSAC

GIACUN CADUFF

Executive Music Producer . . . . . . . . . HANS ZIMMER

Orchestrations by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DANANIU

Music Programmer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAVID HOSKINS

Orchestra Conducted by . . . . . . . . . . . BLAKE NEELY

Score Recorded and Mixed by . . . ALAN MEYERSON

Orchestra Contractors . . . . . . . . . . . . PETER ROTTER

SANDY DECRESCENT

Score Recorded at . . . . . TODD AO SCORING STAGE

Score

Mixed at. . . . . REMOTE CONTROL PRODUCTIONS

Score Recordist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOM HARDISTY

Assistant Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GREG VINES

Technical Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MATT WARD

Music Preparation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOOKER WHITE,

WALT DISNEY MUSIC LIBRARY

Post Production Services Provided

by . . . . . . . GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS

Titles & Opticals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PACIFIC TITLE

CREDITS

NegativeCutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . MARY BETH SMITH

BUENA VISTA NEGATIVE CUTTING

Color Timer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAVID ORR

COLORADO UNIT

Production Liaison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TIM TERRITO

Production Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . NICK LECLAIRE

PARKER D. LEMIRE

SCOTT MICHELS

CRAIG OKESON

Transportation Local Captain. . PHILLIP W. HELMAN

COLORADO AERIAL UNIT

Director of Photography . . . . . . . . . . . HANS BJERNO

Helicopter

Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JIM DIRKER—

AIRCAM NATIONAL HELICOPTERS

Spacecam Technician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOSE DELEON

MUSIC

“Drinkin’ Down The Rose & Crown”

Composed by Keith Nichols

Courtesy of APM

“Tripping Gaily”

Written and Performed by E. Baga

Courtesy of DeWolfe Music

“Eel Pie And Mash”

Composed by Bob Barratt and Colin Frechter

Courtesy of APM

“Butterfly Etude”

Composed by Frederic Chopin

Arranged & Performed by Stephen James Edwards

Courtesy of 5 Alarm Music

“Vowel Movement”

Composed by Andy Vale

Courtesy of APM

“Bathroom Scales”

Composed by Andy Vale

Courtesy of APM

“Princess Waltz”

Written by W. Davies

Courtesy of APM

“Analyse”

Written by Thomas Edward Yorke

Performed by Thom Yorke

Courtesy of XL Recordings

American Humane Association monitored the animal

action. No animal was harmed in the making of this

film. (AHA 01155)

The Producers Wish to Thank

BOSTON MUSEUM OF SCIENCE

DAN SASAKI

DAVID COPPERFIELD

DEREK DELGAUDIO

PRINCES ARMS HOTEL

Aerial Cameras Provided by

SPACECAM SYSTEMS, INC.

Camera Equipment Provided by

PANAVISION® REMOTE SYSTEMS

Camera Cranes by

CHAPMAN LEONARD STUDIO EQUIPMENT

Prints by

TECHNICOLOR®

Filmed with

PANAVISION®

Cameras and Lenses

MPAA #42935

Warner Bros. Entertainment Corp.

All material is protected by Copyright Law of the

United States and all countries throughout the world.

United States of America. Touchstone Pictures and

Warner Bros. are the authors of this motion picture for

purposes of copyright and other laws. Any

unauthorized exhibition, distribution or copying of this

film or any part thereof (including soundtrack) is an

infringement of the relevant copyright and will subject

the infringer to severe civil and criminal penalties.

The story, all characters and incidents portrayed in this

production are fictitious. No identification with actual

persons, places, buildings and products is intended or

should be inferred.

Distributed by

BUENA VISTA PICTURES DISTRIBUTION

CREDITS

Special Note to Journalists:

THE PRESTIGE is a mystery structured as a cinematic magic trick.

In order to allow audiences to fully enjoy the unfolding of the story, the filmmakers

respectfully ask that you not reveal too much about the deceptions at the heart of the film.

THE PRESTIGE

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

“We were two young men at the start of a great career.

Two young men devoted to an illusion.

Two young men who never intended to hurt anyone.”

—Alfred Borden, THE PRESTIGE

From acclaimed filmmaker

Christopher Nolan (“Memento,”

“Batman Begins”) comes an

innovative thriller woven out of the

stuff of illusions. In this twisting,

turning tale of urgent mystery, two

Victorian-era magicians spark a

powerful rivalry that builds into an

escalating battle of tricks and an

unquenchable thirst to uncover the

other’s trade secrets. As these two remarkable men pit daring against desire, showmanship against science

and ambition against friendship, the results are dangerous, deadly and definitely deceptive.

Their rivalry is brought to life by two of today’s most compelling screen stars: Tony Award winner

Hugh Jackman, beloved on screen for his portrayal of the feral Wolverine in “X-Men” and its sequels, and

Christian Bale, acclaimed for his intense performances including his recent turn as the Caped Crusader in

“Batman Begins.” Joining them is an exceptional cast of diverse characters portrayed by two-time Oscar®

winner Michael Caine, Golden Globe® nominee Scarlett Johansson, newcomer Rebecca Hall, rising

actress Piper Perabo, fantasy-film cult hero Andy Serkis and rock star David Bowie as the groundbreaking

electrical genius Nikola Tesla.

It all begins in rapidly changing, turn-ofthe-century London. At a time when

magicians are idols and celebrities of the

highest order, two young magicians set out to

carve their own paths to fame. The flashy,

sophisticated Robert Angier (HUGH

JACKMAN) is a consummate entertainer,

while the rough-edged purist Alfred Borden

(CHRISTIAN BALE) is a creative genius

who lacks the panache to showcase his

magical ideas. They start out as admiring

friends and partners. But when their biggest trick goes terribly awry, they become enemies for life—each

intent on outdoing and upending the other. Trick by trick, show by show, their ferocious competition

builds until it knows no bounds, even utilizing the fantastical new powers of electricity and the scientific

brilliance of Nikola Tesla—while the lives of everyone around them hang in the balance. Rife with sleight-

of-hand shocks and revelations, the film delves into a riveting world where the farthest, darkest edges of

faith, trust and the possible are probed.

THE PRESTIGE is directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

THE PLEDGE, THE TURN, THE PRESTIGE

Christopher Nolan, based on the novel by Christopher Priest. The film is produced byAaron Ryder, Emma

Thomas and Christopher Nolan. The executive producers are Charles J.D. Schlissel, Chris J. Ball, William

Tyrer, and Valerie Dean.

Creating a mysterious, yet vividly contemporary, portrait of the torch-lit heyday of London’s magic

scene is an accomplished behind-the-camera team that includes Oscar®-nominated cinematographer Wally

Pfister ASC, production designer Nathan Crowley and editor Lee Smith, A.C.E., all of whom also

collaborated with Nolan on “Batman Begins.” Joan Bergin, an Emmy® Award nominee for television’s

“David Copperfield,” designed the costumes.

THE PLEDGE, THE TURN, THE PRESTIGE:

TURNING A MOVIE INTO A MAGIC TRICK AND VICE VERSA

According to Cutter, the magician’s ingeneur (one who designs illusions behind the scenes) played by

Michael Caine: “Every great magic trick consists of three acts. The first act is called The Pledge: the

magician shows you something ordinary, but of course, it probably isn’t. The second act is called The Turn.

The magician makes his ordinary something do something extraordinary. Now, if you’re looking for the

secret…you won’t find it. That’s why there’s a third act, called The Prestige. This is the part with the twists

and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you see something shocking you’ve never seen before.”

Director Christopher Nolan uses these

same principles of carefully constructed

secrets and shocking moments of revelation

to unfold the winding, surprise-filled story of

dueling magicians Robert Angier and Alfred

Borden in THE PRESTIGE—an intricate

thriller in which mysteries abound, illusions

permeate every action, and nothing is quite

what it seems, except the primal human

emotions that drive an epic feud between two

ambitious men.

Nolan has already, with just a handful of

films, established himself as one of filmmaking’s most creative minds, and one with a striking ability to

evoke the mysterious and disorienting, whether in independent classics or major action blockbusters. He

first came to prominence after his promising debut, “Following,” with “Memento,” the ingenious,

backwards-moving thriller about a desperate man trying to avenge his wife’s murder while suffering from

the loss of all short-term memory. Lauded as a cinematic masterpiece that played with notions of time,

space and subjective reality, “Memento” continues to confound audiences and is now studied by film

students. Nolan went on to cut his teeth on a bigger thriller, a remake of the Norwegian noir film

“Insomnia,” in a fresh version starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank, which once again

took the audience on a dizzying journey into crime and fear. He then made another leap, this time into

superhero territory, tackling “Batman Begins,” which unveiled the untold origins of the Dark Knight’s

emergence as the savior of Gotham City. The film was hailed as one of the most original and engaging of

all superhero movies and went on to worldwide acclaim, the rare summer box-office blockbuster that met

with equal critical success.

Now, it seemed that Nolan was the perfect person to tackle material as intricate and unconventionally

entertaining as THE PRESTIGE.

Says producer Emma Thomas: “Traditionally, I think filmmakers have avoided the subject of magic

because there is this feeling that if you’re not seeing it live that it’s too easy to get the wool pulled over your

eyes. But Chris started with the idea that movies are already a kind of magic trick—and instead of

concentrating on the magic shows themselves, the story is all about what happens behind the scenes in the

lives of two driven magicians who are devoted to and obsessed with creating the most baffling illusions.”

The film’s genesis began just after Nolan directed “Memento.” Around that same time, executive

producer Valerie Dean read and fell madly in love with Christopher Priest’s acclaimed novel The

Prestige—and immediately knew that amidst its complex blend of history and science fiction, its tale of

an out-of-control magical rivalry would make for an original film.

Dean gave the book to Nolan, who was equally intrigued. “The book created a terrific relationship

between the narrative form of the novel and the techniques and ideas used by magicians to fool you and

engage you in deception—and I felt the exciting thing about making a film of The Prestige would be to

find the cinematic equivalent,” Nolan says. “There’s quite a strong relationship between what magicians

do and what filmmakers do. The filmmaker is very similar to a magician in the way we release

information—what we tell the audience and when—and how we draw the audience in through certain

points of view. We use our own techniques, blind alleys and red herrings, to fool the audience and,

hopefully, to create a satisfying payoff. With THE PRESTIGE, there was an opportunity to really play with

these concepts right before the audience’s eyes.”

Nolan in turn asked producer Aaron Ryder of Newmarket Films to obtain the rights. After his

experience on “Memento,” Ryder trusted that Nolan would create something distinctive with THE

PRESTIGE. “He’s a truly gifted storyteller,” says the producer. “Chris was born to direct movies. I feel

his films are some of the best films being made today and I just loved the idea that he wanted to make

this film to be a magic trick in and of itself.”

Meanwhile, the director approached his brother Jonathan about joining him in tackling the massive

task of adapting Priest’s intricate novel, composed in part of confessional diaries, into a suspenseful

screenplay. Having previously worked together on “Memento”—which Christopher Nolan adapted from

Jonathan Nolan’s time-shifting short story—Jonathan was intrigued by the prospect of doing something

equally challenging, yet entirely different.

This time around, the fun would be in trying to write a movie as an illusion—one that would dazzle,

deceive and ultimately surprise the audience. “The movie definitely had to function as a magic trick,”

Jonathan says. But that concept left him in entirely unexplored territory. He continues: “When I started

writing, I had a bunch of different classic movies in mind that I thought I might pay homage to, but after

I was done, I realized that I’d never seen anything quite like this one before.”

He began by paring through the onion-like layers of Priest’s novel. “The book is a very complicated,

very ambitious, sweeping epic with tons of ideas—and it took me about 18 months to figure out how to

cut it down into something that resembles a film,” Jonathan comments. “I had to find the structure, which

was tricky, because the story is so complexly interwoven. What we came up with is a three-part flashback

structure based on this idea of the three-part

structure of a magic trick.”

Utilizing that three-part structure—

comprised of The Pledge, The Turn and The

Prestige—helped the Nolans cut to the core

of why people have always been so fascinated

by magic. “A lot of it turns on this idea that

Chris and I were fascinated by: that the

audience for a magic show knows that what

they’re about to see is a trick,” Jonathan

explains. “If they actually thought a woman

was going to be sawn in half, they would be

very upset, and definitely not amused. So they know it’s a trick but they also want to feel fooled, so that’s

why that third act, or The Prestige, is so important. The real world is rigid, there’s not a lot of mystery to

it, but people don’t want that to be the case—and that’s where magic comes in. If we’ve got all the rules

figured out and this is the way the world works, where you get a job, save your money and then die—well,

who wants to live in that world? I think we all would prefer that the universe have some surprises, some

tricks up its sleeve.”

THE PLEDGE, THE TURN, THE PRESTIGE

BACK TO THE 20TH CENTURY’S FUTURE

Along the way, Jonathan Nolan delved into researching the secretive world of gifted magicians. This

became especially revealing when he met with some of the most shadowy figures in that already shadowy

realm—the ingeneurs who come up with wild ideas for never-before-seen tricks behind the scenes.

“They’re fascinating figures who eschew the limelight, and for a screenwriter, there’s something very

familiar about that,” he laughs. “The attraction is that they get to pull all the strings.”

In researching magic’s illustrious past, Nolan also gained insight into why that grand legacy has faded

into today’s Vegas acts. “I think part of it is that now there are hundreds of different versions of magic out

there but we don’t call them magic. We have television, video games, movies—they’re all spectacles that

you can disappear into just as one used to do at a Victorian magic show,” he says.

THE PRESTIGE heads into many unexpected directions, including having its two main stars—Hugh

Jackman and Christian Bale—morph from heroes to anti-heroes and back again. Jonathan always intended

for the audience to choose sides. “I think you can’t really watch the movie without choosing an allegiance.

But whoever you’re rooting for, the idea is that you’re likely to start questioning it by the film’s end,” explains

the writer. Yet Jonathan himself doesn’t hold a special loyalty to one character or the other. “I like both Angier

and Borden,” he says. “To me, they’re flip sides of the same coin, two complementary halves of one person.”

As he wrote, Nolan never shied away from letting the audience draw their own conclusions about all

that is going on in the raging battle between Angier and Borden. “I love contentious stuff,” he admits.

“Chris and I still argue about aspects of ‘Memento’ and we’ve had arguments about THE PRESTIGE as

well. I think if you get to the point where people are sitting around a table arguing about what your movie

means, then you’ve done your job as a writer.”

After Jonathan wrote an initial draft of the screenplay with Christopher’s creative involvement,

Christopher then jumped in with his own draft. The unique working relationship between the brothers has

always involved one sparking the creativity of the other. Jonathan has his own theory for why they

complement each other so well. “I’ve always suspected that it has something to do with the fact that he’s

left-handed and I’m right-handed,” he remarks, “because he’s somehow able to look at my ideas and flip

them around in a way that’s just a little bit more twisted and interesting. It’s great to be able to work with

him like that.”

Emma Thomas was dazzled by the completed screenplay. “When I read the book, I knew it was going

to make a great movie—I just didn’t quite

know how!” she laughs. “There were so many

different elements to the story, but Jonathan

and Chris were able to distill it all while

keeping the fun of magic and the excitement

of this unusual world alive and keeping the

focus on all these fascinating characters.

Every role had something juicy about it.”

Aaron Ryder was equally impressed. “The

story plays with deception, identity and

obsession,” he says. “In much the same way

that ‘Memento’ pushed the envelope, I

believe on a grander scale, the same could be said for THE PRESTIGE. I truly think that it’s innovative

in that same way. Jonathan and Chris adapted a very complicated book into a tension-filled thriller. It’s

rare to see a film deviate so far from the source material yet still remain true to the story and the theme.”

