ANCHOR BAY FILMS

and Joker Films present a Screen Sirens Pictures and The Film Farm Production

in association with Lila 9^th Productions

Daydream Nation

 

A Mike Goldbach Film

 

Starring

KAT DENNINGS

REECE THOMPSON

ANDIE MacDOWELL

and JOSH LUCAS

 

Press Notes

 

Running time is 98 minutes. Rated R for drug and alcohol use, sexual content and some violent images—all involving teens.

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

Seventeen-year-old Caroline Wexler (Kat Dennings) is facing a teenager’s nightmare: her widowed father has moved them from the big city to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.  When Caroline realizes she has nothing in common with the burnout losers in her new school she pursues the one person who excites her interest – her handsome young teacher, Mr. Anderson (Josh Lucas).  A bizarre love triangle ensues between Caroline, Mr. Anderson, and a sweet, but troubled classmate (Reece Thompson). Featuring a hit indie soundtrack in this mash-up of the bizarre and the beautiful, Daydream Nation is a coming-of-age story for the 21^st century.

 

 

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

 

Tell us how the idea for the film "Daydream Nation" came about?

 

As a writer I like to start with a question—and in this case it was: you know that girl in your high school class who was beautiful, intelligent and  hyper-mature for her age and always seemed to be in trouble with older guys? What was the deal with her? What was really going on in that girl's head? Once I had that character, I was off and running.

 

Did you grow up in a small town?

 

Yeah, I grew up in Arva, which is a little hamlet just outside London Ontario, Canada. Very, very small, with the proverbial one stop-light. On paper that might sound boring, but in actuality it was a really fun, vibrant place to grow up. And I think that's what I was trying to capture with this movie. People make their own fun; they find amazingly creative ways to escape potential dullness. I wanted to get away from the Norman Rockwell idea of small town life and show that these places are wild and sexy and flat-out bizarre. Like Kafka with cornfields. And of course because of all that, these towns can be pretty dangerous as well. High school is a dangerous time.

 

The film contains a few sly nods to the alt rock scene, how did music influence this project?

 

In high school I was very into indie rock. Staying home on Friday night wasn't so bad if you had the new Pavement album and good headphones. Obviously Sonic Youth were gods to me. In some ways this movie is like one giant piece of fan art. What I love about the album Daydream Nation is that it's so ethereal and melodic and gorgeous—and then suddenly it will veer off and become really violent and jagged and atonal. I tried to make a movie that captures that same bi-polar teenage feeling, where the rules go out the window and you're never really on safe ground. 

 

This is your first film, but it's incredibly stylish. Who were some of your influences as a director?

 

Thanks. One of my goals was to make something big and cinematic, despite our modest budget. It sounds crazy, but the biggest influence on this film was definitely Terrence Malick's Badlands—not so much in the look, as in its spirit. It's such a tight, beautiful film. I know I'm in the minority, but I think it's his best, and I find it to be completely hilarious. Sissy Spacek's voice-over in that film, with its languid, off-handed poetry, was a direct antecedent to Kat's voice-over. The other film that was huge for me is Charles Laughton's Night of the Hunter—I just love how dark and gothic and surreal it is. Very expressionistic. And just when the tension becomes too much to bear and it threatens to become a horror movie, the story takes a turn and ends on a really warm, spiritual note. I find that incredibly moving! Not to mention structurally bold in a way you almost never see anymore.

 

The film has a great cast. Can you tell us a little about how you worked with the actors to find their characters and what ideas they came in with?

 

They came in with so many ideas and so much enthusiasm for their roles. I just did my best to keep up with them and channel their energy in the right direction. When you have a cast this amazing, it's more about setting a tone than anything else.

 

Was Kat Dennings someone you had thought about playing Caroline when writing the film?

 

To be honest, no, because I wrote it years before I knew who she was. But as soon as I saw her in The 40-Year-Old Virgin I felt it had to be her. In addition to being gorgeous and having great comic timing, she's able to communicate this searing intelligence onscreen. I think that's such a rare gift.  You believe that she's super-smart and complex, and you can completely understand why all these people would fall for her as well.

 

What was the hardest scene to shoot?

 

We shot the whole movie in 22 days, with no pick-ups. So the hardest thing wasn't any particular scene, but the pace in general, just the sheer amount we needed to pull off each day. Most films have a bunch of extra scenes, but in our case there is almost nothing on the cutting room floor. We didn't have time to shoot anything extraneous.

 

What scene did you and the cast have the most fun doing?

 

There was something pretty special about watching Josh Lucas run around a kitchen with tinfoil on his head. I can now cross that off the bucket list. And Kat is so full of surprises. She just intrinsically knew how to make every scene a little better, and as a first-time director, that's the most fun thing of all.

 

The film's edge comes from the way it deals with the realities of sex and drugs. Did you have any concerns with these scenes?

 

Not really. I never felt we were dealing with any of it in a salacious or manipulative manner. The key was to just suspend judgment completely and let the characters go about their business. I think at its core Daydream Nation is a very romantic, big-hearted film. But sometimes you have to go somewhere dark to earn that redemption.

 

What do you hope the audience will take away with them after seeing the film?

 

I just hope they appreciate that we tried to make something a little bit different. Something less safe and linear than the usual teen film.

 

What new projects are you currently working on?

 

I just finished writing a script for Mark Waters to direct. It's a re-make of a great South Korean film called Castaway On The Moon. And I have a script called The Jaws Of Life which I plan to direct. It's much more of a comedy. No serial killers in that one.

 

 

ABOUT THE CAST

 

 

KAT DENNINGS – ‘Caroline Wexler’

 

Kat Dennings is one of Hollywood’s hottest rising young stars. With her highly acclaimed performance in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and her role as Catherine Keener’s daughter in the smash hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Dennings has quickly become a household name. 

 

Dennings recently wrapped filming the movie adaptation of the comic book Thor starring opposite Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth. Thor is currently scheduled to be released on May 6, 2011.  She last appeared on the big screen opposite Woody Harrelson and Sandra Oh in the film Defendor for Sony Classics.

Kat Dennings starred in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist opposite Michael Cera. The film was directed by Peter Sollett. The New York Post called Dennings “…engaging, smart and completely natural, an instant star in whom the girls in the audience will be able to picture themselves,” about her portrayal of ‘Norah’ in the film. She was nominated by the International Press Academy for a Satellite Award^® in the “Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical” category for her performance in the film.

Dennings' other film credits include Robert Rodriguez’s Shorts, The Answer Man with Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham, The House Bunny opposite Anna Faris, Charlie Barlett opposite Robert Downey Jr., New Line’s Raise Your Voice, where her performance was singled out by The New York Times, Down In The Valley opposite Edward Norton, London with Jessica Biel, and Big Momma’s House 2 with Martin Lawrence. She appeared in IFC’s “Wanderlust” for directors Robert Pucini and Shari Springer Berman and was selected to participate in the prestigious 2005 Sundance Filmmaker’s Lab where she worked with Robert Redford on director Dante Harper’s Dreamland.  

 

Kat Dennings has appeared on some of television’s most critically acclaimed dramas including a recurring role on NBC’s “ER,” a guest-starring role on a highly publicized “CSI: Miami/NY” cross-over episode, and a controversial role on “Without A Trace,” both on CBS.  She also starred opposite Bob Saget in the WB series “Raising Dad” and had a standout guest-starring role as ‘Jenny Brier’, a teen who hires ‘Samantha Jones’ to do publicity for her Bat Mitzvah in HBO’s “Sex and the City.”

 

Dennings currently lives in Los Angeles.

 

 

REECE THOMPSON – ‘Thurston Goldberg’

 

A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Reece Daniel Thompson made his feature film debut at the tender age of thirteen in Lawrence Kasdan’s horror/thriller Dreamcatcher. Shortly thereafter, Thompson became one of Canada’s busiest young actors, working on many of the locally shot films and TV series.  

In 2007, Thompson starred in the HBO/Picturehouse film, Rocket Science in the role of stuttering ‘Hal Hefner.’ Rocket Science was the winner of the 2007 Sundance Dramatic Directing Prize and has also been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards^®. 

 

Thompson’s critically acclaimed performance in Rocket Science helped him secure a starring role opposite Bruce Willis in the Yari film, Assassination of a High School President. Following Assassination, Thompson went on to film the 2008 feature Afterwards with John Malkovich and Romain Duris.  

Thompson’s most recent film credits include his lead role opposite Hilary Duff and Dwight Yoakam in Provinces of Night and his supporting lead role opposite Uma Thurman in Ceremony.  He currently resides in Los Angeles.

 

 

ANDIE MacDOWELL – ‘Enid Goldberg’

           

Andie MacDowell has established herself as an accomplished actress; her undeniable charm and talent have resulted in worldwide recognition. She recently wrapped production on two back-to-back Lifetime Original Movies, “At Risk” and “The Front,” both based on Patricia Cornwell crime novels which follow the Massachusetts District Attorney, played by MacDowell. They are scheduled to air in the spring of this year. Previously she completed filming multiple projects including As Good As Dead with Cary Elwes and The Six Wives of Henry Lefay, a comedy starring Tim Allen.

           

MacDowell was heard as the voice of ‘Etta the Hen’ in Paramount’s animated movie Barnyard, was seen in the feature Beauty Shop with Queen Latifah, and co-starred along with Rosie O'Donnell in the CBS telepic “Riding the Bus with My Sister,” directed by Anjelica Huston. She also earned praise for her performance in the Emmy^®-nominated, HBO original film, “Dinner with Friends.” Daily Variety called her portrayal “arguably MacDowell’s best work yet.”

Additional dramatic performances include The End of Violence, directed by Wim Wenders, which was selected to screen at the opening of the 50th Anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival; Robert Altman’s The Player, Short Cuts, for which the cast earned a special Golden Globe^® Award for Best Ensemble, Unstrung Heroes, directed by Diane Keaton and the ever-popular St. Elmo’s Fire.           

MacDowell earned the worldwide title of #1 female box-office draw with her performances in the smash hit romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral, for which she received a Golden Globe^® nomination and the western Bad Girls with Drew Barrymore. She also starred in the holiday classic Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. MacDowell continued to partner with top leading men including Gerard Depardieu in Green Card, for which she again earned a Golden Globe^® nomination, Michael Keaton in Multiplicity, and John Travolta in Michael.

 

She first received critical acclaim and accolades for her performance as a repressed young wife in Steven Soderbergh’s sex, lies and videotape. The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and garnered MacDowell the Independent Spirit Award^® and the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Actress as well as her first Golden Globe^® nomination. Additionally, she has been presented with the coveted Cesar D’Honneur for her body of work, the Golden Kamera Award^® from Germany’s Horzu Publications and the Taormina Arte Award for Cinematic Excellence^®.

 

 

JOSH LUCAS – ‘Mr. Barry Anderson’

 

After displaying range, diversity, and intensity in character work for over a decade, Josh Lucas has evolved into one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. Lucas will next be seen starring opposite Jon Hamm in Stolen Lives, directed by Anders Anderson and produced by Lucas’ production company, 2 Bridges Productions. Stolen Lives follows the story of a detective (Lucas) dealing with the loss of his son.

 

In 2010, Lucas starred in Warner Brothers’ romantic comedy Life as We Know It, opposite Katherine Heigl.

 

In 2009, Lucas completed production on back-to-back independent features: Little Murder, A Year in Mooring and William Vincent. Little Murder is a thriller starring Lucas and Terrence Howard and takes place in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.  A Year in Mooring tells the story of a man (Lucas) attempting to rebuild his life on a sailboat after a terrible personal loss.  Lucas stars opposite James Franco in William Vincent (formerly In Praise of Shadows), which tells the story of a man who returns to New York to save the woman he loves. 

 

Lucas will re-unite with film legend Ken Burns on his new documentary, “Prohibition,” for PBS this spring. Lucas also starred in the 2008 documentary PoliWood, directed by Barry Levinson, which takes an in-depth look through the eyes of the actors at the Democratic and Republican national conventions held during the 2008 U.S. Presidential election year.  In 2007, Lucas collaborated with Burns again on the controversial documentary “The War.” “The War” premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was later nominated for a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award^®, Directors Guild Award^®, Television Critics Association Award^® and won three daytime Emmy Awards^®. Lucas’ other documentary work includes Ken Burns’ “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea”; the multiple award-winning, 2008 Oscar^®-nominated Operation Homecoming; Trumbo, which won the National Board of Review Freedom of Expression Award^® in 2008, and the Los Angeles Film Festival Audience Award-winning HBO documentary “Resolved.”

 

Over his career, Lucas has worked with many of the film community’s greatest talents.  In 2006, Lucas starred alongside Jon Voight in Disney’s Jerry Bruckheimer film, Glory Road, for which Lucas added 40 pounds to transform himself into legendary basketball coach Don Haskins.  Glory Road opened number one at the box office and was a critical success. Lucas also starred opposite Morgan Freeman and Robert Redford in Lasse Hallström’s An Unfinished Life; Kurt Russell and Richard Dreyfuss in Wolfang Petersen’s Poseidon; and opposite Jamie Bell in David Gordon Green’s Undertow, produced by Terrence Malick. Additionally, he starred alongside Christopher Walken in Around the Bend, with Jennifer Connelly and Eric Bana in Ang Lee’s Hulk, with Russell Crowe in Ron Howard’s Oscar^®-winning A Beautiful Mind, and opposite Reese Witherspoon in Disney’s smash hit Sweet Home Alabama.  Other film credits include Wonderland, The Deep End, American Psycho, Session 9 and You Can Count On Me.

 

Lucas’ theatre credits include starring on Broadway opposite Jessica Lange in the revival of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie,” as well as starring in the commercially and critically successful off-Broadway run of “Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell.” Other theatre credits include Lucas originating the role of  ‘Judas’ in Terrence McNally’s “Corpus Christi” at the Manhattan Theatre Club; Christopher Shinn’s “What Didn’t Happen at the Mark Taper Forum”; and “The Picture of Dorian Grey” at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.  Josh Lucas makes his home in New York City.

 

 

RACHEL BLANCHARD – ‘Ms. Budge’

 

Not afraid of taking risks, Rachel Blanchard plays a wide range of comedic and dramatic roles in both commercial and independent films and television.  Most recently these have included a recurring role in the BAFTA winning British comedy series "Peep Show” and a recurring role in the hit HBO series "Flight of the Conchords."  Blanchard starred opposite Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon in director Atom Egoyan's critically acclaimed 2005 film Where the Truth Lies and also appears in Egoyan's recent feature Adoration.  She will next be seen in Andrew Paquin’s Open House opposite Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer and Canada’s The Movie Network comedy series “Call Me Fitz.”

 

 

TED WHITTALL – ‘Mr. Wexler’

 

Ted has been acting and teaching in Canada for nearly twenty years. He has worked mostly in television, performing as a lead and supporting actor in dramatic series, MOW's and commercials in Canada, the U.S. and Britain. Credits include the series "Falcon Beach" for ABC/Global, the Emmy^® nominated mini-series "Further Tales of the City" for Showtime, "The Andromeda Strain" for A&E, "The State Within" for the BBC, and several U.S. and Canadian national ad campaigns both on camera and voice.

 

He won a Gemini Award^® for his work in the MOW Agent of Influence, and a Bessie Award^® for his work on a spot for Kellogg Eggo Waffles.

 

This year, taking a departure from reality TV, he is appearing in “Tower Prep,” a new live-action series for The Cartoon Network, and is creating the role of DC Comics anti-hero ‘Rick Flagg’ in the last season of the popular series the CW’s “Smallville.” He has appeared in several U.S. Features such as The Bone Collector and Wicker Park.  Daydream Nation is his first Canadian feature.

 

Ted was educated at Concordia University in Montreal where he received degrees in Economics and Film Studies. He trained as an actor at The Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York City. He is currently completing an M.A. at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. He also trained as a chef at George Brown College in Toronto and worked, during a brief sabbatical from the TV business, in several restaurants in Toronto.

 

Ted teaches acting privately at his studio, The Ted Whittall Workshop in Vancouver.

 

 

ABOUT THE CREW

 

 

MIKE GOLDBACH– Writer and Director

 

Filmmaker Mike Goldbach is quickly making a name for himself as a writer and director.

 

Goldbach’s latest original script, Jaws of Life, made the 2009 “Blacklist” and is currently being developed with producer Mason Novick (Juno, 500 Days of Summer).

 

Goldbach first gained notice after co-writing Childstar – a film directed, produced, and co-written by Don McKellar.  The film, which stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and Eric Stolz, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was listed as one of the “Top Ten of the Year” by The Village Voice. It was also nominated for a Genie Award^® (Canada’s Academy Awards^®) in seven categories, including Best Script.

 

In addition to film, GoldBach has segued his talents into writing for television.  He has written for television shows in Canada including the animated series “Odd Job Jack,” and the comedy “Rent-A-Goalie.”

 

Goldbach earned a B.A. in Cinema Studies from the University of British Columbia, and later completed grad work at the Canadian Film Centre.  He currently splits his time between Toronto and Los Angeles.