BACK TO THE 20TH CENTURY’S FUTURE:

NOLAN TAKES A FRESH LOOK AT THE GREAT VICTORIAN AGE OF MAGIC

THE PRESTIGE emerges amidst an intriguing period rarely explored on film—the Golden Age of

magic at the turn of the century. It was the ultimate era for magicians as they pioneered the nascent

beginnings of mass entertainment. On the cusp of a new industrial society, the public was obsessed with

the very concept of magical occurrences—whether on the stage or in the life-changing technological

advances and scientific secrets of the universe unfolding before them. In this atmosphere, the best and

boldest of magicians became huge, headline acts across Europe and the U.S. While few other than Harry

Houdini, who began performing in 1899, are remembered today, back then numerous talented magicians

had the chance to become household names and international idols.

“Magicians were essentially the rock stars of their day,” observes Hugh Jackman, who plays Angier,

the charismatic front man who will stop at nothing to attain superstar status. “It was very different from

today in that a lot of the magic back then

seemed truly death-defying to audiences and

it seemed there was a lot of danger because

something could go wrong at any moment. It

was a fantastic time for that new kind of

shocking theater which preceded modern

entertainment.”

Indeed, the times seemed to be magical

themselves, especially with the coming of

one of the biggest revolutionary changes in

human history: electricity. “Electricity must

have really felt like magic to those who didn’t

understand it yet,” observes producer Emma Thomas. With mechanical objects suddenly able to come to

life, the public became fascinated with such mystical subjects as the afterlife, spiritualism and anything

that seemed to defy the rational imagination.

But while the Victorian era is yet another layer in the unfolding of THE PRESTIGE, the last thing

Christopher Nolan wanted to do was make a typically constrained, demure period movie. “The Victorian

Era is often mischaracterized as stuffy and repressive—when it was actually an incredibly exciting time

in human development,” he explains. “You had the second Industrial Revolution, the birth of electricity,

the birth of cinema, the start of widespread international travel and science being turned on its head by

new theories. You also had the beginnings of mass advertising with billboards and posters. It was a period

of great adventurousness with changes that are still being felt today.”

To capture this literally electrifying, alternate vision of Victorian times, Nolan wanted to depict the era

in a way that would come off to audiences as dynamic, immediate and new. “Every creative choice is

opposed to the way period movies are usually done,” explains Thomas. “Wally Pfister shot the film with

mostly handheld cameras with enormous energy, and the characters are brought to life by the actors with

a very contemporary feeling. The background details are all fairly realistic, but Chris has made it so that

period doesn’t really matter anywhere near as much as the story.”

Christopher Nolan continues: “I wanted to be accurate to the feeling rather than the details of the period.

I think it was one of the first times in which the world felt overwhelmed with visual information. Posters

were everywhere, text was everywhere, and there was a lot of imagery assaulting people as they walked

down the streets, exceeding even what we have today. So that’s the view we give of Victorian London—one

that feels very contemporary and immediate, and I think one that lends a more authentic feeling to what it

would be like to be living then. There’s something about a lot of period films that allows the audience to sit

at a remove from the characters. But we wanted to dive into this world in a direct way so it was very

important to use the camerawork and production design to bring the audience deeper inside.”

Above all, Nolan wanted the film’s multiple layers to be accessible to the audience, inviting them not

only into the two main characters’ stunning fall from grace but into the very workings of the narrative.

“We wanted the audience to be aware of the effect the film is having on them as it is unfolding before their

eyes,” he summarizes.

Despite the design complexities, from the beginning the idea was also to shoot the film in as pared-

down and fast-paced a manner as possible. “Coming off of the hugeness of ‘Batman Begins,’ we thought

it would be great to be light on our feet and as stripped-down as we possibly could be,” says Emma

BACK TO THE 20TH CENTURY’S FUTURE

Thomas. “It gave us a tremendous amount of energy.” That energy was parlayed into creativity once

production moved into full swing. Notes Christian Bale of Nolan: “Chris really understands movie visuals.

He has an iron trap of a mind and knows exactly what he wants to see on the screen. Then, because of

that, he’s able to let others really fly and be very spontaneous.”

Nolan collaborated closely on the visual front with cinematographer Wally Pfister, who first worked

with Nolan on “Memento,” went on to shoot “Insomnia” and garnered an Academy Award® nomination

for his work on “Batman Begins.” “Chris and I have a great collaborative relationship with each other and

a great friendship as well,” says Pfister. “There is not another director I could name that I have the same

level of respect for. He’s not only on top of every element of the film, from the photography to the set

dressing, he’s just a great storyteller and, for me, that’s where it begins.”

Nolan came to Pfister with a precise vision.

“There’s a distinct relationship between the

style of the film and the style of the narrative,

and that was something I was quite specific

about,” says the director. “We did most of the

photography with a handheld camera so that

it’s always at eye level, engaged directly with

the characters, while the narrative itself is quite

clearly above the characters.”

Nolan continues: “Through framing

devices and so forth, we allow the audience to

shift between multiple points of view. So the

audience is sort of seeing a lot of things that the characters themselves aren’t necessarily seeing. They’re

getting the complete picture. And I thought that would create a very interesting tension between the more

subjective sort of storytelling that I’ve done in the past and the traditional omniscient position that

audiences are used to in action thrillers.”

Pfister’s lighting schemes helped to lend the film the dynamic, modern edge that Nolan was seeking.

“We use a lot of natural light to really give a sense of immediacy and a tactile quality to each scene and

location,” explains Nolan. Pfister and Nolan also wanted to use the anamorphic lenses that have lent their

previous films together a distinctive style—but this came with a price. “This is the fourth film we’ve shot

together with Panavision Anamorphic lenses. It’s a beautiful, crisp, grain-free image and there’s nothing

else that really looks that way on the screen,” notes Pfister. “But the cameras weigh about 60 pounds, so

my shoulders really took a pounding!”

Throughout, Nolan and Pfister went after a more handmade, old-school aesthetic—emphasizing

organic camera movements and minimalist opticals over elaborate effects. Explains Pfister: “Chris and I

wanted to really minimize the technical and equipment idea of this picture. We followed as much as

possible the sort of notion that you just put the camera on your shoulder and run in there and capture the

scene. It was a very exciting way to shoot for all of us—for me, for Chris and for the actors, who were

freed of the usual technical restrictions. It actually put me much more in the storytelling process than if I

had been sitting back by a monitor with someone else operating the camera and was much more efficient

and spontaneous. It’s a liberating, unconventional way to shoot and it gives the film a naturalistic style

that makes it very different from how any other period film has been captured in our current era.”

This “old school” approach extended even further in that Nolan and Pfister eschewed the now-standard

Digital Intermediate, the phase in which a motion picture is scanned into a computer so that the

filmmakers can use digital tools to manipulate colors and other image characteristics. Instead, THE

PRESTIGE utilized traditional photochemical printing in which color grading is achieved simply by

exposing the film to varying degrees of light. “We wanted to make the film in the most organic way,”

continues Pfister. “For what we were looking for, the photochemical process gave us the perfect amount

of control and also preserved the integrity of the anamorphic negative.”

Pfister felt that the ultimate goal was to produce an unprocessed facsimile of the darkly imaginative

images that swirl around in Nolan’s brain. Observes the cinematographer: “Chris had his eye on every

element that went into this film, from the first words on the page to the final color timing that we did

together—and all along, he’s trying to get the movie out there as he saw it in his head long before pen even

went to paper.”

When it came to palette, Pfister also allowed his color and texture decisions to develop organically,

emerging from the radical changes of the times. “A lot of the palette is dictated by the fact that the film’s

timeline is riding the cusp of the beginning of electricity, which obviously becomes part of the story as

well. So in a lot of the earlier scenes, we’re using candlelight and oil light, and then later on, we introduce

electricity in a grand way, and then we introduce electrical lights in some of the locations as well. So you

have lot of orange and yellow in the candle-lit and oil-lit scenes and kind of a green moonlight effect

mixed with the orange gas lamps for the night scenes. Throughout, I tried to move towards a different look

and mood than I’d seen in period pieces before.”

The night scenes were especially vital to the film’s mysterious moods. “What I hope we’ve done with

the night lighting is to create a dark, dingy and grungy London, where there’s smoke and soot and the

buildings are dirty. Chris and I have shied away from smoke on previous films, but it’s another visual tool

we’re using to make this picture different in tone and atmosphere,” he says.

For Nolan, this grungy look was essential. “I think there’s often too great a tendency in films to try to

clean up the past, to make it look neater and

tidier that it was, so I felt it was appropriate to

really mess up that kind of world, to shake it up

and have it really coming apart at the seams.”

This same philosophy was woven into the

production design as well. “We wanted to get

massive amounts of texture into each setting

so it had the same kind of density as the real

world we live in today,” says Nolan.

The task fell to Nathan Crowley, who

worked with Nolan previously on “Batman

Begins” and “Insomnia.” Crowley created

some 68 diverse sets for THE PRESTIGE, helping to forge the anything-can-happen atmosphere of the

Victorian theaters where Angier and Borden launch their epic feud. From the first time he read the script,

Crowley’s head was spinning with ideas. “THE PRESTIGE is a great mixture of drama with sci-fi, history,

horror and more—it crosses all the boundaries,” he says. “We weren’t setting out to make a strict period

film, so we forged a sort of ‘Victorian Modernism’ that has a real edge to it.”

Crowley began with research, poring in libraries over photographic reference books of 1890s London

to get a sense of the mood and feel. Like Nolan, Crowley was taken aback by the sheer visual

bombardment of a city that, despite lacking radio, film and television, was lined with all manner of visual

advertising. “The streets were littered with advertising, and that was something surprising to me,” says

Crowley. “It really was the start of mass media in a way, so we wanted to capture that sense of chaos and

speed. Another thing I wanted to emphasize was the coming of automation. There is always something

mechanized in the images of the film, giving that sense of constant momentum.”

Crowley and Nolan next began tinkering around with models, a method of working out creative ideas

they had developed earlier. “On ‘Batman Begins,’ we had started building models in Chris Nolan’s garage,

and it was really successful, so we decided to do that again. It was just me and him alone in the garage,

trying to find the feel of the film,” recalls Crowley.

One of Crowley’s favorite touches in the bustling metropolis of a newly modern London is the horse-

drawn double-decker buses bearing Vaudeville show posters on their side panels. Bringing them to life,

however, required ingenuity. “We had to build this stuff from scratch without a lot of resources, so we used

old Western wagons and basically turned them into buses! I think they really define the streets of London

in that era, so I was very happy with the way they came out,” he says.

BACK TO THE 20TH CENTURY’S FUTURE

Crowley found an ally in his search for turn-of-the-century magic posters: magic consultant, Ricky Jay,

had an astonishing collection. He also visited David Copperfield’s museum in Las Vegas and surveyed

book after book of 19th-century posters. “In those days, magicians always had a poster for their new acts

so we created print lithographs for each of Angier’s and Borden’s shows,” he notes. “A lot of the posters

of that time were comical, with devils behind the shoulder of the illusionist. Our earlier posters do have a

more lighthearted feel, but as they get deeper in their battle, the posters take on a more intense, Black

Magic feeling.”

When it came to recreating the Victorian Age theatres, Crowley veered away from the de-saturated,

shades of grey he used for the external city and dove into brilliant colors—reflecting the idea that life

seemed to take on a vibrancy like nowhere else inside these spaces. The multilevel theater designs, which

feature attics, staircases and basements—where steam-powered hydraulics help to pull off some of the

large-scale mechanical magic tricks—were also influenced by the mathematical art of M.C. Escher, who

often uses visual illusions to profound effect in his drawings.

Another favorite set, especially for Christopher Nolan, was Borden’s workshop, where the obsessive

magician tests his illusions. To get a better sense of what a magician’s shop looks like, Crowley

investigated the workshop of Houdini, among others. “They are sort of like furniture workshops except

that they are filled with magic props and all kinds of mechanical machines,” observes Crowley. He forged

a warm, sprawling space filled to the brim with all kinds of unusual and unexpected objects.

Crowley also created dozens of turn-of-the-century urban locales—from dark bars and dank prisons to

the stark courtroom where Borden stands trial. But the pièce de résistance for Crowley was the futuristic

machine Tesla builds for Angier, which Angier in turn hopes will create the most incredible magic trick

ever witnessed. Crowley wanted the machine to give a sense of scientific mastery, mechanism and

industrialization all at once—so for inspiration, he turned to issues of 1890s-era Scientific American to

see what kinds of unusual inventions were being proposed at the time.

When it came to recreating Tesla’s

Colorado Springs laboratory, Crowley stayed

close to the ample historical record, including

building a life-sized version of the famous

Tesla Coil. “Tesla is the only real historical

figure in the film, even though he brings in a

science-fiction element, so we wanted to stay

true to that,” says Crowley. “At the same time,

Tesla pushes the film out of Victoriana and the

Industrial Revolution and takes it into science-

fiction realms, which made it all very

interesting for me.”

Working closely with Crowley was Special Effects Coordinator David Blitstein, who helped create

some of the film’s inventive mechanical gadgetry. This included the folding birdcages that become a

mirror of the film’s multidimensional structure and view of reality. “Dave created the most amazing

harness that fires and splits birdcages in half and pulls them up your arms so quickly that the eye can’t

see it,” says Crowley. “The interesting challenge was that we had all these sliding trick panels and pistons

that shoot things upwards—all the things that magicians secretly use—but the camera is always right on

them, getting a level of detail the audience wouldn’t usually see.”

Unlike on most films, Crowley continued his work into post-production, consulting with the visual

effects team to make sure all their fantastical additions would work seamlessly with his designs. Yet, despite

all the difficult tasks he had to tackle, Crowley was grateful. “Chris pushes me harder than any other

director I’ve worked with. He challenges me constantly, which I really like,” he says.

The cast and crew were equally appreciative of how Crowley’s sets helped to pull them deeper into the

film’s realms of science, magic and human ambition. “Nathan’s sets really bring you into this world that

Angier and Borden live in. Walking onto the sets was like being transported back to turn-of-the-century

London,” says Aaron Ryder. “I really can’t

think of another film that looks like this one.

It’s very unique in design and vision.”

The costumes of THE PRESTIGE, which

also involve elements of illusion and

deception, became another vital element of

the film’s intricate design. Here, Nolan

collaborated with Ireland’s leading costume

designer, Joan Bergin, who has previously

worked on such films as “Veronica Guerin,”

“Laws of Attraction” and “My Left Foot,” as

well as garnering an Emmy® nomination for

the television adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “David Copperfield.”

Bergin had a vision right from the beginning for what she wanted. “It’s a look I would call

‘deconstructed Victorian,’” she says. “We took these images of Victorian clothing and then broke them

down into something more modern and simplified. In this film, it’s not about every detail of the clothes

being correct but trying to be very character-driven and really reveal the characters’ journeys through their

clothing. This is a sort of a Gothic thriller with layer upon layer upon layer and I hope the clothes help the

audience follow the characters through all the twists and turns of the story.”

In choosing the look for each wholly unique character, Bergin wound up on a massive search that took

her from collections of 200-year-old dresses to more modern designer interpretations of Victoriana. She

spent days roaming the endless racks of a large costume house, searching for inspiration among the hats,

capes and extensive assemblage of vintage fabrics. As for palette, she shifted away from the expected.

“I’ve kept the palette quite simple, but it’s unusually dark, with lots of aubergine, Chinese yellows and

black and white—and sometimes looking through a mirror, you’ll see these very rich colors with a kind

of sheen to them that adds another layer to the mystery.”

The core of her work was dressing Angier and Borden—in all their varying and surprising

incarnations. To begin with, she wanted to break through the stereotype of the cheesy, overdressed

magician. “We have this image of Victorian magicians wearing big cloaks with stars on them, but if you

do the research, you find that, actually, they presented themselves as gentlemen, in a white bow tie and

jacket,” she explains. “They really were the rock stars of their day, so I took that a bit further with some

splashes of color and lovely fabrics for their waistcoats, especially as they get more and more famous.”

There was also a focus on contrasting the characters. She continues: “It was fun to work with Angier,

who is someone who is always very beautifully dressed, because Hugh just wears clothes so superbly well.

There’s such elegance to him and, as the film goes on, he just gets grander and grander. Then with

Christian Bale’s Borden, who is from the rough end of town and is sort of a self-made man, we use a more

kind of modern, grungier look, not at all old-fashioned.”