 

 

CHRISTINE HAEBLER – Producer

 

A 25 year film veteran, Christine spent the 80's and early 90's in various production positions working on films such as The Navigator, Willow, Immediate Family, Jennifer 8, Intersection and Little Women. She moved into producing Canadian films and earned a Best Motion Picture Genie nomination for her first producing venture, Hard Core. Gary Burns’ Kitchen Party, Tail Lights Fade as well as and Ben Ratner’s Moving Malcolm round out her Canadian features.

 

In 2007 she co-produced Peter Greenaway’s Nightwatching, starring Martin Freeman, which premiered at Venice and TIFF.

 

In 2009 she co-produced a Sandra Nettelbeck film entitled Helen starring Ashley Judd and Goran Vijnic, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival.

 

Christine is currently developing a diverse slate of projects: an adaptation of a political thriller entitled The Lepers Bell, written by Paul Micou. A family drama being directed by Charles Martin Smith based on the award winning play entitled Northern Lights, and a heart-warming tale of a young man suffering from Cystic Fibrosis entitled Will.

 

 

TRISH DOLMAN – Producer

Producer Trish Dolman is the founder and president of Screen Siren Pictures Inc. and has been producing film and television in Canada for over fifteen years. Previously Trish produced three other debut features. In 2009, she completed Year of the Carnivore (also a co-production with The Film Farm) by writer/director Sook-Yin Lee (Shortbus) starring Kristin Milioti, Mark Rendall, Will Sasso, Sheila McArthy and Kevin McDonald which opened the Canada First! program at TIFF 2009. In 2005, she produced “The Score”, a groundbreaking musical drama by Electric Company theatre director Kim Collier, which screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival, Puerto Vallarta Film Festival and INPUT (Taipei), and was nominated for Best Musical Score in a Feature Length Film (2006 Leo Awards^®) and Best Movie of the Week (2006 Banff Television Awards^®). In 2001/2002 she produced Keith Behrman’s first feature, Flower & Garnet which won more than twenty awards, (including Claude Jutra for Best 1st  feature, Best Narrative at the Boston International Film Festival) screened at Berlin (Panorama Special Section), Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Karlovy Vary, Pusan and MOMA: Canadian Front, and played in Vancouver theatres for over eleven weeks.

Trish has also produced more than ten award-winning documentary films and series, a number of them being international co-productions. She recently completed The First Movie, a UK/Canada co-production directed by Mark Cousins and is in post-production on Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson, a feature documentary of which she is the director.

She also produces dramatic television, including the Genie nominated Luna: The Spirit of the Whale, a TV movie for CTV and Peace Arch Entertainment starring Adam Beach, Graham Greene and Jason Priestley. In 2003, Trish was the youngest recipient of the Woman of the Year award from Women in Film and Video Vancouver.

She is also developing new feature films with directors Maxwell Maguire, Clement Virgo, Tim Southam and Isabel Coixet.

 

SIMONE URDL and JENNIFER WEISS – Producers

Partners Simone Urdl and Jennifer Weiss formed The Film Farm more than ten years ago after teaming up to produce their first feature film Jack & Jill. They are the producers of many critically acclaimed feature films such as Atom Egoyan’s Adoration, Brian De Palma’s Redacted and Sarah Polley’s Away From Her.

 

Previous to Daydream Nation, Urdl and Weiss were the Canadian Producers on Chloe directed by Atom Egoyan, and produced by Ivan Reitman's The Montecito Picture Company. The film premiered as a gala at TIFF 2009 and released in North America in March 2010, selling around the world and earning over $5M at the North American box office. Other films include Sook-Yin Lee's debut feature film Year of the Carnivore, another coproduction with Screen Siren Pictures, which had its Canada wide release in June 2010. Atom Egoyan’s Adoration had its world premiere in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival where it won the Ecumenical prize; Redacted won De Palma the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 64th Venice Film Festival and was screened around the world, including at the Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and the London Film Festival. Away From Her starring Julie Christie, Olympia Dukakis and Gordon Pinsent, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006 and is one of Canada’s top grossing films.  Julie Christie won the Best Actress Golden Globe^® in January 2008 and the film received Academy Award^® nominations for Christie (Actress in a Leading Role) and for Sarah Polley (Adapted Screenplay). Away From Her also won six Genies including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Adapted Screenplay, along with numerous critics’ awards. The Film Farm co-production In Between Days directed by So Yong Kim, premiered in Official Competition at Sundance (2006) where it won the Special Jury Prize for Independent Vision and then went on to win the FIPRESCI Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film also received two Gotham Award^® nominations and an Independent Spirit Award^® nomination.

 

Additionally, Urdl and Weiss produced the following: Peter Wellington’s Luck, which received the Best Narrative Feature Film Award at the 2004 South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, was nominated for a Best Screenplay Genie Award^®, and garnered four-star reviews upon its release; Soul Cages, which won a CSC Award^® for best cinematography in a short film and received a Genie nomination for Best Dramatic Short Film; Shorts In Motion (together with Foundry Films, for the National Film Board of Canada and Bravo!FACT), a series of short films directed by Sook-Yin Lee, Don McKellar, Sudz Sutherland and Mark McKinney; and Phillip Barker’s short film Night Vision which premiered at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival.

 

The Film Farm’s upcoming projects include: a new film with Brian De Palma, Peter Wellington’s Journey to the Surface of The Earth, a feature film project with Don McKellar, another feature film collaboration with Sook-Yin Lee, and Susan Shipton’s Wild Dogs. They are also working with Michael Ondaatje on a theatrical interpretation of the writer’s most recent novel Divisidero.  

 

Urdl and Weiss were the original producers of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Talent Lab from 2003 through 2006.

 

 

CAMERON LAMB – Executive Producer

 

Cameron Lamb began his entertainment career in 1993 working with the Nine Network of Australia, and then went on to work in management at Audience Development Australia (ADA) that provided Television Networks and Producers with quantitative and qualitative research on specific programs.

 

In 2000, Cameron furthered his career working for Banksia Entertainment. At the same time he was integral in setting up the Australian alliance of an international group that watermarks and reports all content that has been to air on Broadcast Television within Australia.

 

September 2004, Cameron moved to Los Angeles, where he established Friday Night Entertainment. Cameron developed the business model, bringing Michael Besman (About Schmidt) and Michael Costigan (Brokeback Mountain, American Gangster) on board. Cameron then raised the funds to commence operation, option and produce FNE's first feature film with Michael Besman, titled Careless, starring Colin Hanks and Tony Shalhoub. Careless was distributed by ThinkFilm throughout North America.

 

Currently Cameron is producing and developing: “I, Lucifer,” by Glen Duncan with screenplay adaptation by Dan Harris and Mike Dougherty (X-Men 2 and Superman Returns). “I, Lucifer” has been set-up with Ridley Scott’s company, Scott Free, and is set to be produced as a scripted television series. Additional projects include: The Golden Guru: The Strange Journey of Bhagwan Shree Rajnesh by James S. Gordon with screenplay adaptation by Mike Goldbach, Blue Heaven, by C.J. Box, screenplay adaptation by Tony Gayton (The Salton Sean and Murder By Numbers), and Damsel, by David and Nathan Zellner, original material to be directed by David Zellner.

 

 

TIM J. BROWN – Executive Producer

 

Tim Brown has over 17 years experience in the film distribution business. He began releasing feature films for Malofilm Distribution in 1993 and has not looked back since. After three years at Malofilm, he moved on to become the National Sales Manager for TVA (formally Astral Distribution).  Tim spent five years growing the Astral video business in Canada before moving to Vancouver to join Keystone Distribution as VP of Worldwide Sales. Tim spent six years building the international distribution for Keystone before joining Insight in 2007.

 

In less than two years Tim built Insight into a thriving distribution company selling over 40 films and TV series domestically and internationally.  He has worked on every aspect of production from pre-production through post-production and finally distribution and marketing.

 

In 2006 Tim got behind the camera and directed his first feature film The Cradle, starring Lukas Haas.

 

SAM MAYDEW – Executive Producer

 

Sam Maydew is a partner and co-founder of The Collective. Having always played an integral role in advancing the creative vision of the artist with great attention to quality, Sam’s forward thinking in expanding the scope of traditional representation has led to establishing an environment where an artist’s creative endeavors are truly unlimited.

 

Based on The Collective’s collaborative culture, Sam plays an instrumental role in many facets of the company’s initiatives. His primary focus ranges from overseeing the management of a diverse roster of clients to the overall operation of Collective Films. As is indicative of The Collective’s practice, it was through Sam’s representation of multi-talented client Joe Hahn that led to the formation of The Collective Music Group and the subsequent signing of the company’s first music act, Linkin Park.

 

Within Sam’s diverse clientele, he manages the careers of some of the industry’s most established and celebrated artists, as well as the blossoming careers of the next generation. His clients include: Martin Lawrence, Emile Hirsch, Vincent D’onofrio, Ioan Gruffudd, Andy Whitfield, Michelle Rodriguez, T.R. Knight, Joshua Leonard, Scott Wolf, Chris Marquette and Chi McBride. Sam has always had a keen eye for undiscovered talent like Hirsch, who Sam met at fourteen years old, prior to his first film role. Committing to a strategy that would place Emile in a category of the most respected actors of his generation, Sam has successfully guided Emile’s career, having landed him roles in highly revered and versatile projects, including the lead role in Sean Penn’s Into the Wild. Sam’s approach is to put real focus on the individual development and growth of each client, as is demonstrated while transitioning one of the biggest kid stars in television, Josh Peck, from his leading role in Nickelodeon’s “Drake and Josh” to becoming a respected dramatic actor starring opposite Sir Ben Kingsly in The Wackness and his starring role in the upcoming Red Dawn remake. Taylor Momsen (CW’s “Gossip Girl”), Ramon Rodriguez (Battle LA, Transformers 2), Zach Cregger (Friends with Benefits, The Whitest Kids), Asher Book (Fame) and Shenae Grimes (CW’s “90210”) are all on track for break out status. Maydew also has extensive experience in literary development from his days as an independent producer. To that end Sam works with several multi hyphenate artists such as accomplished director Joe Hahn, writer/director Brit McAdams, Joshua Leonard (who also writes & directs), and Youtube sensation Freddie Wong (also known as Freddie W).

 

Prior to founding The Collective in 2005, Sam was the Founder and President of Pop Art Films & Management Company. In 1998, Sam produced the acclaimed Sundance cult film, SLC Punk! In addition to developing the script, raising the financing and producing the film, Sam also supervised the film’s classic punk soundtrack, which included music from Blondie, the Velvet Underground, the Ramones, Stooges, and The Dead Kennedy’s, to name a few. It was this experience that built the foundation for Sam’s larger vision of creating a full-service multi-media company that offered an unparalleled and widely extended opportunity for the artist. In a career spanning more than twenty years, Sam began his journey at NBC in Development for the comedy writing team, Steve Zacharias and Jeff Buhai.

 

 

AARON L. GILBERT – Executive Producer and Music Supervisor

 

Gilbert is the Managing Partner of Bron Studios. Over the last 15 years he has consulted and held senior executive and board advisory positions with North American and Southeast Asian companies, facilitated motion picture and series television finance, and advised both hedge and media funds as wells as private and institutional project lenders.

 

Gilbert is the Producer / Executive Producer of recent films Janie Jones, I Melt With You, Paradox, Jabberwocky and Foreverland and is producing the upcoming feature A Single Shot and the film/2-hour series pilot “The Saint”. Gilbert is a former business affairs and production executive, working with major animations and visual effects houses to service all major studios and broadcasters.

 

JON JOFFIN – Director of Photography

 

Jon Joffin's achievements as Director of Photography include a 2009 Gemini Nomination for Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series for “Crusoe,” for Universal Media Studios. For his work on the A&E mini-series “The Andromeda Strain,” Joffin received a 2008 Emmy^® Nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie, and an ASC Nomination for Outstanding Cinematography in a Television Movie/Miniseries/Pilot. He also received the 2010 Leo Award^® for Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Drama for Alice.

 

Other TV credits include: ABC Family Channel’s mini-series “Fallen,” the mini-series “Elvis” for CBC, and Fox’s “X-Files” (season 4).  He also shared cinematography credits for the acclaimed feature, The Snow Walker, directed by Charles Martin Smith. Jon lives in Vancouver.

 

 

JAMIE ALAIN – Editor

 

Jamie Alain is a young and diverse film and television editor.  After receiving his BFA in Film and English at Simon Fraser University in 2001, Jamie began his career as an editor, cutting documentaries, shorts, music videos and web content for companies such as Nike and Nintendo.   His first big break came when he was hired to edit the indie drama When a Man Falls in the Forest starring Sharon Stone, Timothy Hutton and Dylan Baker and directed by Ryan Eslinger.  The film was accepted into official competition at the Berlin Film Festival and Jamie was nominated for a Leo Award^® for Best Picture Editing on a Feature Film.  Jamie’s eclectic credit list went on to include  “Painkiller Jane,” a Syfy original series; Damage, a ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin action film, directed by Jeff F. King, Icarus, starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren; and Driven to Kill, starring Steven Seagal and also directed by Jeff King.

 

Jamie is also an award winning short and music video director and editor, receiving five Leo Award^® nominations and winning the Golden Sheaf Award^® at the Yorkton Film Festival for best experimental short, for his film Toreador. Jamie lives in Vancouver.

 

 

OHAD BENCHETRIT – Composer

 

Ohad Benchetrit is a Canadian musician. He plays guitar, bass, saxophone and flute for the post-rock band Do Make Say Think, and has also contributed to albums by Broken Social Scene, Feist, The Hidden Cameras and Charles Spearin. Ohad released his first solo record, "Years," in 2009 on the Arts & Crafts label.

 

 

MICHAEL OLSEN – Consulting Producer

 

“Raising money for feature or television projects has never been more challenging than it is today. Never mind the economy, investors are more savvy and demand greater clarity on everything from budgets, marketing, distribution strategy and creative elements”.

 

This has been a main topic where Michael has been a regular speaker at several Institute of International Film Financing Seminars, Woodbury University, Burbank, California and in addition to several Film Festivals.

 

Michael Olsen has been in the film finance business for over 4 years beginning with Yaletown Capital and for last 2-years Michael recognized an even greater need for their services and subsequently started TriStar Film Finance Corp, a one-stop shop providing producers with tax credit financing, corporate structuring and business services – primarily for lower to mid-budget film and television productions. Tristar also began to incorporate in its services the financial potential, of Brand Integration (aka product placement) which is a largely untapped resource for Indies for this tier of productions.

 

Since TriStar was officially launched in July of 2009, the company has provided $2.5 Million in film financing and services to the independent feature films Paradox, a sci-fi thriller starring Kevin Sorbo and Blood: A Butchers Tale, a vampire/horror film starring Aaron Douglas and Kim Coates.

 

In 2010 Michael, along with a group of like-minded executives from different parts of the entertainment industry, came together to form a company called Serengeti Media Group. Serengeti is a breakthrough system in reinventing the typical Studio System targeted for Independent Producers.

 

Serengeti has taken its model to create the Serengeti Film & Media Fund, which is “a hybrid investment opportunity in the entertainment industry to diversify investments and yield profitable returns.”

 

Serengeti Media Group is a part of the Film Fund that will manage the investment selections as well as marketing and advertising spend and deliver US domestic theatrical distribution for production it undertakes.

 

 

 

CAST AND CREW

 

Cast

Caroline Wexler

Kat Dennings

Thurston Goldberg

Reece Thompson

Enid Goldberg

Andie MacDowell

Mr. Barry Anderson

Josh Lucas

Ms. Budge

Rachel Blanchard

Mr. Wexler

Ted Whittall

Jenny

Katie Boland

Rolly

Luke Camilleri

Paul

Landon Liboiron

Charles

Jesse Reid

Craig

Calum Worthy

Lily Goldberg

Natasha Calis

Thomas

Quinn Lord

Laura Lee

Laura Jacobs

Police Officer

Sean Tyson

Judy

Patricia Isaac

Tina

Genevieve Buechner

Party Guy

Adam Slamang

Man in Suit

David Pearson

Mr. Myers

Bruce Harwood

Kid #1

Alex Ferris

Kid #2

Connor Stanhope

Todd

Scott E. Miller

Doomed Cheerleader

Lauren Robertson

Teenager

Cole Heppell

Jenny's Mom

Nadine Wright

Jenny's Dad

Ian Robison

Killer (White Suit)