On the women’s side, Bergin was equally driven by character. “I wanted there to be sympathy for Sarah

Borden, and Rebecca Hall, who plays her, looks absolutely glorious in period clothes, so I really went out

of my way to show her as someone who has a very simple but wonderful fashion sense. We wanted to

emphasize the feeling that she might have become someone else except for her circumstances,” she

explains. “What’s interesting is that some of her skirts could easily be from Marc Jacobs or others putting

out collections now—you can see how they take inspiration from that era.”

As for Scarlett Johansson’s Olivia, Bergin took a lot of pleasure in working with the actress. “It takes

a very particular figure to wear Victorian clothes, and Scarlett has the perfect form. Hers are some of my

favorite costumes because I tried to design a kind of modern, sexy, foxy interpretation of what a woman

in the theater would wear at that time. It allowed me to be quite inventive.”

The actors were further inspired by Bergin’s work. “Her clothes completely change your whole

demeanor,” muses Rebecca Hall. “I’m normally a sort of slouchy person, but when I put on these outfits,

I felt like the most prim and proper lady.” Scarlett Johansson, on the other hand, was thrilled to play a

BACK TO THE 20TH CENTURY’S FUTURE

THE SHOWMAN

different sort of Victorian lady. “My character

is a bohemian, so I didn’t have to wear those

tight, lacy collars and bustles. Olivia has a

more unconventional wardrobe, which was

very exciting to me.”

In dressing David Bowie as Nikola Tesla,

Bergin took to heart what she had seen said of

the maverick scientist—that he always looked

like he was going to the opera. “He was

impeccably turned out, so we gave Bowie a

cashmere coat with a lamb’s-wool collar that

really suggests this very elegant, brilliant man

who was beaten down by minds who could never aspire to his heights,” she explains.

For Christopher Nolan, the hope was that all the elements of THE PRESTIGE would come together

like the pieces of a provocative puzzle. “I like films that continue to spin your head in all sorts of different

directions after you’ve seen them,” the director concludes. “I hope people walk away from this story

feeling very entertained but also with all kinds of resonances and interesting thoughts banging around in

their brains.”

THE SHOWMAN:

HUGH JACKMAN IS ROBERT ANGIER

In this time when magicians were the great entertainers of their age, no one else can rivet an audience

with the charm and pizzazz of the consummate showman Robert Angier. But when a stage tragedy strikes

close to Angier’s heart, it pushes him to

invent his greatest trick ever, one that will

take him into realms of scientific discovery

and magical deception no one could have

imagined. To play Angier, Christopher Nolan

immediately thought of Hugh Jackman, the

multitalented Australian who has become a

major star of both stage and screen. Jackman

is known to millions of young fans for his

screen portrayal of the hugely popular

superhero Wolverine—an angst-filled mutant

with animal-keen senses—but he is also a

Tony Award winner for his showstopping performance as songwriter Peter Allen in “The Boy From Oz”

and an Emmy® Award winner for his hosting of the televised Tony Awards show.

It was Jackman’s unique mix of innate cool along with his sophisticated showmanship that convinced

Nolan he was the only person who could bring out both the theatrical brilliance and the thirst for

vengeance at the heart of Angier. He also seemed like the perfect persona to create a chain reaction of

fierce competition and rivalry with Christian Bale.

Says Nolan: “When Hugh gets on stage, he truly comes to life. He’s extraordinarily comfortable being

up there and so knowledgeable about his relationship with the audience. That’s exactly what this character

needed—and Hugh presents Angier with a sincerity that’s extremely winning.”

Upon reading the script, Jackman was hooked. He was drawn to Angier’s journey—which takes him

from the bright lights of success to the darkest shadows of the human soul. “At the beginning of the story,

Angier is very optimistic, hopeful and energetic,” he observes. “His main strength as a magician is as a

performer. He simply loves being in front of a crowd. He has an ease and a panache and a great sort of

way with the audience. In fact, to be somewhat critical of him, you could say that his style is sometimes

far greater than his content.”

But then Angier meets Alfred Borden and everything in his life changes. “It irks me to even say this,

but Borden is technically a much better magician,” Jackman begrudgingly admits. “My character can sell

a trick to an audience with far more skill, but Borden is a kind of inventive genius. When things go wrong

between them, Angier has two conflicting responses. On the one hand, he begins to loathe Borden, to hate

him, to want vengeance for what he has done, but on the other, he is driven by a competitive obsession to

be better than Borden. So all of Angier’s anger and hate, all his darkness and sadness become focused on

one thing—finding out Borden’s secrets.”

To prepare to play Angier, Jackman conducted his own research into the colorful history of magic,

from its creative heyday in the early 1900s till now. “I found it to be an incredibly mysterious and

interesting world,” he says. “There is something about magicians that makes them different from non-

magicians. They do everything alone, because they don’t want to share their secrets, and they are intensely

competitive. They’re fascinating people, which makes them great characters.”

The more he learned, the more Jackman

began to see that magicians share elements in

common with both conmen and scientists, two

mainstays of contemporary society. “Great

magic is all about misdirection and illusion,

the same skills a conman needs,” he says. “But

just as scientists are obsessed with the things

humans can’t yet understand, magicians tap

into that. What’s great about THE PRESTIGE

is that it melds the mystical, the magical and

the idea of the impossible with elements of

science and reality.”

As for Angier, Jackman believes he is addicted to the audience’s stunned reactions. “He loves seeing

that look in their faces of being fooled. For him, it taps into that human quality of hope and faith, that

feeling that the impossible can actually happen. He is driven by that power,” the actor says.

Watching Jackman bring Angier, and his many different sides, to life was a revelation for Nolan, one

that would be echoed again with Christian Bale’s performance. “It was really interesting to see how both

Hugh and Christian took the ideas behind the way magicians really think and work, and each made these

their own, reconciling them with their own way of looking at the world,” he summarizes.

THE RIVAL:

CHRISTIAN BALE IS ALFRED BORDEN

Christian Bale first heard about THE PRESTIGE while he was playing a very different character—the

dark, crime-fighting superhero Batman in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.” But it wasn’t until much

later, when he read an early version of Jonathan Nolan’s screenplay, that he knew without a doubt that he

wanted to be a part of the film.

Bale has already established a reputation as an iconoclast when it comes to the roles he has chosen on

his way to becoming one of the most respected actors of his generation. The Welsh-born British actor got

an auspicious start from Steven Spielberg at the age of 13, playing the lost boy who finds himself in a

Japanese internment camp in “The Empire of the Sun.” More recently, his uncommon diversity and

intensity has come to the fore. He chilled the blood embodying every frightening inch of a yuppie

psychopath in “American Psycho,” lost a startling 60 pounds to descend into the psychological anguish of

the thriller “The Machinist” and voiced the title character of Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed animated film

“Howl’s Moving Castle.” Then, just before portraying Pocahontas’ husband, John Rolfe, in Terence

Malick’s “The New World,” he went into deep training and put on pounds of muscle to create the most

nuanced portrait of the superhero Batman yet seen in the blockbuster “Batman Begins.” Shortly after, Bale

THE RIVAL

encountered THE PRESTIGE.

“After ‘Batman Begins,’ I had really hoped to find some very high-quality scripts, some really good

movies, but I was not finding myself surrounded by them. Then,

I read THE PRESTIGE,” Bale recalls. “I thought it was a very

original, unique piece about a rivalry that knows no limits—and

because magicians are involved, you never know what’s real and

what isn’t, which makes for a fantastic thriller. It’s so layered,

you have to peel it apart. I already knew that Chris is one of the

smartest directors around and that working with him is like

having a very solid foundation on which to build a beautiful

house—and I really fancied doing a movie with him that would

be so different from ‘Batman.’”

He continues: “So I called Chris and said, ‘Whatever you’re

thinking, and you can tell me where to go, but I’m just going to

lay it on the line. This is the one of the best bloody scripts I’ve

ever read and I want to do it.’ I think my passion for it bowled

him over.”

When Bale entered into a deeper conversation with

Christopher Nolan about his vision for THE PRESTIGE, his

passion only increased. “I’ve always admired actors who are like

shape shifters, and Chris is that way as a director,” he observes. “I loved the idea that he wanted to

radically change styles with this film. I liked the spirit behind it. Whereas ‘Batman’ was a juggernaut, this

huge beast of a ship that was hard to maneuver, THE PRESTIGE was like riding horseback—there was a

feeling right from the start of being light on our feet and very free.”

Once Nolan had cast him as Borden, Bale dove into the part. He began by reading not only Christopher

Priest’s novel but also numerous books about the lives of magicians. “You realize that their stature at the

time was so different from what it is nowadays,” he says. Then, he began studying with contemporary

magicians and the film’s consultants, Ricky Jay and Michael Weber, to hone his own fledgling skills of

prestidigitation. “Actually, my grandfather was a magician but I never saw him perform,” notes Bale. “So

it was wonderful to work with Ricky and Michael, who are terrific magicians. Still, they really annoyed

me because I can’t stand when someone can do something I can’t do!”

Spending time with authentic magicians was quite revealing to Bale. “It was really good to see up close

the kind of competitiveness that happens between magicians, because that’s such a strong point in the

story,” he says. “It’s really about how far these two men will go to be the winner and you can see that this

really goes on in magic circles. It’s a very closed profession, and when someone does a trick that no one

else has thought of, you watch as their eyes boil over. Of course, because they’re so mysterious, they don’t

give a lot. So we only learned what was necessary. If you asked too good of a question, they’d find some

clever way to distract you away from it!”

With the tricks he did learn, Bale was constantly surprised. “Some of them just flabbergasted me,” he

says, “while others were almost disappointing because, when you see how it’s done, it’s entirely too

simple. But of course our movie really isn’t about the tricks so much as it is about the psyches of the

people who perform and create them.”

Borden might be sought after as an engineer but he hungers for much more than that. Though he comes

from a tough, lonely background as an orphan, his ambition is nothing less than to be the greatest magical

star of his time—in spite of his inability to connect with audiences. “The thing I love about Borden,”

comments Bale, “is that he’s all about the purity of the magic, about the nature of an ingenious idea. He

doesn’t care about the showmanship, he doesn’t care about selling the trick, he simply cares about creating

the most perfect illusion. He’s totally obsessed with that one thing. Like so many truly brilliant artists,

Borden has no concept of how to market himself.”

Yet his obsession soon also becomes about Angier, who possesses qualities Borden both covets and

reviles. “Angier is merely a decent magician, but he is a great showman, an entire marketing operation

unto himself,” Bale observes. “Borden sees Angier as a conman, whereas he’s the real deal. He just doesn’t

understand why the public can’t see that.” As for creating such vengeful feelings towards Hugh Jackman,

Bale states: “We both had completely different approaches to our characters and we both really believed

in our characters, so that made the rivalry truly come alive on screen.”

Borden’s life is complicated not only by Angier’s success but by his relationships with two different

women—his long-suffering wife, Sarah, and Angier’s assistant, Olivia. “Borden’s first and greatest love

will always be magic,” says Bale. “Any relationship will always have to take second place for him, and

that’s a hard thing for his wife to stomach. He

adores his family, but magic is the only thing

he’s always had that gives him value. He’s an

orphan and he’s been on the streets his whole

life. He really has nothing else, except this

one extraordinary talent. I think he really

believes that if you let people in on the secret

of who you are, they’ll think nothing of you.

It’s only by building a mystery around

himself that he can gain any power.”

Like Christopher Nolan, Bale was

completely committed to avoiding period

trappings in his portrayal of Borden. “I think it can be quite funny to watch actors in period movies,

because they act just like other actors in period movies! We just take it for granted that people had this

very formal way of being in the past—but it isn’t true. Both Chris and I felt that we really had to kick that

and get away from it. So the idea was to focus on the characters—who have the same needs and wants and

desires as anyone in today’s world. Also, usually period movies are all about the privileged. THE

PRESTIGE is much more gritty and hands-on dirty and you get to see the darker side.”

Ultimately, Bale hopes that audiences will be as surprised by THE PRESTIGE as he was upon first

reading the script. “It really is a movie that I can’t compare to anything else. It’s a movie where you’ve

really got to pay attention. And that’s just what life is like, too—you’ve got to pay attention.”

THE MAGICIANS’ SIDEKICKS:

MICHAEL CAINE IS CUTTER AND SCARLETT JOHANSSON IS OLIVIA

Magicians have long had need for close

assistance. Whether behind the scenes—

where brilliant imaginations think up the

tricks in the first place—or on the stage—

where sexy, charming women have always

served as a delightful means to distract the

audience—magicians must rely, however

begrudgingly, on the talents of others. In THE

PRESTIGE, the assistants of Angier and

Borden only serve to further thicken the plot

with their own agendas and deceptions.

Some of the most vital behind-the-scenes

players in the magic world are the people known as ingeneurs—the dark, secretive figures of technical

prowess who actually create the tricks. Angier’s ingeneur is the retired conjurer Cutter, portrayed with wit

and verve by one of cinema’s most lauded stars, Sir Michael Caine. Though Caine has played an

extraordinary range of characters in a vast array of film stories, he had yet to encounter a world quite like

that of THE PRESTIGE. Add to that the chance to reunite with Christopher Nolan, with whom he had

THE MAGICIANS’ SIDEKICKS

worked so successfully on “Batman Begins,”

and Caine was immediately interested. He

says that Nolan brings to mind another

director from the past. “He reminds me of

Alfred Hitchcock, the way that everything is

about creating the best moments of suspense,”

says Caine. “He is tremendous with

suspense.”

As for his character, Caine describes him

as “a teacher, a father and a guide to Angier.”

He continues: “He finds Angier, helps him to

create his best tricks, and then watches as it

all goes terribly wrong.” In creating his nuanced portrait, Caine even altered his highly recognizable voice.

“Cutter is an older man, and in those days, they smoked like chimneys and drank like fish, so I brought

his voice down into the throat with a kind of cough in it,” he explains. “And his accent is very thick and

rather menacing.” Body posture was also key to Caine’s reading of Cutter. “He’s a powerful man, but also

very relaxed,” he observes. “One thing about him is that he often has his hands in his pockets—but when

they come out, you better worry!”

The filmmakers knew that Caine would make the role entirely his own. Says Nolan: “Michael Caine’s

character really becomes something of the heart of the movie. He has a wonderful warmth and emotion

to him that draws you into the story and allows you to have a point of view on these characters without

judging them too harshly.”

Meanwhile, when Angier hires an alluring stage assistant—Olivia

Wenscombe—she becomes both a pawn and a player in the rivalry

between Angier and Borden. Olivia is played by Golden Globe® nominee

Scarlett Johansson, who says she was immediately attracted by the

screenplay. “It was one of the best scripts I’d ever read and I thought it

would be great fun to play this vivacious, bohemian character,” she says.

“There’s a spiciness to Olivia that I think Chris really honed in on and I

felt there was a part of me that I could bring to her.”

It was easy for Johansson to understand Olivia’s strong attraction to

Angier. “She’s very taken with his passion for what he does. He’s one of

those sorts of men who seems very untouchable, as well, and I think that’s

quite attractive to

a young girl—

that brooding,

selfish behavior.

But when he betrays her, it really hurts her.” As for

Borden, she says: “She’s asked to live amongst the

enemy with Borden, and I think Olivia and Borden

come to a kind of understanding but she really will

always be in love with Angier.”

The chance to work with Christopher Nolan

was also a draw for Johansson. “He has that rare

kind of Old Hollywood quality. I don’t know

exactly how to describe it, but you never want to disappoint Chris because you know he will always hold

up his end of the bargain,” she observes.

Johansson especially enjoyed her up-close introduction to the world of magic—finding it not so

dissimilar from the world she knows best. “It’s very secretive and competitive,” she observes. “It’s all

about the commitment to the illusion, which isn’t that different from any form of entertainer.”