William Phillips

10 year old girl

Michele Creber

Stunt Coordinator

Kimani Ray Smith

Thurston - Stunt Double

Quinn Star

Crew

Production Manager / Line Producer

Ian Hay

First Assistant Director

Jack Hardy

Kevin Speckmaier

Second Assistant Director

Ania Musiatowicz

Associate Producer

Steven Thibault

Associate Producer

Haydn Wazelle

Production Supervisor

Craig Stapleton

Third Assistant Director

Melissa Lukacevic

Mimi Crowe

Rachael Fortier

Trainee Assistant Director

Michael Bishop

Production Coordinator

Louisa Main

1st Assistant Production Coordinator

Morley Cruickshank

James A. Fantin

A' Camera Operator

Martin McInally

B' Camera Operator

Michael Wale

1st Assistant Camera

Richard Sinclair

2nd Assistant Camera

Cynthia Greer

Adriene Wyse

Camera Trainee

Patrick Cronin

MP Video Coordinator

Mitch Bax

Nathan McTague

Stills Photographer

Ed Araquel

Script Supervisor

Laura Collini

Production Accountant

Kerri Boyce

1st Assistant Accountant

Barb Antonick

Lisa M. Warren

Accounting Clerk

Scott Matthews

Set Decorator

Grayson Hosie

Mark Lane

Assistant Set Decorator

Sean Whale

Michelle Pitney

Set Buyer

Jim Thorburn

On Set Dressers

Jean-Paul Carthy

Helena Fleger

Lead Dresser

Richard Steward

Dressers

Aaron Troy

Kristofer Sandberg

Benjamin Lee

Christopher A. R. Lowe

Paul McCulloch

Miranda Middle

Daniel Rheault

Bill Stone

Roger Troy

Cory White

Art Department Assistant

Jason Rains

Props Master

Linda Ganderton

Assistant Props Master

Andrea Moyen

On Set

Tyler Page

Construction Coordinator

Baron Shaver

Gaffer

Burton Kuchera

Mark Berlet

Best Boy Electrics

Todd Kristianson

Lamp Operators

Matthew Davis

Bryce Dickson

Daniyel Holt

James Jackson

Bernard Lally

Zackary Lazarus

Kyle Leggett

Riley Pearcy

Brian Shaw

Jason Tidsbury

Mark Wagner

Knesha Yu

Genny Operators

John Brown

Gilbert Jamault

Kevin O'Leary

Keith Sherritt

Key Grip

Alex Godfrey

Best Boy Grips

Rob Sperling

Leon Serginson

Dolly Grips

David Kershaw

Ed McMahon

Bryce Shaw

Grips

Jonas Gray

Kelly Andruko

Ken Damer

Brandon Gibson

Jesse Harris

Andy Hodgson

Ken Hoskins

Carl Jensen

James Kantola

W. Scott Keates

Tera Morrell

Alan Musson

Shea Pollard

Adam Utley

Background Casting Director

Stephanie Boeke

Casting Assistant

Kara Eide

Costume Designer

Ken Shapkin

Assistant Costume Designer

Edith McAllister

Costumes Set Supervisor

Taryn Thumath

Truck Costumer

Cailyn Murray

Background Costumers

Dawn Grey

Costumes Volunteer

Jessica Jeffery

Key Hairstylist

Jill Corp

1st Assistant Hair

Christina Furuya

Personal to Kat Dennings and

Make Up Designed by

Patricia Murray

Key Make Up Artist

Amy Van Wormer

1st Assistant Make Up Artist

Amber Trudeau

Location Sound Mixer

William Skinner

Boom Operator

Jim Lacamell

Cameron Foodikoff

Special Effects Coordinator

Wayne Szbunka

1st Assistant Special Effects

Kim Mortensen

Assistant Special Effects

Steve Collins

Joel Fisher

Ron Kozier

Eric Vrba

Transportation Coordinator

Christopher Wild

Ray "Razor" Waechter

Co- Transport Captain

Mark Schmitke

Cast Drivers

Peter Road

Cameron Foss

Cable Truck Driver

Tony Boulter

Drivers

Steven Churchill

John Edwards

Larry Fedyk

Joseph William Hermoza

Jordan MacKay

Shawn McDonald

Amar Sangha

Taylor Sarai

Carrie Schmidtke

Kevin Weber

Rick Weeks

Location Manager

Chris Wilson

Assistant Location Manager

Jeff  Elliott

Location Scout

Jederzej Kowalski

Jorge Daniel Vargas

Trainee Assistant Location Manager

Cale Ashe

Office Production Assistant Vancouver

Nicholas Vecchio

Story Editor

Jacob Tierney

Producer's Assistant

Kait O'Leary

Assistant to the Director

Karen Stermscheg

Key Production Assistants

Dale Bredeson

David S. Fullerton

Shane West

Location Production Assistants

Emmanuel Albano

David Peacock

Evan Chan

Elena Peradenic

Nadine Charleson-Sandhu

Jerami Pergel

Frank Ciolfitto

Monika Reams

David Doucette

Angela Rice

Sam Dyck

Matthue Richardson

Mark Robert Gibbard

Ashley Sawyer

Rick Lindley

Hermano Silva

Ryan Mains

Mike Simpson

Michael McAree

Anna Zaleska

Jeff Walter Mohs

Emily Zmak

Tera Morrell

Catering

Pharcyde Foods

Campbell Watson

Chef

Tony Peterson

Chef's Assistant

Jean-Pierre Bertaina

Maureen Sugrue

First Aid / Craft Service

Sandy Reynolds

Michael Sandyke

First Aid Craft Service Assistant

Candice Fabbiano

Nick Longmuir

Security Coordinator

Than Hadjionnou

Security

Wayne Gaines

Harry Kenball

Boris Machula

Carlos Olivia

Allan Plante

Jairo Urrea Ricardo Urrea

2nd / Splinter Unit

2nd Unit Director

Trish Dolman

Christine Haebler

Director of Photography / Operator

Michael Wale

1st Camera Assistant Camera

Kieran Humphries

2nd Assistant Camera

Thomas Yardley

Einar Sigurdson

Allison Short

Post Production

Post Production  Supervisor

Adam Voghell

Assistant Editor Vancouver

Colin Cooper

Assistant Editor Toronto

Adam Locke-Norton

Post Production Accounting

Doug Gillespie

Final Cut Pro Suite Provided by Theatre D Digital at The Royal (Toronto)

Sound Design Services

Sound Dogs Toronto

Supervising Sound Designer

Nelson Ferreira

Sound Effects Editor

J.R. Fountain

Dialogue Editor

Joe Bracciale

Assistant Sound Editor

Dashen Naidoo

Re-Recording Facility

Deluxe | Postproduction | Toronto

Re-Recording Mixers

Ian Rankin

Mike Woroniuk

Sound Re-Recording Assistants

Jason Perreira

Colin McLellan

Foley Recordist

Steve Copley

Foley Artists

Steve Hammond

Optical Recordist

Finlay Braithwaite

Project Manager, Re-Recording Operations

Michael Paterson

ADR Sound Studio (Vancouver)

Post Modern Sound

ADR Recordist (Vancouver)

Chris Cleator

ADR Assistant (Vancouver)

Josh Stevenson

ADR Sound Studio (Toronto)

Deluxe | Postproduction | Toronto

ADR Recordist (Toronto)

Colin McLellan

ADR Sound Studio (Los Angeles)

Roundabout Entertainment

ADR Sound Studio (North Carolina)

ProComm Studio Services, Inc.

ADR Recordist (North Carolina)

Jeff Pittman

Dolby Sound Consultant

David Berti

Music Supervisor

Aaron L. Gilbert

Additional Music Services

Ben Chan

Chris Taylor

Last Gang Entertainment

Video Post Production Services Provided by Deluxe Vancouver

Vice President of Research & Development

Ken Hayward

Digital Intermediate Colorist

Andrea Dixon

Digital Intermediate Editor

Flavio Bidese

Title Placement

Fred W. Richters

Project Coordinator

Allison Melech

Visual Effects

Hell VFX

Visual Effects Supervisor

Richard Mintak

Post Sound Facility

Deluxe Toronto

Title Art

Rethink Communications

Carson Ting

Chris Nielsen

Rob Tarry

Jeff Harrison

Devin Leggett

EPK Camera & Interviewer

Movieset Inc.

Quinn Bender

EPK Editor

Movieset Inc.

Graham Fortin

Production Insurance

Front Row Insurance Brokers

David W. Hamilton

Legal Services

Roberts & Stahl Barristers and Solicitors

Doran Chandler

Script Clearance

The Research House Clearance Services Inc.

Payroll Service

EP Canada Film Services Inc.

For Screen Siren Pictures

Financial Controller

Steven Thibault

Accounting Clerk

Richard Raghoo

Audit

Wolridge Mahon LLP.

For National Bank of Canada

NBC Account Manager

Charlene Paling LL.B.