THE SCIENTIST:

DAVID BOWIE IS NIKOLA TESLA AND ANDY SERKIS IS TESLA’S ASSISTANT, ALLEY

Amidst all the beguiling fictional characters of THE PRESTIGE lies a historic figure who has long

been shrouded in mystery and intrigue: Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), radical inventor, engineer and scientist.

A Serbian immigrant to America, Tesla was a modern-day Da Vinci who dreamed up ideas about robots,

computers, microwave ovens, radar and fax machines long before anyone else could imagine such

“magical” technologies. He received more

than 700 patents in his lifetime and helped to

forge our modern high-tech society. He

discovered the rotating magnetic field, which

became the basis for all machinery using

alternating current, and also invented the

Tesla Coil, an induction device widely used in

radio technology. Indeed, it was Tesla’s

technology that helped to change the world

from an endless chain of disconnected

communities to one partly united by

information and communication.

Yet so eccentric was Tesla that he was said to be the inspiration for the mad scientist in Max Fleischer’s

original “Superman” cartoons. He pushed at the very frontiers of science—going where no one else dared.

At his Colorado Springs laboratory, depicted in the film, Tesla conducted all kinds of wild experiments,

including forging man-made lightning bolts, and was said to be examining such far-out notions as time

travel, death rays and interstellar communication.

But, as with most visionaries, Tesla was also surrounded by controversy and hounded by injustices. He

had an infamous rivalry with another genius inventor: Thomas Edison. Tesla had originally worked for

Edison when he first came to America, but when the two parted ways over a payment disagreement, an

obsessive feud ensued—one reminiscent perhaps of Angier and Borden. Mystery would follow Tesla even

into death. After his passing, most of his scientific papers disappeared without a trace, never to be found,

leading many to wonder what fantastic or

dangerous ideas were among them.

In THE PRESTIGE, the character of Tesla

blurs the lines between magic and science

when he agrees to invent a machine that will

allow Angier to out-do Alfred Borden’s most

stunningly implausible stage trick. To play

Tesla, the filmmakers knew they would need

someone entirely out of the ordinary—a

magnetic figure so used to operating outside

of the lines, he would be instantly believable

as a mad genius. Given this description, the

obvious choice was David Bowie, the risk-taking rock performer who has also taken a wide range of

acclaimed acting roles, from “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” to “The Elephant Man.” But first, the

filmmakers would have to convince him to take the role.

“Chris has always been a fan of Bowie,” explains Aaron Ryder, “and we felt we needed the kind of

persona and weight that Bowie carries as a superstar for Tesla.” Adds Emma Thomas: “He was just so

perfect for the role that we couldn’t imagine anyone else who could pull it off—and then, Chris managed

to wrangle a meeting with him in New York, which we were all very nervous about.”

Nolan recalls: “I simply went and explained to him why he was the only person in the world who could

play this part—and luckily, he agreed to do it.”

THE SCIENTIST

THE MAGICIANS’ WIVES

Playing Tesla’s fictional assistant—and the man who serves as liaison between the great scientist and

Angier—is Andy Serkis, who became a cult hero among fantasy-film lovers for his extraordinary

embodiment of Gollum in the blockbuster “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and for his work as the famous

beast in Peter Jackson’s “King Kong.” Here, he plays the American Roger Alley. “Andy makes for a

wonderfully memorable character as the sort of front man for Tesla,” Nolan comments. “It was also really

fun to see him in the flesh and to see his real face on screen!”

Says Serkis of the character: “Alley is Tesla’s gatekeeper, manager, minder, bookkeeper and closest

associate, all at once. He’s there to pull switches, to get his hands dirty and basically enable things to

happen. He’s a mirror in a way of Michael Caine’s Cutter. He’s basically Tesla’s ‘engineer.’” Although

Alley never existed in real life, Serkis sees

him as “representing the few disciples who

saw that Tesla’s work was visionary and

decided to go out on a limb for him.”

In preparing for the role, Serkis read up on

the period and became even more fascinated.

“It was an amazing time when you had people

like Edison, Tesla, Darwin and Muybridge

who were changing our fundamental views of

time and space. The railroads were being laid,

the telephone was being invented—and

because of all this, I think there was a great

enjoyment of the mysterious and a crossover where science could help magic. So it’s great because it’s a

very potent era to examine.”

Yet, like the Nolans, Serkis also sees the story of THE PRESTIGE as transcending its era. “I think

anyone who has ever obsessed about their work or their family or anything at all will really key into the

emotions of this story,” he summarizes.

THE MAGICIANS’ WIVES:

PIPER PERABO IS JULIA MCCULLOUGH AND REBECCA HALL IS SARAH BORDEN

Magicians may be able to pull off incredible illusions, but even they are not immune to the complex

realities of love and relationships. And indeed, it is a dazzling but disastrous trick involving Angier’s wife,

Julia, that sets in motion his increasingly treacherous magical feud with Alfred Borden.

Playing Julia McCullough is Piper Perabo,

the rising American star who has come to the

fore in a number of lighthearted contemporary

comedies but here takes on a much darker

role—as the woman willing to go the

dangerous extremes for the cause of a great

magic trick. Perabo was fascinated by the

chance to explore through Julia the inner

world of the magician’s assistant. “Julia is the

kind of girl who is willing to be sawed in half

and have knives thrown at her and that sort of

thing,” explains Perabo. “She’s very young

and I think she’s just happy to feel like she belongs in this world of magicians—to actually have that sense

of power of being a woman with a job, where men respect her and take her seriously, which was quite rare

in that time. Magicians were really glamorous and glitzy at that point. The vibe was more like a rock

concert and it would have been very exciting for Julia.”

Perabo not only had to take on an English accent for the role—something she had honed for the recent

British comedy “Imagine Me and You”—she also had to learn to perform the adventurous “water tank”

trick, in which she is bound by a rope and dropped from a considerable height into a tank of water, only

to be sealed within. “I got pretty good at it by the end,” Perabo laughs.

But while Angier’s wife is a part of the magic show, Borden’s wife, Sarah, sees it as her competition.

Convinced that her husband will always love magic more than he loves her, she is flummoxed and hurt by

his constant changes of heart. Starring as Sarah is British newcomer Rebecca Hall, a young actress best

known so far for her work on the London stage, who was cast after the filmmakers saw her reading on

tape. “We knew right away we were seeing something special,” says Thomas. “This is one of her first film

roles but there will be many more.”

Hall was fascinated by the film’s magical nature. “It creates a nice tension between what’s fun and

entertaining about magic and what’s potentially scary and dangerous about it,” she comments. She also

felt a lot of empathy for her character’s romantic trials. “Sarah’s got a difficult job of it because she’s very

much in love with a man who on some days is 100% obsessed with his work and yet, on others, seems

completely in love and committed to her,” she explains. “At first, she accepts that the work side of him is

going to be secret, but she becomes increasingly frustrated by the feeling that she doesn’t know the real

intricacies of what he is doing or who he really is.”

Since THE PRESTIGE is only Hall’s second feature film, the chance to work one-on-one with an actor

of the caliber of Christian Bale seemed almost like a surreal dream to her. “When I met him, I was pretty

intimidated because he’s such a huge star,” she says, “but I have so much respect for everyone in this film

and I learned so much that it was an incredible experience.”

THE PRESTIGE’S CONSULTANTS:

RICKY JAY AND MICHAEL WEBER TEACH THE CAST MAGIC

With the cast in place, the filmmakers brought in magicians Ricky Jay and Michael Weber to train

them in the classic magician’s skills of prestidigitation and misdirection. However, because the magic

tricks in THE PRESTIGE simply provide the backdrop for the story of Angier and Borden’s hazardous

rivalry—and are not intended to fool the film’s audience—Jay and Weber’s main task was to give the cast

a deeper sense of how magicians think, move and perform.

Jay heads the company Deceptive Practices, which provides expertise in magic, con games and card

tricks for films involving everything from illusions to gambling. On THE PRESTIGE, he was thrilled to

find himself with such devoted and curious students. “One of the greatest pleasures for us was working

with Christian and Hugh, who both had remarkable energy and an amazing willingness to practice and

rehearse. These guys were terrific in terms of the attention they paid to detail,” says Jay.

As for the story, Jay thinks that, for all its fantastical twists and turns, it rings quite true to a magician.

“Those kinds of competitions between magicians really did exist,” he remarks. “That was a time in

London when five or six magicians would be playing at theaters right next to each other on the same night,

a time that has never been duplicated in the history of magic. It’s also interesting because that was a time

when there was a strong relationship between early cinema and magic. A lot of the people who worked on

the development of the motion picture camera were also magicians. Since then, people have become

suspicious of any magic done on film, but one of the things we’ve tried to do with this film is bring out

the idea that there was a lot of integrity to magic in those days, so it kind of brings everything back

full circle.”

Says Aaron Ryder of Jay and Weber’s contributions: “We felt very lucky to have these two on board.

They worked with Hugh and Christian extensively, bringing them a little bit more into what is normally

an incredibly secretive brotherhood. Still, they basically agreed that they would teach only the tricks that

were necessary for the script—and they wouldn’t give away too many secrets!”

THE PRESTIGE’S CONSUL T ANTS

ABOUT THE CAST

HUGH JACKMAN (Robert Angier) most recently reprised his role

as Logan/Wolverine in “X-Men: The Last Stand,” the third installment of

the “X-Men” franchise. He made his first major U.S. film appearance in

the first “X-Men” movie—and this stellar debut led to leading roles in

“Someone Like You,” “Swordfish” and “Kate and Leopold,” for which he

received a 2002 Golden Globe® nomination. Jackman reprised his role as

Logan/Wolverine in “X2” and went on to star in the blockbuster “Van

Helsing.” In addition to THE PRESTIGE, he stars this year in Woody

Allen’s “Scoop” and Darren Aronofsky’s “The Fountain.”

On stage, for his portrayal of the 1970s singer-songwriter Peter Allen

in “The Boy From Oz,” Jackman received the 2004 Tony Award for Best

Actor in a musical as well as Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics

Circle and Theatre World awards. His previous theater credits include: “Carousel” at Carnegie Hall,

“Oklahoma!” at the National Theater in London (Olivier Award nomination), “Sunset Boulevard” (MO

Award—Australia’s Tony Award) and Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” (MO Award nomination).

Jackman’s career began in Australia in the independent films “Paperback Hero” and “Erskineville

Kings” (Australian Film Critics’ Circle Best Actor award and The Australian Film Institute Best Actor

nomination). In 1999, he was named “Australian Star of the Year” at the Australian Movie Convention.

Born in Wales, CHRISTIAN BALE (Alfred Borden) grew up in

England and the USA. He made his film debut in Steven Spielberg’s

World War II epic “Empire of the Sun.” Bale’s work to date includes

“Henry V,” “The Portrait of a Lady,” “The Secret Agent,” “Metroland,”

“Velvet Goldmine,” “All the Little Animals,” “American Psycho,”

“Shaft,” “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin,” “Reign of Fire,” “Laurel Canyon,”

“The Machinist,” “Batman Begins” and “The New World.”

He will next star in the independent films “Harsh Times” for

writer/director David Ayer and “Rescue Dawn” for director Werner

Herzog. This fall, Bale will film “I’m Not There” and “3:10 to Yuma,”

followed next year by “Dark Knight.”

MICHAEL CAINE (Cutter) has been in over 90 motion pictures and

has been nominated for six Academy Awards® including “Alfie,”

“Sleuth,” “Educating Rita” and “The Quiet American.” The highly lauded

thespian won Best Supporting Actor Oscars® for his performances in

“Hannah and Her Sisters” and “The Cider House Rules.” Caine’s other

honors include the New York Critics’ Best Actor Award for “Alfie,” a

Golden Globe® Best Actor Award and a BAFTA Award (the British

equivalent of an Oscar®) for “Educating Rita,” a Golden Globe® for

“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and a Golden Globe® for “Little Voice.”

Caine was born in South London and had a childhood fascination with

cinema. Leaving school at sixteen, he worked in numerous menial jobs

until National Service with the Royal Fusiliers took him to Korea. Upon

his discharge, his first job in the theater was as assistant stage manager in Horsham, Sussex. When he

returned to London, he acted with Joan Littlewood’s Theater Workshop and played a minor role in the film

“A Hill in Korea” while obtaining bit parts in other movies and walk-on roles in a couple of West End plays.

Eventually touring Britain with one repertory company after another, he developed a relaxed stage

presence and perfected a vast range of accents. Starting out as an understudy in the role of Private

Bamforth in the London stage hit “The Long and the Short and the Tall,” Caine ended up taking over the

part when O’Toole dropped out and toured the provinces for six months. Following this stint, his television

and film parts grew more substantial. The turning point in his film career came in 1963, when he landed

the part of aristocratic Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead in “Zulu.” Passing forever out of the ranks of

anonymity, he next played Harry Palmer in the espionage thriller “The Ipcress File,” which exceeded all

expectations at the box office.

In 1966, “Alfie” catapulted Caine to superstardom. In the annual British film critics’ poll, it was voted

Best Picture of the Year. It also gave him his first Academy Award® nomination. In the late sixties, he

appeared in “Gambit,” “Funeral in Berlin,” “Billion Dollar Brain,” “Hurry Sundown,” “Woman Times

Seven,” “Deadfall,” “The Italian Job,” “The Battle of Britain,” “Too Late the Hero” and “The Last Valley.”

During the seventies, he starred in “X, Y and Zee,” “Pulp,” “Sleuth,” “The Wilby Conspiracy,” “The

Romantic Englishwoman,” “The Man Who Would Be King,” “Harry & Walter Go to New York,”

“California Suite” and “The Swarm.” In the eighties, Caine starred in “Dressed to Kill,” “Victory,” “The

Hand,” “Death Trap,” “Educating Rita,” “Blame It on Rio,” “The Holcroft Covenant,” “Hannah and Her

Sisters,” “Sweet Liberty” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”

In 1992, he and American producer Martin Bregman formed M & M Productions to make films in

Britain for Caine to star in or direct. Their first production was “Blue Ice,” costarring Sean Young and

directed by Russell Mulcahy. Caine is also an author. He wrote an autobiography, What’s It All About?, as

well as Acting on Film, a book based on a highly successful series of lectures he gave on BBC Television.

Caine most recently appeared in “Batman Begins,” “Bewitched” and Gore Verbinski’s “The Weather

Man” with Nicolas Cage. In 2000, Queen Elizabeth II honored Michael Caine with knighthood. Born

Maurice Micklewhite, he is now officially known as Sir Michael Caine.

With more than a decade of work under her belt, four-time Golden

Globe® nominee and BAFTA winner SCARLETT JOHANSSON

(Olivia) has proven to be one of Hollywood’s most talented young

actresses. Johansson received rave reviews and a Best Actress Award at

the Venice Film Festival for her starring role opposite Bill Murray in

“Lost in Translation,” the critically acclaimed second film by director

Sofia Coppola. Johansson also portrayed the title character in the much-

admired “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” a film adapted from the novel of the

same name about the painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth).

Earlier this year, Johansson was seen in Woody Allen’s “Scoop,”

opposite Hugh Jackman, and the Brian DePalma film “The Black

Dahlia.” She also recently finished shooting the lead role in “The Nanny

Diaries,” based on the highly successful book of the same name.

At the age of 14, Johansson attained worldwide recognition for her performance as Grace Maclean, the

teen traumatized by a riding accident in Robert Redford’s “The Horse Whisperer.” She went on to star in

Terry Zwigoff’s “Ghost World,” garnering a Best Supporting Actress award from the Toronto Film Critics

Circle. Johansson was also featured in the Coen Brothers’ dark drama “The Man Who Wasn’t There,”

opposite Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand. Her other film credits include the critically

acclaimed Weitz brothers’ film “In Good Company” as well as “A Love Song for Bobby Long,” opposite

John Travolta, which garnered her a Golden Globe® nomination (her third in two years). Recently she was

seen in Woody Allen’s “Match Point,” which garnered her a fourth consecutive Golden Globe® nomination

in three years, and in “The Island” opposite Ewan McGregor for director Michael Bay.

Her additional credits include Rob Reiner’s comedy “North”; the thriller “Just Cause,” with Sean

Connery and Laurence Fishburne; and a breakthrough role in the critically praised “Manny & Lo,” which

earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination. A New York native, Johansson made her professional

acting debut at the age of eight in the off-Broadway production of “Sophistry,” with Ethan Hawke, at New

ABOUT THE CAST

York’s Playwright’s Horizons.

PIPER PERABO (Julia McCullough) has been working nonstop

since her big-screen splash in Jerry Bruckheimer’s “Coyote Ugly.” She

was recently seen in Adam Shankman’s “Cheaper by the Dozen 2,” in

which she reprised her role as the eldest daughter to Steve Martin and

Bonnie Hunt’s characters; in the romantic comedy “Imagine Me & You”

with Lena Heady and Matthew Goode; and in the crime drama “10th &

Wolf ” with an ensemble cast that includes James Marsden and Dennis

Hopper. She next stars in “Because I Said So” with Diane Keaton, Mandy

Moore and Lauren Graham. Also in the wings is “First Snow,” a film

directed by Mark Fergus, costarring Guy Pearce and Adam Scott. Perabo

is currently filming an untitled Pastor Brothers project for Paramount

Vantage in New Mexico. She will play the female lead opposite Chris

Pine and Lou Taylor Pucci in the post-apocalyptic thriller about four friends trying to escape a viral

pandemic. The film is set to release in 2007.

Perabo’s feature film debut was in the comedy “White Boyz,” written by Danny Hoch. She also starred

in the comedy caper “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle” opposite Robert De Niro and Renee

Russo, “George and the Dragon” with Michael Clarke Duncan and James Purefoy, the cult favorite “Lost

and Delirious” directed by Lea Pool, and the sci-fi thriller “The Cave” opposite Cole Hauser, Morris

Chestnut and Lena Headey.

REBECCA HALL (Sarah Borden) comes to the big screen after

making her feature film debut earlier this year in Tom Vaughn’s “Starter

for Ten.”

Last year, Hall received wide acclaim for her performance as

Rosalind, Shakespeare’s love-conflicted heroine in Peter Hall’s

production of “As You Like It,” which began at The Theatre Royal Bath

in 2003 and was followed by an international tour. It was revived in 2005

at the Rose Theatre in Kingston and subsequently ran at the Brooklyn

Academy of Music, Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theater and the Curran

Theater in San Francisco. In summer 2004, she starred in three

productions at the Theatre Royal Bath: in the title role in Timberlake

Wertenbaker’s “Galileo’s Daughter,” (directed by Peter Hall), Elvira in

Simon Nye’s version of the Moliere comedy “Don Juan” (directed by Thea Sharrock) and as Ann

Whitfield in Shaw’s epic “Man and Superman” (directed by Peter Hall). In summer 2003, she starred as

Barbara in D.H. Lawrence’s “Fight for Barbara” (directed by Thea Sharrock) at the Theatre Royal Bath.

For her West End debut as Vivie, the tough-minded daughter in “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” (Strand

Theatre, premiered October 2002), Hall garnered the Ian Charleson Award. In 2003, she was again

nominated for the Ian Charleson Award for “As You Like It.”

While reading English at Cambridge, she played Miranda in “The Tempest” and Martha in Edward

Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” and directed productions of “Cuckoo” by Guiseppe Manfredi

and Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Inspector Hound.”

Hall’s television credits include Brendan Maher’s forthcoming “Wide Sargasso Sea” for BBC 4, Peter

Hall’s acclaimed adaptation of Mary Wesley’s novel “The Camomile Lawn” for Channel 4 and “Don’t

Leave Me This Way,” directed by Stuart Orme.

DAVID BOWIE (Tesla) was born in 1947. Between the late ’60s and

the mid-’70s, he experimented with multimedia, also recording the

albums “The Man Who Sold the World,” “Space Oddity,” “The Rise and

Fall of Ziggy Stardust,” “Aladdin Sane,” “Diamond Dogs,” “Station to

Station” and “Young Americans.” The track “Fame” taken from this

album was to be his first U.S. No. 1.

In 1976, he relocated to Berlin, recording “Low” and “Heroes” with

Eno and Tony Visconti. In 1979, he made his Broadway debut in “The

Elephant Man” and released the Visconti co-production “Scary Monsters

and Super Creeps,” followed by the Nile Rogers-produced “Let’s Dance.”

Between the mid-’80s and the present, he has worked with his band Tin

Machine, collaborated with the dance company La La La Human Steps,

and written music for Hanif Kureishi’s “Buddha of Suburbia.” The year 1992 brought one of rock’s first

CD-ROMs, “Jump.”

In 1994, reunited once again with Eno, he produced the experimental “Outside” album, followed in

1997 with “Earthling” and, in 1999, “hours…,” his twenty-third studio album. In 1999, he became a

Commandeur dans L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. And in 2000, Bowie was voted the #1 Most Influential

Artist of All Time by the U.K.’s tastemaking tome, the NME. Bowie’s next project, in 2002, was a further

recorded collaboration with Tony Visconti, entitled “Heathen.” The accompanying live dates in Europe

and America saw full performances of both “Heathen” and the seminal “Low.” A year later, the “Reality”

album was launched with the world’s largest interactive, live-by-satellite event and was followed by the

rapturously received and critically acclaimed “A Reality Tour” of the world.

The year 2006 has seen Bowie return to acting, with THE PRESTIGE adding to such cinematic

highlights as Nic Roeg’s “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” Martin Scorcese’s “The Last Temptation of

Christ,” Tony Scott’s “The Hunger” and Nagisa Oshima’s “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence.” In spring of

2007, Bowie will be the inaugural curator of the “Highline” arts and music festival in New York.

ANDY SERKIS’ (Alley) most memorable and critically acclaimed

roles were as Gollum in all three of “The Lord of the Rings” films and in

the Peter Jackson epic “King Kong” playing two roles, King Kong and a

cook. He will next be in the HBO film “Longford,” in the animated

DreamWorks film “Flushed Away” and in the family action-adventure

“Stormbreaker.”

Recently, he also played opposite Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo

in “13 Going on 30,” directed by Gary Winick. Other film credits include

Quinn in the World War I horror feature “Deathwatch,” the Factory

Records producer Martin Hannett in “24 Hour Party People,” the

eccentric choreographer in “Topsy Turvy” and the coked-up yuppie in

“Career Girls.” He played leading roles in “Shiner” with Michael Caine,

“Mojo,” “Among Giants,” “Loop,” “Sweety Barrett,” “The Jolly Boys Last Stand,” as well as “Stella Does

Tricks,” “Five Seconds to Spare,” “The Near Room” and “Pandemonium.” He also wrote and directed a

short film called “Snake,” starring his wife, Lorraine Ashbourne, and Rupert Grave.

His extensive television works include a highly acclaimed performance in a recent adaptation of

“Oliver Twist” and lead roles in “The Jump” and the series “Finney,” along with many guest appearances

including “Shooting the Past” and “Touching Evil.” Notably, his voice was heard on the Fox television

show “The Simpsons.”

Serkis has played a huge range of parts in theater in London and across the United Kingdom. His

recent critically acclaimed roles include Iago in “Othello” (Royal Exchange Theatre), Potts in the original

cast of “Mojo” by Jez Butterworth, “King Lear” and “Hush” all for the Royal Court Theatre, “Hurlyburly”

at the Old Vic and Queen Theatres, “Decadence” at the Bolton Octagon, and “Cabaret” at the Crucible

ABOUT THE CAST

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Theatre, Sheffield. In 2003, he made his directorial debut with the play “The Double Bass” at the

Southwark Playhouse in London.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

THE PRESTIGE marks the fifth film for CHRISTOPHER NOLAN (Director/Screenwriter). Cowritten with his brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan Nolan, and starring Hugh Jackman, Christian

Bale, Scarlett Johansson and Michael Caine, the film depicts an intense rivalry between two magicians

who become obsessed with outdoing one another, leading to self-destruction and murder. The Touchstone

Pictures release is due in theaters October 20, 2006.

Filmmaking has been a lifelong pursuit for Nolan, who began making movies at an early age with his

father’s Super 8mm camera. While studying English Literature at University College of London, Nolan

shot 16mm films at UCL’s film society, learning the guerrilla film techniques he would later use to make

his first feature, “Following.” The no-budget noir, which The New Yorker’s Bruce Diones hailed as “leaner

and meaner than the thrillers of Hitchcock,” enjoyed great success at international film festivals, including

Toronto, Rotterdam, Slamdance, and Hong Kong, prior to being released theatrically in the U.S.

(Zeitgeist), U.K. (Alliance), France (CCI) and various other territories.

Nolan’s second feature, “Memento,” was named film of the year by the Broadcast Film Critics.

Starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano, the small-budget independent garnered a

DGA Award nomination. In addition, Nolan’s screenplay, based on a short story by Jonathan Nolan,

received an Academy Award® nomination for best screenplay and a Golden Globe® nomination and was

honored by the Los Angeles Film Critics and Broadcast Film Critics, as well as won the Waldo Salt

Screenwriting Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.

Nolan followed “Memento” with the critically acclaimed psychological thriller “Insomnia” for Warner

Bros. Pictures, Section 8 and Witt-Thomas Films. Starring Academy Award® winners Al Pacino, Hilary

Swank, and Robin Williams, the film earned Nolan the Best Director of the Year award from the London

Critics Circle. In 2005, Nolan co-wrote and directed “Batman Begins,” starring Christian Bale, Liam

Neeson, and Michael Caine. The blockbuster pleased critics and fans alike, reinvigorating the franchise

and paving the way for the recently announced sequel, “The Dark Knight.”

JONATHAN NOLAN (Screenwriter) was born in London and grew up in the Chicago area. His short

story “Memento Mori” became the basis for the acclaimed noir classic “Memento,” directed by his brother

Christopher Nolan. In addition to THE PRESTIGE, Nolan also wrote the screenplay for the forthcoming

Batman adventure, “The Dark Knight,” based on a story by Christopher Nolan and David Goyer.

Producing challenging and thought-provoking fare has become a trademark for EMMA THOMAS

(Producer). Thomas most recently produced the blockbuster hit “Batman Begins” and will next produce the

sequel, “The Dark Knight.” She previously was an associate producer on the internationally acclaimed

independent hit “Memento,” which went on to win numerous awards, establishing Thomas as a bona fide

success. This was reinforced with her next feature, “Insomnia,” starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and

Hilary Swank. Earlier, her first feature film, “Following,” was a major turning point in her career. Shot on

weekends over the course of a year, “Following” was guerrilla filmmaking at its finest and gained

recognition at film festivals around the world. Having studied at the prestigious University College in

London, Thomas began her career at Working Title Films in London, where she worked in physical

production for 5 years. While at Working Title, she gained the grassroots knowledge of film production that

she would later employ so successfully in her career. Her approach is marked by intense collaboration,

having worked with many of the same crew throughout all of her films, both independent and studio. Thomas

and Christopher Nolan are also developing a motion picture version of “The Prisoner,” based on the

groundbreaking 1960s television show. She resides in Los Angeles with Christopher Nolan and their family.

AARON RYDER (Producer), in a relatively short period of time, has established himself as one of the

brightest and most prolific young producers working today. In 1999, he teamed with Newmarket to serve

as the company’s president of production and in-house producer. During his tenure, he developed,

produced and executive produced such films as “The Mexican,” starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts,

Christopher Nolan’s independent hit “Memento,” as well as the cult hit “Donnie Darko,” with Drew

Barrymore and Jake Gyllenhaal. Other credits include “Start Raving Mad” and “Wrong Turn.”

In 2003, Ryder shifted gears to help Newmarket build their fledgling distribution company. Ryder was

intimately involved in acquiring standout films for domestic distribution including “Whale Rider,”

“Monster” and “The Woodsman.”

In 2004, Ryder and Newmarket formed Raygun Productions—a non-exclusive production entity for

Ryder to produce up to two films a year for the Newmarket pipeline, while at the same time affording him

the ability to produce films outside of the parent company.

Recent projects outside of his deal with Newmarket include: “The Amateurs,” starring Jeff Bridges,

scheduled to be released in January 2007; “The Return,” a supernatural thriller for Universal’s Rogue

Pictures, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar; and “The TV Set,” which he produced with writer/director Jake

Kasdan, starring David Duchovny and Sigourney Weaver and set to come out in theaters April 2007.

CHRIS J. BALL and WILLIAM TYRER (Executive Producers) founded Newmarket Entertainment

Group (“Newmarket”) in 1994. Over the past twelve years, Newmarket has grown from its roots as a

film finance company into one of the leading producers and distributors operating in the world of

independent film.

In its early years, Newmarket financed more than 75 independent feature films such as “The Usual

Suspects,” Jim Jarmusch’s “Dead Man,” and the Wachowskis’ debut, “Bound.” In the late ’90s, Tyrer and

Ball built an exceptional creative team and guided the company into film production and distribution.

Newmarket’s first production was “Memento,” directed by Christopher Nolan, and this film was followed

up by such productions as “The Mexican” and such co-productions as “Cruel Intentions” and “The Skulls.”

Newmarket’s distribution arm, Newmarket Films, was formed to theatrically release “Memento” in the

U.S. The film was a resounding critical and box-office success. Newmarket Films followed this with a

string of further successes that sound like a roll call of great indie cinema: “Donnie Darko,” “Whale

Rider,” “Monster,” “The Passion of the Christ,” and “Downfall.”

In 2006, Newmarket produced Chris Nolan’s return to independent film, THE PRESTIGE, and will

distribute the award-winning films “God Grew Tired of Us” and “Death of a President.” Future plans

include a slate of films from Newmarket’s production arm, Raygun Productions, and the continuing

expansion of its substantial library of more than 250 titles through both acquisition and production.

VALERIE DEAN (Executive Producer) is currently working as an independent producer on several

projects. Her previous film credits include serving as associate producer on Bill Condon’s “Kinsey,”

starring Liam Neeson in the title role. Dean was formerly Senior Vice President of Production at Pretty

Pictures, overseeing feature film, television and theater development for writer and director Neil LaBute

and producer Gail Mutrux. She began working with Mutrux in 1996 on projects ranging from Mike

Newell’s “Donnie Brasco” to LaBute’s “Nurse Betty” after serving as a story editor for Barry Levinson’s

Baltimore Pictures.

CHARLES J.D. SCHLISSEL (Executive Producer) most recently served as an executive producer on the

thriller “Flightplan” starring Jodie Foster. He was also executive producer on Christopher Nolan’s “Insomnia”

and “Red Planet” and co-producer on “Matchstick Men,” starring Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell.

Schlissel studied film and media at the University of Washington and San Francisco State University

before moving to Los Angeles to complete his education at UCLA. To pay his way through school, he

worked on independent films, music videos and commercials and did legal research for an entertainment

law firm whose clients included Marlon Brando and Orson Welles. The son of an aerospace engineer and

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

performance artist, Schlissel grew up around the country. He graduated summa cum laude from UCLA

with a degree in Economics/International Finance and Arbitrage; he was accepted into the AFI’s

producing program and, two months later, became Mel Brooks’ assistant on the comedy “Spaceballs.” He

went on to work as a production assistant on various projects before commencing a long-term association

with producer Stuart Cornfeld as a development executive.

Through an introduction from Cornfeld, he next moved to Barry Levinson and Mark Johnson’s newly

formed Baltimore Pictures as Director of Development. Two years later, he was promoted to Head of

Production, where he undertook the post-production work on Levinson’s Academy Award®-nominated

“Avalon.” During his tenure at Baltimore, Schlissel oversaw production on numerous high-profile features

including “Bugsy,” “Toys,” “Wilder Napalm” and Steve Soderbergh’s “Kafka.” He produced his first

feature, “Sniper,” just as the company was concluding its deal with TriStar Pictures.

Upon leaving Baltimore Pictures, Schlissel became an independent producer, with credits that include

“Heavyweights,” “While You Were Sleeping” and “Celtic Pride.”