Bank Legal Counsel

Juliet D. W. Smith

Make-Up Provided by

Sappho Cosmetics (Make Up Fearlessly/ Organic Cosmetics)

Dermalogica Cosmetics

Amazing Concealer Cosmetics

Urban Decay Cosmetics

Mac Cosmetics

Benefit Cosmetics

Very Special Thanks to:

Joel Ransom

Semi Chellas

Stephanie Azam

John Dippong

William Baldwin

Suzanne Thompson

Bryan Gliserman

Charlotte Mickie

Nicole King

Mick Sullivan

Jennifer Rawlings

Frank Fratteroli

Troy Zien

Ava Greenfield

Max Burgos

Leslie Harrison

Tassie Cameron

Amy Rutherford

Michael Mjanes and Co.

Paul Fox

Stephen Surjik

Meredeth Powell

Etobicoke School of the Arts

Tom Lowe

Andrew Banks

Pat Ethier

John Ethier

Fleurette Couture

Kevin Drew

Motion Content provided by Thought Equity Motion   Footage supplied by Triangle Collection/Getty Images Stock Footage

	Daydream Nation SONG CREDITS
"Kool Thing" Performed by: Sonic Youth Courtesy of Geffen Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises   "Last Years Disco Guitars" Written by: Bishop Morocco Performed by: Bishop Morocco Courtesy of Hand Drawn Dracula Inc.   "What The Snowman Learned" Written by: T. Campbell, A. Millan, C. Seligman, E. Cranley Performed by: Stars (SOCAN) Courtesy of Stars   Devendra Banhart "Carmensita" (P) 2007 XL Recordings Limited Written by Devendra Banhart Published by Chrysalis Music ISRC No: GB-BKS-07-00325 Taken from the album 'Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon' XLCD 283 Licensed courtesy of XL Recordings Ltd www.xlrecordings.com   "Working Full Time" Written by Bryan Webb, Will Kidman, Steve Lambke, Doug MacGregor, Dallas Wehrle Published by GalleryAC Music (SOCAN) Courtesy of Constantines   "Eric's Trip" Performed by: Sonic Youth Courtesy of Geffen Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises   Devendra Banhart "Now That I Know" (P) 2005 XL Recordings Limited Written by Devendra Banhart Published by Chrysalis Music ISRC No: GB-BKS-05-62584 Taken from the album 'Cripple Crow' XLCD 192 Licensed courtesy of XL Recordings Ltd www.xlrecordings.com   “Lady Day” Written by: Lou Reed Published by: Oakfield Avenue Music Ltd. administered by Spirit One Music (BMI) Courtesy of Sony Music   "God Bless Our Dead Marines" Written by Thierry Amar, Rebecca Foon, Scott Gilmore, Ian Ilavsky, Efrim Menuck, Jessica Moss, Sophie Trudeau. Used by permission of Rough Trade Publishing Ltd. Courtesy of Constellation Records.   "Shine A Light" Written by B. Webb, S. Lambke, D. Wehrle, W. Kidman, D. MacGregor Published by Gallery AC Music (SOCAN) Courtesy of Constantines   “Gimme Indie Rock” Performed by Sebadoh Written by Lou Barlow, Eric Gaffney, and Jason Loewenstein (P) & © 2006 Domino Recording Company Ltd Publishing by Universal Music Publishing Licensed courtesy of Domino Recording Company Ltd   "Expecting to Fly" Performed by Emily Haines Courtesy of Last Gang Records Written by: Neil Young Published by Broken Arrow Music Inc. Courtesy of Wixen Music Publishing					"Walk in the Park" Performed by: Beach House Courtesy of Sub Pop Records   "Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op 109- I. Vivace ma non troppo; Adagio espressivo" Written by: Ludwig van Beethoven Performed by: Anton Kuerti Courtesy of Groupe Analekta Inc. All Rights Reserved, Used by Permission   "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" Written by:  T. Campbell, A. Millan, C. Seligman, E. Cranley, P. McGee Performed by: Stars (SOCAN) Courtesy of Arts & Crafts International     Devendra Banhart "Korean Dogwood" (P) 2005 XL Recordings Limited Written by Devendra Banhart Published by Chrysalis Music ISRC No: GB-BKS-05-62603 Taken from the album 'Cripple Crow' XLCD 192 Licensed courtesy of XL Recordings Ltd www.xlrecordings.com
							Devendra Banhart "Bad Girl"
								(P) 2007 XL Recordings Limited
						Written by Devendra Banhart
						Published by Chrysalis Music
						ISRC No: GB-BKS-07-00318
						Taken from the album 'Smokey Rolls
						Down Thunder Canyon' XLCD 283
						Licensed courtesy of XL Recordings Ltd.
						www.xlrecordings.com
						"Rowboat" Written by: Emily Haines Performed by: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton Published by Chrysalis Music Courtesy of Last Gang Records Inc.   “Backstage With The Modern Dancers" Written By: Tony Dekker / Great Lake Swimmers Published By: Nettwerk Productions Copyright: SOCAN / Harbour Songs Publishing Inc. Courtesy of Nettwerk Productions / Great Lake Swimmers   “Telethon” Written by Emily Haines Performed by Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton Published by Chrysalis Music Courtesy of Last Gang Records Inc.   Devendra Banhart "At The Hop" (P) 2004 XL Recordings Limited Written by Devendra Banhart Published by Chrysalis Music ISRC No: GB-BKS-04-61535 Taken from the album 'Nino Rojo' XLCD 185 Licensed courtesy of XL Recordings Ltd and Young God Records www.xlrecordings.com   "Master of None” Lyrics by Victoria Legrand Composed by Victoria Legrand, Alex Scally Performed by Beach House Courtesy of Carpark Records and Bella Union Records

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Follow Golden Globe-winner Steve Buscemi as he travels from Brooklyn to Pennsylvania and on to the battlefields of Virginia in pursuit of an ancestor with a dark and mysterious past.   Learn more on NBC.com   Watch a preview    Gwyneth Paltrow digs in to her family's past and finds a surprising connection to her spiritual roots, a new appreciation for her great-grandmother and ancestors on the island of Barbados.  Ashley Judd sets out to discover the truth behind her family's tall tales. Her search leads her to an ancestor who faced tragedy in the Union Army and an incredible connection to America's first settlers. Grand Prize includes a $20,000 trip to your family's homeland, and: • Personalized assistance from expert genealogists • A World Deluxe Membership for you and 5 relatives You can enter once a day through April 8, 2011. Earn additional entries by entering friends' email addresses to tell them about the sweepstakes.

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As stunning as she is talented, Amber Heard is making waves with her captivating performance on the big screen.

Heard will next be seen in the action thriller, Drive Angry 3D opposite Nicolas Cage, released by Summit Entertainment on February 11, 2010. She will also be seen in The Rum Diary starring opposite Johnny Depp and Aaron Eckhart. The dramatic adventure film will be released in 2011. Heard last starred in John Carpenter's The Ward which premiered at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival.

Previously, Heard starred in 2009's box office hit, Zombieland opposite Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray and Jesse Eisenberg. She also starred in the suspense thriller, The Stepfather, with Sela Ward, Dylan Walsh and Penn Badgley. In 2008, she starred in the comedic hit, Pineapple Express with Seth Rogan and James Franco. Heard received a 2008 Young Hollywood Award for her breakthrough performance in Pineapple Express.

She was also seen in the critically acclaimed film, North Country starring Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand.  Her other film credits include The Joneses, Never Back Down, Alpha Dog and Friday Night Lights.

On television, Heard starred on The CW drama, Hidden Palms and had guest starring roles on Showtime's “Californication” and CBS's “Criminal Minds.” 

ODETTE YUSTMAN (Ellie)

 

Paving the way for young Latinas, the beautiful and talented Odette Yustman is certainly one to watch. She was last seen in the Disney film You Again opposite Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver this past September. Earlier this year, Yustman completed production on the Hyde Park film The Double, in which she starred alongside Topher Grace and Richard Gere, and the action-comedy Operation: Endgame, in which she starred alongside Rob Corddry, Ellen Barkin, and Zach Galifianakis .

In 2009, Yustman starred in the David Goyer directed psychological thriller The Unborn for Universal opposite Gary Oldman. Odette made her mark on the big screen JJ Abram’s Cloverfield. 

On the small screen, Odette recently completed a pilot for Happy Madison/FOX.  She is familiar to television audiences from her role as Aubrey on the ABC drama “October Road”.    

Odette started her acting career in Universal’s Kindergarten Cop. She currently resides in Los Angeles. 

 

KARL URBAN (Michael)

 

Karl Urban (Michael), best known for his recent turn as Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy in 2009’s Star Trek, as Rohan warrior Eomer in the second and third installments of Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of the Rings trilogy, and for his chilling performance of Kirill in Paul Greengrass’ The Bourne Supremacy.