A long-time collaborator with director Christopher Nolan, WALLY PFISTER (Director of

Photography) previously shot “Batman Begins,” for which he garnered an Academy Award® nomination,

as well as “Insomnia” and “Memento,” for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for

Best Cinematography.

Pfister’s most recent film credits as cinematographer include Wayne Beach’s “Slow Burn,” F. Gary

Gray’s “The Italian Job” and Lisa Cholodenko’s “Laurel Canyon.” Other cinematography film credits

include Bill Morrissette’s “Scotland, Pa.”; Ron Judkin’s “The Hi-Line,” for which he won the Moxie

Award for Best Cinematographer at the Santa Monica Film Festival; Robert L. Levy’s “A Kid in Aladdin’s

Palace”; and Craig M. Saavedra’s “Rhapsody in Bloom.” His television credits include “Sanctuary,”

“Sharing the Secret,” “Breakfast With Einstein” and “Sketch Artist,” for which he was nominated for a

CableACE Award. Pfister has also lent his cinematography talents to numerous commercials.

NATHAN CROWLEY (Production Designer) previously collaborated with director Christopher

Nolan on “Batman Begins” and “Insomnia.” He also recently designed the fantasy romance “The Lake

House,” starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Crowley’s other recent film credits include Joel

Schumacher’s “Veronica Guerin,” John Moore’s “Behind Enemy Lines” and Barry Levinson’s “An

Everlasting Piece.” For the small screen, he designed the BBC series “The Ambassador.” As an art

director, Crowley’s credits include John Woo’s “Mission: Impossible 2,” Richard Donner’s “Assassins,” the

Dublin section of Alan J. Pakula’s “The Devil’s Own” and Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart.” Crowley also set-

designed Kinka Usher’s “Mystery Men” and John Carpenter’s “Escape from L.A.”

JOAN BERGIN (Costume Designer) is one of Ireland’s best-known film costume designers and her

credits have included Peter Howitt’s “Laws of Attraction,” Joel Schumacher’s “Veronica Guerin,” Bruce

Beresford’s “Evelyn,” Barry Levinson’s “An Everlasting Piece,” Alan J. Pakula’s “The Devil’s Own,” John

Schlesinger’s “The Tale of Sweeney Todd,” Pat O’Connor’s “Dancing at Lughnasa” and four films for Jim

Sheridan: “In the Name of the Father,” “My Left Foot,” “The Field” and “The Boxer.” She most recently

designed the costumes for “The Honeymooners,” starring Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, Gabrielle

Union and Regina Hall.

On stage, Bergin designed Brian Friel’s “Translations,” starring Brian Dennehy, on Broadway and

returned to Lincoln Center in 1999 for their Friel season. Her work has also been seen on television in

“David Copperfield,” for which she received an Emmy® nomination.

An editor and sound designer, LEE SMITH’s (Editor) most recent film editing credits include

“Batman Begins” for Christopher Nolan, Peter Weir’s “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the

World,” Gregor Jordan’s “Buffalo Soldiers,” Tony McNamara’s “The Rage in Placid Lake,” Craig Lahiff’s

“Black and White” and Alan White’s “Risk.” A long-time collaborator with Weir, Smith edited and sound

designed “The Truman Show,” “Fearless” and “Green Card.” He was also an additional editor on “Dead

Poets Society” and an associate editor and sound designer on “The Year of Living Dangerously.”

Information contained within as of October 3, 2006.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

We, Buena Vista Pictures Marketing, grant you, the intended recipient of this press kit, a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the

enclosed photos under the terms and conditions below. If you don’t agree, don’t use the photos. You may use the photos only to publicize the motion

picture entitled “The Prestige.” All other use requires our written permission. We reserve the right to terminate this license at any time, in our sole

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In FLICKA, a contemporary motion picture adaptation of Mary O’Hara’s beloved
novel My Friend Flicka, 16-year-old Katy McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) dreams of
fulfilling her family legacy by working on her father’s ranch in modern-day Wyoming.
But Katy’s father (Tim McGraw) wants more for her, insisting that Katy go to college.
Katy finds a wild mustang, which she names Flicka, and sets out to make her a riding
horse. But Flicka and Katy are more alike than she could have imagined. Like Katy,
Flicka has a disdain for authority and is not about to give up her freedom without a fight.

The principal character in the book and in its two motion picture incarnations was
an adolescent boy. But this new version tells the story through the eyes of headstrong
Katy McLaughlin. Katy is enrolled in a private school on the outskirts of Laramie,
Wyoming, but her heart is with her sprawling family ranch in the state’s remote mountain
region. Katy returns home to the ranch, and soon becomes enamored of a wild mustang
filly she finds in the mountain woods. She names the long-legged, ebony horse Flicka, or
“beautiful young girl,” in Swedish

But Katy’s rancher father, the equally-willful Rob, sees nothing but trouble
coming from the untamed animal and discourages his daughter from keeping her.
Nonetheless, conflicted by a need to harness her own wild ways yet stay true to a free
spirit within, Katy sets out to break through to Flicka and transform her into a riding
horse.

Despite her father’s disapproval, Katy goes on and forms an unbreakable bond
with the wild horse. Her relationship with Flicka becomes a catalyst for change for the
entire McLaughlin family, which is at a major crossroads: Katy’s dad is considering
selling the ailing ranch, brother Howard (RYAN KWANTEN) wants to leave Wyoming
for college in Boston, and her mother Nell (MARIA BELLO) is fighting to keep her
family from falling apart.

Can Katy ultimately tame her beloved Flicka and prove everyone wrong about the
wild-hearted mustang? Will Rob find a way to support his daughter yet still keep her safe
through this momentous life passage? And can the McLaughlins hold onto the ranch that
they’ve worked so hard to maintain throughout a sea of social and economic change?

The journey back to the big screen for the enduring story of “My Friend Flicka”
began with a new script by veteran screenwriters Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner,
who have collaborated in the past on such hit films as The Jewel of the Nile and Planet of
the Apes.

Recalls Rosenthal, “When [Fox 2000 President] Elizabeth Gabler approached us
about adapting ‘Flicka,’ we went straight back to the novel and decided to maintain its
tone, which was deeply felt, but somewhat dark.” Rosenthal continues: “We found its
themes even more significant today, as the American West, particularly Wyoming, has
become a playground of second homes for the new super-wealthy.

“The story of an average, hard-working family eking out a living on the land and
raising horses seemed to take on a whole new relevance in light of our country’s current
economic climate,” Rosenthal elaborates.

It was Gabler who came up with the idea to make the story fresh and
contemporary by turning the book’s main character, a teenage boy named Ken, into
“Katy.” It was a brainstorm that challenged and inspired the writers. Says Rosenthal:
“This new twist gave Rob, the father, an exciting dilemma: What if the child that really
understood the land and the ranch was the daughter, and not the son? This coupled with
her headstrong personality and sometimes irresponsible ways generated a new way to
look at the material.”

“Things pretty much flowed from the one central new idea,” explains Konner,
“allowing us to create a father-daughter story where both characters had to learn
something about themselves and each other. Each one had to re-examine their role
within a revised family dynamic.”

The next step was attaching a director to the project, and the script was sent to
Michael Mayer, who’d just directed his first feature, the well-received relationship drama
A Home at the End of the World. Though Mayer, an acclaimed and highly successful

Broadway theatre director, had no direct experience with horses or shooting action
scenes, his grasp of storytelling and portraying human emotion made him an ideal
candidate for the character-based FLICKA.

“I thought it was a really beautiful, universal story about the coming-to-terms of a
father and daughter,” says Mayer. “It just so happens that a wild mustang is at the
fulcrum of their relationship.

“What moved me most is how hard the family tries to make it all work. Everyone
has the best intentions; there are no villains other than the vagaries of time and
circumstance.”

With a completed script and a director on board, the cast for Flicka was then
assembled. To play the pivotal role of determined young horse enthusiast Katy, the
filmmakers zeroed in on the versatile Alison Lohman, who had impressed critics and
audiences in such diverse films as White Oleander, Matchstick Men and Big Fish.

“Alison’s a great actress,” states the director. “Her performances have been
amazingly soulful and truthful, with a depth that belies her years. I knew she could bring
to Katy the exact combination of intelligence and emotional volatility.”

“I was instantly drawn to the character of Katy,” confirms Lohman. “I loved the
fact that she’s not afraid to be opinionated. Even though she’s young, she stands her
ground and knows what she wants. At the same time she’s also very soft and girly. I
really liked that contradiction in her.”

The filmmakers then turned to music superstar – and rising actor – Tim McGraw
to play Katy’s intractable, but deeply loving father, Rob. McGraw, who made an
impressive acting debut in 2004’s hit football drama Friday Night Lights, welcomed the
opportunity to play a more likable character. “Rob has his tougher moments, but he’s a
good guy and solid family man,” says McGraw. “It was a great opportunity to do a
movie that my kids – and kids for generations to come – could see and enjoy.”

Family was also on McGraw's mind when he produced the film’s soundtrack and
wrote the original song “My Little Girl” with Tom Douglas, which McGraw performs as
well. “The song has special meaning to me both for the film and being a father of three
daughters,” says McGraw

For Maria Bello, who was cast as Katy’s strong and centered mother Nell,
FLICKA was a departure from her edgier film credits like Permanent Midnight, The
Cooler and A History of Violence. “I don’t tend to be attracted to what could be
considered ‘lighter’ material,” notes Bello, “but when I heard Michael Mayer was
directing I realized I should pay attention. When I read the script, with its beautifully
written relationships, I knew exactly why Michael was involved, and I knew I had to be
too.”
Up-and-coming Australian actor Ryan Kwanten was next cast as Katy’s college-
bound brother Howard. Dallas Roberts, who starred in the director’s A Home at the End
of the World, was brought on as the McLaughlins’ reserved, long-time ranch hand Gus.
Danny Pino was then selected to play the ranch’s other hand, the cocky heartthrob, Jack.
Kaylee DeFer portrays Howard’s wealthy, horse-loving girlfriend Miranda.

Before filming began, the director and his cast had to become as familiar and fluid
as possible with handling horses. Since, aside from Tim McGraw, the group had little or
no experience with the animals, a “Cowboy Camp” was created where they were able to
train with the film’s wranglers and learn everything they could about horses in a few
short weeks.

The camp, led by head wrangler Rusty Hendrickson, introduced the actors to the
horses they’d be riding, and established an overall comfort level with the animals.
“Whether it was teaching them how to twirl a rope, get on and off a horse properly, or
any other related nuance, the goal was to make sure the actors would be able to sell it on
film,” explains Hendrickson. Though everyone’s aptitude around horses was different,
the wrangler maintains “sometimes it’s easier to teach someone who’s sponging in the
information, than someone who already knows everything. They just hear more.”

As the actor who’d be spending the most screen time on or around horses, Alison
Lohman had the most to learn. “You can’t act like you can ride – you can either ride or
you can’t,” asserts Hendrickson. “So the first piece of business was getting Alison in the
saddle. We had to bring her along fairly quickly, but we were all surprised and impressed
with how well she did.”

Says Lohman: “With riding a horse, I think it’s just a matter of doing it, of just
practicing and being with the horses, touching them, spending time with them. It was

daunting and painful at first, but after weeks of training, it eventually started coming
together. I was really proud of what I was able to accomplish in a relatively short time.”

Lohman wanted to connect with the horses emotionally. Recalls Hendrickson,
“Alison wanted to know what a horse needs and what she should expect in return. She
was as hard-working about the relationship as she was with the riding.”

Maria Bello, who also had little experience with horses, approached her training
from a different perspective. “I’d always been attracted to horses, but also sort of afraid
of them,” she admits. “But after about my third lesson on Belle, the paint mare I ride, I
suddenly understood what it meant to find your seat, to become one with the animal. It
started to become a very Zen experience for me, this balance of control and surrender,
which I look for often in my real daily life.”

It was a crash course for director Mayer as well, who spent a lot of time preparing
with Rusty Hendrickson as well as with the second unit director. “We talked about what
horses can really do and what they can’t do,” remembers Mayer. “One of the funniest
moments was when I asked if we couldn’t make one of the horses ‘just look’ at Flicka.
The answer was ‘Michael, it’s a horse, not an actor.’ I quickly learned that horses aren’t
performers, but rather really beautiful, intuitive animals. The last thing they were going
to care about is where I want them to look when I yell ‘action!’”

Tim McGraw, on the other hand, grew up riding horses in his native Louisiana,
but curtailed his riding once he moved to Nashville to pursue a music career. “It all came
back to me once I started working with the wranglers,” affirms McGraw, “but I definitely
had a lot of technical questions.”

McGraw was anxious to try new things, especially when it came to roping. To
that end, the wranglers set up a dummy they pulled behind an all terrain vehicle for
McGraw to chase and rope – on horseback. “I loved it,” enthuses McGraw. “I haven’t
done any roping since I was a kid, and I could have practiced it all day long.” From a
practical point of view, it also helped improve his riding skills. Notes head wrangler
Hendrickson: “Roping gives you a specific goal and takes away some of the mental focus
that can inhibit the actual riding.”

Strained backs and sore behinds aside, the actors all developed a great love and
respect for the majestic animals. Says Tim McGraw: “When you’re around them, you are

in awe of their power, their sensitivity, and just how athletic they are. It’s impossible not
to form an incredible bond with them.”

“I think horses are the prototype for what is beautiful and free,” adds Alison
Lohman. “When you are riding one, the connection is just so visceral and amazing.”

The horses needed training, too. Hendrickson worked with ten other wranglers,
thirty head of ranch horses, ten additional cast horses, plus six different “Flickas” to
prepare the animals for filming. According to Hendrickson, one of the hardest “movie
tricks” to teach a horse is to hit their marks, especially without a rider. “It takes a lot of
practice. You literally have to put their mark out on the ground and lead them to it over
and over, until they finally get it,” he says. “Once they do, they’ll hit that mark each time
– at liberty, of course.”

The wranglers were also involved in choosing the various horses that would
alternate in the title role. They met with the filmmakers and, after agreeing on the exact
color and description of Flicka, created a team of Flicka’s. “Before prep we didn’t know
which horse would be good at what, but we knew all of the things we were going to try
and attempt with them,” relates Hendrickson. “You just hope the horse that ultimately
looks best in close-up is also as skilled and athletic as the others, and in this case, it
worked out.”

Thanks to the extensive preparation, the actors and the horses worked together in
perfect concert. There were, however, a few surprises along the way, including how
“ready for their close-ups” the horses could actually be. Recalls Danny Pino, who plays
Jack: “The horses we had on set were seasoned veterans. They’d be calm and very cool;
then they’d hear ‘rolling’ and their ears would kinda prick up. Then they’d hear ‘speed’
and they’d start to get a little antsy. By the time Michael would yell ‘action,’ they’d be
looking for their mark.

Adds director Mayer: “I eventually started to say ‘go’ around the horses instead of
‘action.’ And very quietly at that.”

To effectively shoot the most film’s most demanding set piece, a wild mustang
race, Mayer knew the animals would have to be given very specific parameters. “The
horses can be trained to go from, say, ‘A to B,’ explains the director, “so it became about

constructing a whole series of ‘A to B’s’ for them and basically building the stampede on
film.”

“It’s kind of like pouring water on the ground and estimating which way it’s
going to run,” remarks Hendrickson. “You create a sanctuary for the horses, a place
where they have food and water and no pressure, and they get to like that place. Then
you take them away from this sanctuary and just let them go. Of course, they’ll want to
go back there – and that’s what you end up filming.”

Though FLICKA is set in Wyoming, much of the movie was shot in the Los
Angeles area, which also has its share of imposing mountains and pristine vistas. Says
Muro: “We had to work around the city’s modern exteriors and look for the natural
beauty that often goes unseen in contemporary Los Angeles. When you watch the film,
it’s amazing to realize so many of these gorgeous, striking images were actually shot in
L.A.