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Urban first appeared on television as a child actor. Throughout his school years he wrote, directed and starred in many film and stage productions. As a young adult he continued to pursue his acting career, training and working throughout Australia and Asia in theater, film and television.

Urban landed his feature film debut in Miramax’s Heaven and garnered two Best Actor nominations at the New Zealand Film Awards for his work in Via Satellite and the acclaimed indie film The Price Of Milk. Recently, Urban won Best Actor at the Quantas Film Awards for his portrayal of Nick in Out of the Blue along with a BSFC Award for Best Ensemble Cast for Star Trek.

Urban’s most recent film is Red starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Mary-Louise Parker, and will next be seen in Priest with Paul Bettany and Cam Gigandet, as well as the next film in the Star Trek franchise. 

Urban resides in New Zealand, and is an avid supporter of KIDS CAN, an organization that feeds and clothes over 30,000 New Zealand children who live in poverty.  

ABOUT THE CREW

 

MARCOS EFRON DIRECTOR and CO-SCREENWRITER

 

Award-winning writer/director Marcos Efron was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and raised in Houston, Texas.  After earning a business degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Marcos worked as an investment banker in New York and Miami but eventually chose to tackle more creative endeavors.  Starting his career as an executive at Artisan Entertainment, Industry Entertainment and Relativity Media, Marcos began directing commercials and music videos for a variety of artists, both independent and major label, including Pete Munday, The Fates and Angie Mattson.  Soon after his directing debut, Marcos was chosen from a field of over 200 directors to direct the video for the title track to Jewel’s hit record, “This Way.”  His video for “Drive” by Angie Mattson won the award for Best Independent Video of the Year at the Los Angeles Music Awards.

Marcos’ moving and evocative short film Common Practice was featured in the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.  After Sundance, Common Practice went on to play festivals around the world and win numerous awards.  Following the success of Common Practice, Marcos focused

his energies on feature films and his screenplay for his provocative character drama The Walls was invited to the prestigious Tribeca All Access screenwriting program.  

 And Soon the Darkness is Marcos’ debut both for feature writing and directing.

 

JENNIFER DERWINGSON CO-SCREENWRITER

 

Jennifer Derwingson grew up in Mt. Shasta, CA, home to a 14,000 foot volcano, lumberjacks, urban refugees, and, if you're to believe the rumors, Big Foot and the descendants of Atlantis. As an undergrad at Stanford, Derwingson started writing sketch comedy and directing theatre, the latter leading to projects in Bali, London and San Francisco. She then made the plunge to celluloid, earning an MFA at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Her short film, Roadside Assistance, played festivals around the world and earned numerous awards including the Student Emmy for Comedy. 

After graduating she worked as a writer's assistant on USA Network's The Dead Zone, then sold her first feature, The Yellow Wood, to Spyglass Entertainment and Stephen J. Cannell. That led to several writing assignments including an adaptation of the Richard Bach book Illusions, now set up at Warner Brothers with Zack Snyder attached to direct, and the remake of And Soon the Darkness, for Abandon Films and Canal Plus starring Amber Heard and Odette Yustman, which is currently awaiting a theatrical release. Derwingson recently completed the Disney/ABC Writing Fellowship. 

 

GABRIEL BERISTAIN DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

 

Gabriel Beristain was born in Mexico into a theatrical dynasty. His father, Luis Beristain, was a renowned lead actor of stage and screen whose last film was Luis Buñuel's Exterminating Angel. His interest in filmmaking began with his involvement in Mexico's independent film scene in the seventies.

He worked as documentary and newsreel cameraman throughout Europe, covering sensitive political, social, and ecological issues. Accepted by the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, England, one of the top film schools in the world, he shot Jenny Wilkes’ Academy® Award Winner for Best Foreign Student Film, Mother's Wedding.

 Having settled in England, The Berlin Film Festival honored him in 1987 with a Special Silver Bear 'for outstanding single achievement’ in cinematography, for Derek Jarman's Caravaggio.

Subsequent work in films like the multi-part Aria (1987), as the sole cinematographer with two segments, one of them for legendary director Ken Russell, earned him an invitation into the British Society of Cinematographers in 1990 and, a decade later, was invited into the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers, where he's actively involved.

 In 1991, after shooting K-2 in the Himalayas, he moved to the U. S. to work in cult classics like Blood In, Blood Out and Dolores Clairborne. Cinematographer credits hence amount to over two dozen motion pictures and a hundred commercials and music videos. His was the look that launched Liv Tyler in her father's Aerosmith videos, re-energized the filmography of David Mamet (The Spanish Prisoner) and Guillermo Del Toro (Blade 2), and broke new ground in films like S.W.A.T., The Ring 2 and Blade Trinity.  His latest films are two fine independents, And Soon the Darkness and Princess Ka’iulani. He’s currently shooting There Be Dragons for film legend Roland Joffe. 

 His film-directing debut came about in the context of a 1995 work for the BBC series, with the award-winning docu-drama Calling London. 

 Gabriel Beristain is member of AMPAS and BAFTA LA., and lives in Los Angeles with his photographer wife Elizabeth and their children., Max and Victoria.

 

 

 

TOMANDANDY COMPOSER

 

tomandandy are composers and producers in transmedia. While they are best known for their work in film scores and television commercials, they have produced music for the most contexts including record projects, videogames, art installations and fashion shows. At any given time tomandandy’s work is being broadcasted somewhere in the world.

Andy Milburn was born in Texas and went to Princeton University for undergraduate as well as graduate work in computer music.

Thomas Hajdu was born in Canada and moved to the US to work on his graduate studies in Princeton University in computer music.

They have collaborated with artists such as William Burroughs, David Byrne, Oliver Stone, Roger Avery, Lou Reed, Wes Borland, La Fura dels Baus, Jenny Hoizer, Tome Sachs and William Gibson.

At the same time, tomandandy invested in technological innovations focusing on digital entertainment.  They have several patents pending and have received a broad patent (US 6.051.770) in artificial intelligence and content creation. 

END CREDITS

 

 

AND SOON THE DARKNESS

 

CAST

IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

 

DRIVERS

 

HUGO VERGA   DANIEL ROMERO

MARTIN BENITEZ  JOSE BENITEZ

DANIEL MARTINEZ  GUSTAVO GUIDA

RICARDO NAVARRO    EDUARDO CASERE

MIGUEL ANGEL GRANADO FERNANDA MAMANI

MIGUEL GARCIA  NESTOR JESUS HERNANDEZ

MARTIN LEONARDO VARGAS DAVIS OMAR PANIAGUA

MIGUEL ANGEL RODRIGUEZ GUSTAVO RODOLFO OCAMPO

ERNESTO DANTE ALVAREZ JOSÉ TONKEVICIOS

RODRIGO MAMANI  MIGUEL ALVAREZ

SERGIO DANIEL DJEMDJEMIAN

 

 

Sound Editing, Design, and Mixing Services

Provided by

Universal Studios Sound Department

 

 

Digital Intermediate and Opticals by

Technicolor Digital Intermediates

A Technicolor Company

 

 

Visual Effects by

HimAnl Productions

Burbank, CA

 

 

SONGS

 

"Bajo Del Norte"

Performed by Michael Sosa and Anthony Vanacore

Written by Michael Sosa

Published by Michael Sosa

 

"EI Apagon"

Performed by Señor Flavio

Written by Flavio Oscar Cianciarulo

From the album 'Supersaund 2012' courtesy of Nacional Records

 

"Feelin"

Performed by Bomba Estereo

Written by Mejia Ochoa, Federico; Saumet Avila, Liliana

Courtesy of Nacional Records

Used by permission of EMI Entertainment World, Inc.

All rights reserved

 

"Macarena" (Bayside Boys Remix)

Performed by Los Del Rio

Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment Spain, S.L.

By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

"I Touch Myself"

Performed by the Divinyls

Written by Christine Amphlett, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg, M. McEntee

Published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, EMI Music Publishing

Courtesy of Virgin Records America, Inc

Under license from EMI Film & Television Music

All rights reserved

 

"La Nina Rica"

Performed by Bomba Estereo

Written by Mejia Ochoa, Federico; Saumet Avila, Liliana

Courtesy of Nacional Records

Used by permission of EMI Entertainment World, Inc.

All rights reserved

 

"I Don't Do Surprises"

Performed by Axle Whitehead

Written by Robert Conley, Axle Whitehead

Published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC o/b/o Sony/ATV Music Publishing Australia Pty Ltd.

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"La Pedrera"

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"Cold Soul"

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Produced by Rudy Haeusermann

Wrilten by Angie Mattson and Rudy Haeusermann

ASCAP Je Voudrais Music, The Haasen Publishing

 

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AND SOON THE DARKNESS

 

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From DreamWorks Pictures comes “I Am Number Four,” directed by D.J. Caruso and starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Callan McAuliffe and Kevin Durand. Michael Bay is the producer and David Valdes, Chris Bender and J.C. Spink serve as executive producers. The screenplay adaptation is by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and Marti Noxon, based on the New York Times best-selling book by Pittacus Lore.

“I Am Number Four” is a suspense thriller about an extraordinary young man, John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events—his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.

When “I Am Number Four” hits theaters on February 18, 2011, the audience can expect it to deliver a suspense-filled movie experience featuring relatable, engaging characters grounded in the familiar realm of high school but caught up in a deadly manhunt.

The film’s classic dramatic elements are set to draw the audience into the thriller from the opening scene to the climax. The lead character, John Smith, is struggling with the realization that who he always thought he was and who he really is are polar opposites, and he must make up his mind whether or not to accept his destiny—and the sacrifices it entails.

As Producer Michael Bay says, “Number Four has a destiny that’s going to catch up to him whether he wants to face it or not. That’s where the drama of this movie comes from. This teenager finally finds what he’s looking for, but he can’t have it because he has to save the world first.”

At the same time, John is a typical teen, pushing boundaries, challenging his guardian Henri at every turn, but not fully realizing the consequences. It is real-life drama with high stakes.

The character-driven suspense will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. As Director D.J. Caruso explains, “The more you care about a character on a real level, when you put him or her in suspenseful situations, the more real and the more terrifying the suspense is going to be because you really feel for that character.”

Caruso found that combining the real-life drama the characters experience in “I Am Number Four” with their otherworldly abilities and keeping it “real” was both an enjoyable experience and a challenge for him as a filmmaker. “The thing I enjoyed the most was keeping the drama incredibly real so that when the fantastical kicked in, you were relating to it on a human level,” he says.

“If you take the real-world setting but root it in other-world mythology, along with a disenfranchised character longing for both love and a normal life, you have a really interesting mix of all these different dramatic elements that will make an exciting movie.” —D.J. Caruso, director

THE DIRECTOR SIGNS ON

Director D. J. Caruso (“Eagle Eye,”“Disturbia”) has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks, so he was excited to helm “I Am Number Four.”

“My collaboration with DreamWorks started when I was directing a television series called ‘High Incident,’ explains Caruso. “Years later we teamed up on ‘Disturbia,’ then we worked together again on ‘Eagle Eye,’ which was another successful collaboration. I feel like I am part of the DreamWorks family, and it has become my home as a filmmaker.”

“I Am Number Four” is the biggest effects movie Caruso has ever done and he is finding Michael Bay’s experience as a director of such mega-hits as “Transformers” and “Armageddon” an invaluable help. “Michael has been very helpful with the physicality of what needs to happen on set when you are dealing with a CG character,” explains Caruso.

Producer Michael Bay equally admires his director, “D.J. has an incredible ability to get in touch with the reality of his young characters’ lives. It’s not easy to make an alien kid with super powers feel real—an authentic hero that audiences could relate to.”

Caruso was immediately captivated by the story of “I Am Number Four,” particularly the character of John Smith, played by Alex Pettyfer. “When DreamWorks sent it to me,” says Caruso, “I was really attracted to it from the character standpoint—this disenfranchised teenager who keeps moving around, not really putting down roots, and trying to figure out who he is. At the same time, he’s got this hidden destiny. I thought it was a really cool story.”

Bay was drawn to the story’s unusual premise. “I’ve always been attracted to stories about ordinary people forced into extraordinary situations. Number Four is almost the opposite—an extraordinary guy who wants nothing more than to have a normal life,” he says.

Caruso admits that he is interested in characters who are going through a dark period. “Through that darkness they figure out where the light is, and they find something good. What I enjoy exploring is the notion that you have to experience some bad things in order to grow up, and to find out who you are. Thematically, that happens in this movie as well.”

“When I first saw the manuscript for the book, I knew it would make a great movie. It was a new twist on a classic concept, with a great combination of realism and action.” —Michael Bay, producer

THE CAST AND CHARACTERS

The filmmakers were excited to put together a cast for “I Am Number Four” that would showcase the energy and intensity of the well-drawn characters.

The first task was to fill the role of John Smith, aka Number Four. Caruso knew he had to find someone with a strong personality who also had a sensitive side to portray the character. “John’s extraordinary abilities make him very different from the other kids in school, which in turn makes it very hard for him to fit in,” Caruso says.

“A lot of teenagers can relate to that, particularly those who have to move to a new town at that age,” he adds. “Trying to integrate into high school is tough for anyone. There is a universal aspect to his character that the audiences can hang on to because even though he is superhuman, the emotions that he has are something that a normal teenager would be experiencing.”

Many weeks went into the selection process as the filmmakers looked for that one actor who would have the attitude and physical prowess to bring John Smith to life. When Alex Pettyfer had his first read, D.J. Caruso knew that he had someone special on his hands. “I feel that Alex has a really special gift,” Caruso says. “As interesting, attractive and dynamic as he is, he has an incredible vulnerability that really works for the character. I think it will make audiences fall in love with him.”

Producer Michael Bay says of Pettyfer: “I’ve been watching Alex for a long time. He’s got a ton of charisma and physicality. As Number Four, he brought a mix of strength and vulnerability that not a lot of young actors can pull off.”

Alex Pettyfer was delighted to land the lead role of John Smith for two reasons. The first was Pettyfer’s desire to work with D.J. Caruso. “D.J. is incredible,” he explains. “I came onto this movie because I think he’s got an amazing vision. He brings something different to the table. He brings science fiction into a world and makes it real,” says Pettyfer.

The second was the story and the role. “It’s a really cool premise,” explains Pettyfer. “John Smith is at a point in his life where he has a choice and his dilemma is that he wants to be a normal kid but he has been given this destiny of becoming a warrior. He is initially very reluctant and has a James Dean ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ outlook. He has the kind of temperament that you feel could explode at any moment.

“John is trying to find out who he is and what he wants to do with his life,” Pettyfer continues. “A lot of kids are going to relate to what he is going through in the story—being an outsider and trying to fit in.”

Caruso chose actress Dianna Agron to play the pivotal role of Sarah. However, he didn’t discover her by watching her Emmy® Award–winning television series, “Glee.” “I don’t watch a lot of television,” Caruso says. “She came in to read very late in the process and she knocked me out. She’s so dynamic, intelligent and beautiful. I thought she would be a great contrast to Alex with their very different personalities and the dynamic they have between them.”

“Sarah is an outsider too because even though she’s beautiful and at one time was popular, she made some decisions that made her not popular in the school anymore. So Sarah’s sitting on the outside, and John’s sitting on the outside. And together they find common ground.” —D.J. Caruso, director

Dianna Agron was immediately taken with the script. “What I loved about it was that the kids are quite mature and wise beyond their years,” Agron explains. “They might not be quote-unquote ‘cool kids’ or be the ones that pursue typical teenage activities, but they have a lot of heart and spirit, and they go on an awesome journey together.

“I also loved the character of Sarah,” Agron continues. “There are a lot of similarities to how I was in school. I love photography and I really started getting into it during high school, taking photos for the yearbook.”

In the film, Sarah is immediately attracted to John. “John is quite unusual and they have a very intense connection right from the start,” Agron explains. “It gets deeper throughout the story. Their relationship is very romantic. It’s that young love that isn’t tainted by any sort of fear—when you haven’t had your heart broken five hundred times.”

Caruso was looking for someone very special to play the role of Number Six. She needed to be able to take on the intense stunt work that was required of the character. After a long search, he found actress Teresa Palmer (“Bedtime Stories,” “Grudge 2,” “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”). “Number Six is a really powerful, dark, mysterious character,” says Caruso. “Teresa embodies the sexy confidence that was required to pull off the role. She has an infectious energy that blew me away when she read for me.”

Palmer says of her character, “Six is equally as intimidating as she is enchanting, which makes her a force to be reckoned with. She is used to surviving on her own, making her a very enigmatic and mysterious character. Six has fighting skills; her precision and timing of blows is brutal and cunning, which makes her an incredible asset in battle.”

Palmer notes that Number Six is a complex character to play. “She’s been preparing herself for battle her whole life and is incredibly skilled in martial arts and sword-fighting, but she’s quirky in an introverted way. It’s a very exciting role and really different from anything I have ever done before,” Palmer says.

“I auditioned in my natural Australian