“We also wanted to challenge ourselves on the ‘reality vibe’ of this project. We
wanted to avoid the typical, overlit ‘family look,’ which was ultimately consistent with
film’s slighty darker, more unique approach to its classical subject matter.”

The filming of a scene depicting Katy’s dawn ride at the ranch was another tough
assignment. “It was a hard scene to coordinate and compose,” states Muro. “It took a lot
of extra planning and scheduling to pull off properly. Some of Katy’s horse ride to her
mountain ridge home was shot in L.A., while other parts were filmed on location in
Wyoming. The two locales meant shooting out of sequence. As we ended up filming day
for night, as well as during actual dusk, we had to continually adjust our exposure to end
up with uniform light and color throughout the entire scene. It was tricky, but it worked.

“I want audiences to feel so inspired by the beauty of this sequence,” adds Muro.
“That they’ll want to go home, jump on a horse, and take the same kind of fantastic ride
that Katy does.”

Lohman has her own hope for the audience – that the film will bring them back to
nature and remind everyone that the country’s wide-open spaces needs to be preserved
and honored. “It can’t all be tract homes and malls,” the actress declares. “We need to
have some land left.”

“Each character in the film is kind of a paradigm of American individualism, each
pursuing their own version of the American dream,” says director Mayer. “There’s
something in the picture that speaks to all of us, because we know that you don’t get
something for nothing in this land--the one that we created here.

“None of our characters go without making a really intense personal sacrifice, in
one way or another. Yet, in the process, they all end up honoring each other as well,
which I think is really beautiful.”

ABOUT THE CAST

ALISON LOHMAN (Katy McLaughlin) first gained widespread attention for her
acclaimed performance as Astrid, a teenager bounced around the foster care system in
White Oleander, in which she starred opposite Michelle Pfeiffer, Renée Zellweger and
Robin Wright-Penn.

Lohman started acting in professional theater when she was nine years old and, by
the time she was a high school senior, was honored with a National Foundation for the
Advancement of the Arts award. Lohman was later offered a scholarship to New York
University for Theater, but decided to move to Los Angeles instead to pursue a film and
television career.

The actress’s early acting credits include such features as The Thirteenth Floor,
The Auteur Theory, and The Million Dollar Kid, as well as the telefilm Sharing the
Secret. She appeared on the television shows “Pacific Blue,” “Seventh Heaven” and
“Safe Harbor.”

Lohman was seen in Ridley Scott’s Matchstick Men, opposite Nicholas Cage; Tim
Burton’s Big Fish, with Ewan McGregor; and Atom Agoyan’s Where the Truth Lies, in
which she co-starred with Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth. She also starred in Fox TV’s
drama series Pasadena.

The actress will soon be seen with Robin Williams and Holly Hunter in the dark
comedy The Big White, and will be “heard” in Robert Zemeckis’s animated fantasy-
adventure Beowulf.

TIM McGRAW (Rob McLaughlin) has earned a place in the front ranks of
American entertainment, regardless of medium. In his musical journey he has sold over
33 million albums, 4 million singles and placed 26 singles at #1. His enduring status as
one of country music’s most popular and respected live performers has seen his concert
tours consistently rank at #1 in country music and top-five in all genres.

He has established a noteworthy presence in movies, with his well-received debut
in Friday Night Lights opposite Billy Bob Thornton; in television, where he has had three
highly rated NBC specials; and in pop music, his duet with rapper Nelly stayed atop the
charts for no fewer than thirteen weeks. It is an impressive body of work, one that has
made him one of America’s most important and popular performers across the board. His
standing among the entertainment public as a whole is exemplified by his scores of
awards and nominations including three Grammys, eleven Academy of Country Music
Awards, nine Country Music Association Awards, eight American Music Awards, three
People’s Choice Awards, and much more.

He remains one of the music world's hottest draws, and this year's Soul 2 Soul II
Tour 2006 found him reunited with wife Faith Hill for a repeat of the 2000 tour that drew
critical accolades and broke box office records across America. Anticipation for a follow-
up was widespread and upon conclusion, the 55 city tour is now history-making as the
highest grossing tour in country music history surpassing Madonna as the top touring
American artist this year.

Through all his success, McGraw’s eyes have always been focused squarely on
the music. He has taken full control of his most recent projects, recording with his touring
band, putting his artistic stamp more solidly than ever on the material he chooses to
record. The success of that approach is highly evident with his tenth project, Tim
McGraw Reflected: Hits Vol 2, his second collection of greatest hits, which is currently
certified platinum becoming McGraw’s 9th album to consecutively debut at #1 on the
albums chart.

For FLICKA, McGraw again forged new career firsts, releasing a song co-written
specifically for the movie on his newly established record label, StyleSonic Records.
“This is the first song I’ve ever written for a movie,” McGraw explains, “and the first
song I’ve ever written that I’ve recorded for one of my records. Tom (Douglas) came to

the set and we spent time talking about the father-daughter relationship in the movie.”
Executive Produced by McGraw, the Motion Picture Soundtrack for FLICKA includes
‘”My Little Girl” co-written with Tom Douglas and performed by McGraw as the end
title song to the movie.

MARIA BELLO (Nell McLaughlin) has become one of Hollywood’s busiest and
most respected actresses after impressing critics and audiences alike in such films as
Permanent Midnight, Auto Focus, The Cooler, Secret Window, and David Cronenberg’s
A History of Violence. For The Cooler, Bello received 2003 Golden Globe and Screen
Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress.

Bello’s other feature credits include Payback, Sam the Man, Coyote Ugly, Duets,
China: the Panda Adventure, 100 Mile Rule, Nobody’s Perfect, John Sayles’ Silver City,
the 2005 remake of Assault on Precinct 13, The Sisters, and The Dark. Most recently,
she appeared in the acclaimed satire from Fox Searchlight Pictures, Thank You For
Smoking, co-starring with Aaron Eckhart, William H. Macy, and Robert Duvall.

On television, the actress starred for a season as headstrong pediatrician Dr. Anna
Del Amico on the NBC hit E.R., for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award. She
also starred opposite Scott Bakula in the CBS spy series Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Other TV
credits include episodes of such shows as Misery Loves Company, Nowhere Man, The
Commish, and Due South.

Bello stars opposite Nicolas Cage in Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center.

RYAN KWANTEN (Howard McLaughlin) first acted in his native Australia on
such TV series as A Country Practice, Echo Point, and Water Rats; the miniseries
Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord; and in the feature Liquid Bridge.

He then began working in the U.S. and was seen in the ESPN movie The Junction
Boys and in episodes of such series as The Handler and Tru Calling. Kwanten went on to
have a regular role on Aaron Spelling’s WB drama series Summerland, and, more
recently, starred in the indie feature America Brown. He will next be seen in Universal’s
Silence, a thriller from the creators of the horror hit Saw.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS.

MICHAEL MAYER (Director) made his feature film directorial debut on 2004’s
A Home at the End of the World, written by Michael Cunningham, and starring Colin
Farrell, Robin Wright Penn, Dallas Roberts, and Sissy Spacek.

One of the most successful theatre directors working today, Mayer has an
impressive list of Broadway credits including Thoroughly Modern Millie (Drama Desk
Award, “Best Director of a Musical”); An Almost Holy Picture; Uncle Vanya; You're a
Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Lion in Winter; Side Man (also in London and
Washington, DC); A View from the Bridge (Tony Award, “Best Revival”); and Triumph
of Love.

Mayer’s Off-Broadway work includes The Credeaux Canvas, Stupid Kids, Baby
Anger, Antigone in New York, and View of the Dome. In addition, he directed regional
productions of An Almost Holy Picture (La Jolla, California; Princeton, New Jersey),
Thoroughly Modern Millie (La Jolla, CA), and the national tour of Angels in America.
Mayer is also the Resident Director of Manhattan’s Roundabout Theatre.

MARK ROSENTHAL & LAWRENCE KONNER (Screenwriters) have been
screenwriting partners for over 20 years. Their many produced feature credits begin with
1985’s The Jewel of the Nile and The Legend of Billie Jean, and are followed by such
films as Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, The In Crowd, The Desperate Hours, Star
Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, The Beverly Hillbillies, For Love or Money,
Mercury Rising, Mighty Joe Young, the 2001 Planet of the Apes remake, and Mona Lisa
Smile. They also wrote the telefilm Sometimes They Come Back, based on the Stephen
King novel.

Most recently, Rosenthal and Konner collaborated on the upcoming fantasy-
adventure Eragon for Twentieth Century Fox.

GIL NETTER (Producer) has also produced the features A Walk in the Clouds,
High School High, BASEketball, Dude, Where’s My Car? Phone Booth, My Boss’s
Daughter and, more recently, the Farrelly Brothers comedy Fever Pitch.

Netter served as executive producer on the films The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell
of Fear, My Life, The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, First Knight, My Best Friend’s
Wedding and Unconditional Love.

Upcoming producing projects include the satire The Untitled Onion Movie, the
gambling drama Chasing the Whale, and the coming-of-age comedy 8 Track.

J. MICHAEL MURO (Director of Photography) is a longtime camera operator
who earned his first director of photography credit on the Kevin Costner western Open
Range. He went on to shoot Crash for writer/director Paul Haggis, followed by the
musical Roll Bounce.

During Muro’s career as a camera operator, he worked on dozens of major feature
films including Field of Dreams, The Abyss, Dances With Wolves, The Doors,
Terminator 2: Judgment Day, JFK, A Few Good Men, Falling Down, True Lies,
Clueless, Casino, Father of the Bride II, Heat, L.A. Confidential, Titanic, Runaway Bride,
The Insider, Any Given Sunday, The Family Man, The Fast and the Furious, Rush Hour
2, Red Dragon and X2.

Most recently, Muro served as director of second unit photography on Disney’s
The Shaggy Dog remake and director Michael Mann’s feature version of Miami Vice.

SHARON SEYMOUR (Production Designer) most recently designed the movie
Friday Night Lights. Previous production designer credits include the features Reality
Bites, Don Juan DeMarco, The Truth About Cats & Dogs, The Cable Guy, Molly, Duets,
Novocaine, 40 Days and 40 Nights, The Rules of Attraction, and Bad Santa. For
television, she designed Fox’s The Ben Stiller Show.

Seymour began her film career as a props assistant on George Romero’s
Creepshow before graduating to art director on such films as Stacking, Johnny Be Good,
In a Shallow Grave, Heart of Dixie, and Pacific Heights.

ANDREW MARCUS (Editor) has an impressive list of feature film editing
credits including Howards End, Peter’s Friends, Much Ado About Nothing, The Remains
of the Day, Frankenstein (1994), Jefferson In Paris, Surviving Picasso, American Psycho,

Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Under the Tuscan
Sun, A Home At the End of the World and Everything Is Illuminated.

Marcus also served as associate editor or co-editor on such films as Dirty
Dancing, Maurice, Slaves of New York, Longtime Companion, and Mr. & Mrs. Bridge.

In addition, he worked as second unit director on Much Ado About Nothing,
Frankenstein, American Psycho and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

KEVIN HALLORAN (Co-Producer) served as line producer on the feature
comedy Breaking All The Rules, and was co-producer on You Got Served and, more
recently, The Untitled Onion Movie.

Previously, Halloran worked as production manager on such films as The Minus
Man, Two Can Play That Game, Shallow Hal, and The House of Sand and Fog.

He began his film career as a location manager on dozens of movies including
Powwow Highway, Almost An Angel, Red Rock West, A Dangerous Woman, City Slickers
II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold, Wagons East, The Baby-sitters Club, Ed, Waiting For
Guffman, She’s So Lovely, BASEketball, and Joy Ride.

Halloran was location manager on the telefilms Supercarrier, Our Sons, Woman
With a Past, Barbarians at the Gate, Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman, Escape to Witch
Mountain, Freaky Friday and Always Outnumbered, and on such series as Arresting
Behavior, Bakersfield, P.D. and Arli$$.

AARON ZIGMAN (Composer) has composed the scores for such feature films as
John Q, The Notebook, Raise Your Voice, The Virgin of Juarez, The Wendell Baker Story,
Alpha Dog, and the upcoming 10th & Wolf, as well as for the Showtime movie Crown
Heights.

MOLLY MAGINNIS (Costume Designer) has spent the last 20 years designing
costumes for movies and television. Her many feature credits include Lucas, Broadcast
News, Miss Firecracker, Look Who’s Talking, Dad, Come See the Paradise, Look Who’s
Talking Too, Sister Act, Boiling Point, Son In Law, Look Who’s Talking Now, The War,

Eddie, As Good As It Gets, Mighty Joe Young, Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo, Town &
Country, Life As a House, and In Good Company.

For television, Maginnis served as costume designer on the PBS miniseries Tales
of the City, the Showtime film The Twilight of the Golds, and the series The Lyon’s Den
and Jack & Bobby.

Her costumes were recently seen in the feature remake of The Shaggy Dog and in
Paul Weitz’s satire American Dreamz.

Permission is hereby granted to newspapers and periodicals to reproduce this

text in articles publicizing the distribution of the Motion Picture.

All other use is strictly prohibited, including sale, duplication, or other transfers of this material.

This press kit, in whole or in part, must not be leased, sold, or given away.

FOX 2000 PICTURES Presents

A GIL NETTER Production

ALISON LOHMAN

TIM McGRAW

MARIA BELLO

RYAN KWANTEN

DALLAS ROBERTS

NICK SEARCY

DANNY PINO

KAYLEE DeFER

JEFFREY NORDLING

DEY YOUNG

Directed by........................MICHAEL MAYER

Screenplay by.................MARK ROSENTHAL

................................& LAWRENCE KONNER

Based upon the novel “My Friend Flicka” by....

...............................................MARY O’HARA

Produced by...............................GIL NETTER

Director of Photography...J. MICHAEL MURO

Production Designer......SHARON SEYMOUR

Film Editor......................ANDREW MARCUS

Co-Producer.....................KEVIN HALLORAN

Music by..............................AARON ZIGMAN

Music Supervisor..........JASON ALEXANDER

Costume Designer............MOLLY MAGINNIS

Casting by.......................MINDY MARIN, CSA

....................................JIM CARNAHAN, CSA

Unit Production ManagerSUSAN McNAMARA

First Assistant Director........DOUG METZGER

Key Second Assistant Director........................

..........................................BRIAN F. RELYEA

CAST

Rob McLaughlin........................TIM McGRAW

Nell McLaughlin.......................MARIA BELLO

Katy McLaughlin................ALISON LOHMAN

Howard McLaughlin............RYAN KWANTEN

Jack...........................................DANNY PINO

Gus..................................DALLAS ROBERTS

Miranda Koop.......................KAYLEE DeFER

Rick Koop....................JEFFREY NORDLING

Esther Koop...............................DEY YOUNG

Norbert Rye.............................NICK SEARCY

Wagner...................................BUCK TAYLOR

Man with Clipboard.............WADE WILLIAMS

Rider # 6..............................DAVID BURTON

Mr. Masterson........................JOHN O’BRIEN

Male Prefect........................ARMIE HAMMER

Gracie............................ELIZABETH EMERY

Rodeo Announcer..................BOB TALLMAN

Rodeo Worker...................ANGEL SANTANA

Honor Student.......................EMMA RITCHIE

Trick Roper....................GENE McLAUGHLIN

Puppeteers...................ERNESTO CORNEJO

................RUSS HERPICH, SUE LA PRELLE

.......................................MARK RAPPAPORT

Stunt Coordinator....................KEITH ADAMS

Stunts by...................................JULIE ADAIR

.......................SHELLEY PETERSON BOYLE

........................................RICHARD BUCHER

........................HEATHER BURTON-GIBSON

.............TRAV W. CADWELL, J.J. DASHNAW

................................DARRELL CRAIG DAVIS

...TONIA FORSBERG, RYAN JAMES HAPPY

..............DWAYNE HARGO, KANIN HOWELL

.JOHN W. JONES, JR., CHARLES E. LOGAN

............CLIFF McLAUGHLIN, KORI MURRAY

......................DE ANNA PANIAN, JIM PRATT

..............SUSAN PURKHISER, JD ROBERTO

......................BEN SCOTT, WESLEY SCOTT

...........J.C. SELVESTER, MANDY SHIPSKEY

...RUSSELL SOLBERG, NANCY THURSTON

..........................................RALIEGH WILSON

Stunt Pilot........ROBERT “BOBBY Z” ZAJONC

Art Director.............................PETER BORCK

Set Decorator.....................MAGGIE MARTIN

Set Designer.................NATALIE RICHARDS

A Camera Operator............CHRIS MOSELEY

1st Assistant A Camera / Steadicam...............

.........................................LEE BLASINGAME

2nd Assistant A Camera..................................

.............................LISA “KITTY” GUERRIERO

B Camera Operator...........DANA GONZALES

1st Assistant B Camera........GLENN BROWN

2nd Assistant B Camera.....WILL DEARBORN

Loader.......................DOMINIC BARTOLONE

Chief Lighting Technician.DAYTON NIETERT

Property Master...............MAUREEN FARLEY

Costume Supervisor............SANDY KENYON

Script Supervisor.....................ALEXA ALDEN

Production Coordinator...................................

..............................DANIEL A. MONDSCHAIN

Post Production Supervisors...........................

..........AARON DOWNING, DAVID McKIMMIE

1st Assistant Editor...........IAN SILVERSTEIN

Assistant Editor......................J. CONOR GUY

Supervising Sound Editor................................

....................................DONALD SYLVESTER

Sound Designer....................PAUL URMSON

Production Sound Mixer..................................

.........................RICHARD VAN DYKE, C.A.S.

Sound Mixing..........................PAUL MASSEY

..............................................ELLIOT TYSON

Still Photographer............................................

....................MERRICK MORTON, S.M.P.S.P

Boom Operator.....................JOEL SHRYACK

Utility Sound...............................ROSS LEVY

Video Assist.......................JESSE OLIVARES

Graphic Designers...............CLINT SCHULTZ

.................................................KIM LINCOLN

Storyboard Artist.......DAVID J. NEGRON, JR.

Leadman...............................RANDY BOSTIC

On-Set Dresser....................JOHN McELROY

Set Dressers.........................YANIV BASHAN

............................................STEVEN HUSCH

.RAUL “ROLO” MORENO, JORDAN K. PAUL

Assistant Property Masters..BETH SHELDON

........................ANDREA “DREW” SYWANYK

Second Second Assistant Director...................

.......................................TIMOTHY R. PRICE

Assistant Chief Lighting Technician.................

........................CHRISTOPHER A. ZWIRNER

Lighting Technicians...............PAUL ARNOLD

..............RENEE KAYON, JESSE RUSHTON

Rigging Gaffer.............VICTOR SVIMONOFF

Key Grip.................................ART BARTELS

2nd Company Grip...BRUCE CHIMEROFSKY

Dolly Grips......................JERRY BERTOLAMI

........................................PAUL THRELKELD

Company Grips............THOMAS A. CURRAN

........................JIM DUGGAN, JIM SALDUTTI

.CHAD SHINNEMAN, SEAN A. SHINNEMAN

Key Rigging Grip...............JOSEPH GRAHAM

Best Boy Rigging Grip...........STEVEN GAGE

Key Costumers...........NANROSE BUCHMAN

............................SALLY SMITH-McCARDLE

Set Costumers..................DANIELLE BAKER

......................JEAN C.J. BONE, MANDI LINE

Department Head Make-Up.............................

...................................DEBORAH K. LARSEN

Key Make-Up Artist..................KEITH SAYER

Make-Up Artist to Tim McGraw........................

..............................................LYNNE EAGAN

Additional Make-Up Artist................................

................................REBECCA DeHERRERA

Department Head Hairstylist....BETH MILLER

Key Hairstylist.....................MARIA VALDIVIA

Location Manager.................BRIANA BURKE

Key Assistant Location Manager......................

.....................................KEI ROWAN-YOUNG

Assistant Location Manager....SARA DERING

Assistant Production Coordinator/

Wyoming Coordinator...............STACY FOOT

Art Department Coordinator...LINDA GRIFFIS

Special Effects Supervisor.......MARK BYERS

Special Effects General Foreman....................

........................................MORGAN GUYNES

Special Effects Technician.........TIM WALKEY

Horse Wrangler.......RUSTY HENDRICKSON

Wrangler/ Ramrod...............MONTY STUART

Horse Trainer......................REX PETERSON

Assistant Trainer................MARK WARRACK

Wranglers.......................DARWIN MITCHELL

..............GENE WALKER, BENNY MANNING

Music Editor..........................BRIAN BULMAN

Temp Music Editor..........ANNETTE KUDRAK

Sound Effects Editors......................................

............................BERNARD WEISER, MPSE

.................WYATT SPRAGUE, PAUL APTED

Dialogue Editor..................MICHAEL MAGILL

1st Assistant Sound Editor..............................

......................................MONIQUE SALVATO

ADR Editor............................SUSAN DAWES

Supervising Foley Editor..........STEVE PRICE

Foley Editor.........................MIGUEL RIVERA

Editorial P.A.s...............EMILY CALDERONE

................................................TIM CRAVENS

Production Accountant.....DORIS HELLMANN

Post Production Accountant............................

..........................................NATALIE MATHES

1st Assistant Accountant.................................

......................................THEODORE DAVILA

Payroll Accountant....................JEFF GLADU

2nd Assistant Accountant...MARK KURZWEIL

Accounting Clerk................NOREEN COYNE

Construction Coordinator..CURTIS LASETER

Construction Foreman......JOHN JOCKINSEN

Paint Foreman...........................JOHN RISSO

Paint Gangboss................ERICH V. BLOUGH

Set Painters............................NATALIE HILE

...............GORDON HUGGINS, JOSÉ LOPEZ

....................................MARK WOODWORTH

Stand-by Painter..............ANNE HYVARINEN

Labor Foreman..........CHRISTOPHER BLAKE

Laborers........................AMBROSE LINCOLN

.........................KYLE OATES, LORI WILSON

Plaster Foreman..........................RON SAVINI

Propmakers..........................JOSEPH ALBER

........................SAM ANTON, JOHN KERSEY

..........NANCY TARCZYNSKI, WYNN WOLFE

Buyers.............CLAUDIA BONFE , ERIN FITE

Greens Coordinator......CYNTHIA MARTINEZ

Stand-By Greensman......................................

..................................JIMMY CASTELLANOS

Greensmen...........................CARLO BASAIL,

..............................................JOSÉ A. SAENZ

Casting Associate ..................KARA LIPSON

Casting Assistant.........SAMANTHA MORRIS

New York Casting Associate..MELE NAGLER

Extras Casting by............................................

...........SMITH & WEBSTER-DAVIS CASTING

Unit Publicist.................DEBORAH SIMMRIN

Office P.A.s...................ALLEN “BIFF” PETTY

.........................STEVEN “BIG PRETTY” RAU

Key Set P.A...........................CRISTI RICKEY

Set P.A.s................JONELLE S. ANDERSON

..........RUSSELL CHADWICK, JOHN ROCHE

Art Department P.A..........................................

...............................SUZANNE SHUGARMAN

Wrangler P.A............................LISA BROWN

Assistants to Mr. Mayer......KATE D’ANGELO

...............................CHRISTOPHER SANATA

Assistant to Mr. Netter..........MICHAEL ADES

Assistant to Mr. Halloran.......ADRIAN CASAS

Transportation Coordinator......JIM CHESNEY

Transportation Captain..............JOE FEENEY

Camera ATV Operator.......DAVE A. SANTOS

High Definition Telecine, Digital Film

Recording & Digital

Intermediate Services by.................................

......................LaserPacific a Kodak Company

LaserPacific Project Manager........TOM VICE

Telecine Colorist..................JOE HATHAWAY

Digital Intermediate Colorist........MIKE SOWA

Lustre Digital Data Conform.............................

.........VALANCE EISLEBEN, JEFF CHARLES

Digital Color Engineer..............DOUG JAQUA

Visual Effects and Animation by.FURIOUS FX

Visual Effects Supervisor ................................

.................................DAVID LINGENFELSER

Executive Producer .....SCOTT DOUGHERTY

Visual Effects Producer...TIFFANY A. SMITH

Compositors ..SEAN O’CONNOR, KIM PEPE

CG Supervisor ........................MARK SHOAF

Digital Opticals by..CUSTOM FILM EFFECTS

End Title Montage Designed by.......................

..........................................JETPLANE FILMS

End Title Crawl by Scarlet Letters....................

......................................SCARLET LETTERS

Post Production Facilities provided by:............

....................20TH CENTURY FOX STUDIOS

Recordist........................MATT PATTERSON

Re-recording Engineer..........PAUL PAVELKA

Foley Artists...................ALICIA STEVENSON

...............................................DAWN FINTOR

Foley Mixing...............DAVID BETANCOURT

ADR Mixers.....................................................

...............CHARLEEN RICHARDS-STEEVES

.......................................................RON COX

ADR Recordists...............DAVID LUCARELLI

.......................................CHRISTINE SIROIS

ADR / Foley Engineer...........DEREK CASARI

Deluxe Color Timer..............KENNY BECKER

Preview Engineer......................LEE TUCKER

Animatronic Animals...............CREATURE FX

Animals Provided by........................................

.......STEVE MARTIN’S WORKING WILDLIFE

Cougar Dummy......................KNB EFFECTS

Medic...............................................KIM THIO

Construction Medic......JOHN BOCCHICCHIO

Catering by....................MARIO’S CATERING

Caterers...................CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ

........................................MARIO GONZALEZ

SECOND UNIT

Second Unit Director.......................................

.................................RUSTY HENDRICKSON

Director of Photography....DANA GONZALES

First Assistant Directors..LINDA BRACHMAN

................................REBECCA STRICKLAND

Script Supervisors.............REBECCA BOYLE

........................................JILLIAN GIACOMINI

B Camera Operators..................PAUL BABIN

.....................................LEO J. NAPOLITANO

1st Assistant B Camera.........TONY OLIVIERI

2nd Assistant B Camera...........BORIS PRICE

Second Assistant Directors.............................

...............LUCILLE OuYANG, MARGE PIANE

Video Assist........................GLENN CANNON

Chief Lighting Technicians......KELLY CLEAR

...................................................ANDY RYAN

Assistant Chief Lighting Technicians...............

.....................SCOTT “SCOOTER” MEDCALF

..................................ANDREW DOROWSKY

Lighting Technician........WILLIE E. DAWKINS

Grips............................SPENCER SCHUNKE

..DAVE “MADDOG” TURPIN, SCOTT WELLS

Key Costumer...............EMMA TRENCHARD

Hairstylist.....................................RITA TROY

Stand-by Greensman..TIMOTHY J. WHALEN

Medic.....................................MICHAEL HIRD

Craft Service..................DANNON WALTERS

Key Set P.A...........................KENNY MILLER

Set P.A.s................................JEFF KRAMER

.........DAWN TERASHIMA, SIERRA DONELY

.........................................TAYLOR WOOTON

Dialect Coach...........................JOY ELLISON

Transportation Captain..............KEN MOORE

WYOMING UNIT

Sheridan Location Liaison....ROSIE BERGER

Second Second Assistant Director..................

.........................................MICHAEL CROTTY

Still Photographer.....STEPHEN S. VAUGHAN

Director of Aerial Photography........................

..............................DAVID B. NOWELL, A.S.C

Helicopter Pilot.......................MIKE PHILLIPS

Wescam Technician....STEVEN J. WINSLOW

Charter Plane Provided by....SKY KING, INC.

Extras Payroll Services...................................

..SESSIONS PAYROLL MANAGEMENT INC.

Night Lights by....................................BEBEE

Camera Cranes, Dollies & Remote

Camera Systems by .......................................

....................CHAPMAN / LEONARD STUDIO

..........................................EQUIPMENT, INC.

Technocrane Provided by ..............................

................PANAVISION REMOTE SYSTEMS

Grip Equipment Supplied by............................

...................................TM MOTION PICTURE

.........................EQUIPMENT RENTALS, INC.

Score Conducted and Orchestrated by ...........

............................................AARON ZIGMAN

Additional Orchestrations by............................

...............JERRY HEY and BRAD WARNAAR

Score Contracted by..SANDY DECRESCENT

Score Preparations by...........STEVE JULIANI

Score Recorded and Mixed by.........................

.............................................DENNIS SANDS

Additional Engineering by...MICHAEL STERN

Digital Recording by........ THOMAS GRAHAM

Score Recorded at ...THE NEWMAN STAGE,

.........................TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

Recordist...................................TIM LAUBER

Engineer.................................BILL TALBOTT

Stage Managers..............................................

.................. TOM STEEL and JASON LLOYD

Score Mixed at............................ .1 STUDIOS

Executive Soundtrack Producer.......................

.................................................TIM McGRAW

4:35 A.M.

Written and Performed by Gemma Hayes

Courtesy of Astralwerks

Under license from EMI Film & Television
Music

ALL THE PRETTY LITTLE HORSES

Traditional

ALIVE

Written by Rob Wells, Jess Cates and
Lindy Robbins

Performed by Becki Ryan

THE THINGS WE DON’T

Written by John Paul White, Greg Becker,
Josh Gracin

Performed by John Paul White

Courtesy of Famous Music Corporation
and EMI Music

CATCH THE WIND

Written by Donovan Leitch

Performed by Donovan

Courtesy of Sanctuary Records Group

WILD HORSES

Written by Andrew Marcus Frampton,
Natasha Bedingfield and Wayne Wilkins

Performed by Natasha Bedingfield

Courtesy of Epic Records/SONY BMG
MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK)

By Arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT

WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

Written and Performed by Chantal
Kreviazuk

Courtesy of Columbia Records / SONY
BMG MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT (Canada)

By Arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT

DON’T YOU KNOW

Written by Jewels and Johnny Nation

Performed by City Fritter

THE FIREMAN

Written by Mack Vickery and Wayne Kemp

Performed by The Dancehall Doctors

WHERE DID I GO RIGHT

Written by Tim McGraw, Brad Warren,
Brett Warren and

George Canyon

Performed by The Warren Brothers

TEXAS IN 1880

Written by Radney Foster

Performed by Radney Foster and Pat
Green

Courtesy of Dualtone Records and
Greenhorse Records

GO JOHNNY

Written and Performed by Ken Tamplin

Courtesy of Kid Gloves Music

RODEO ROAD

Written by Chuck Cannon and Alan
Shamblin

Performed by Holly Williams

Courtesy of Universal South

Under license from Universal Music
Enterprises

MY LITTLE GIRL

Written by Tom Douglas and Tim McGraw

Performed by Tim McGraw

Produced by Byron Gallimore and Tim
McGraw

Courtesy of Curb Records

THE PRODUCERS WISH TO THANK THE
FOLLOWING FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE:

EATON’S RANCH – WOLF, WYOMING

THE POWDER HORN GOLF
COMMUNITY – SHERIDAN, WYOMING

POLO RANCH – BIG HORN, WYOMING

WYOMING FILM COMMISSION

BUFFALO BILL HISTORICAL CENTER,
Cody, Wyoming

AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER,
University of Wyoming

INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL

HISTORICAL PARK LIBRARY,
Philadelphia, PA

American Humane monitored the animal
action.

(AHA 00915)

Prints by DELUXE®

Filmed with

PANAVISION ®

Cameras & Lenses

KODAK

FILM STOCK

DOLBY (logo)

In Selected Theatres

DTS

Approved No 42251

Brazil, Italy, Korea, Japan and Spain.

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation is
the author of this motion picture for
purposes of copyright and other laws.

The events, characters and firms depicted
in this photoplay are fictitious. Any
similarity to actual persons, living or dead,
or to actual events or firms is purely
coincidental.

Ownership of this motion picture is
protected by copyright and other applicable
laws, and any unauthorized duplication,
distribution or exhibition of this motion
picture could result in criminal prosecution
as well as civil liability.

PRODUCED AND RELEASED BY
TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX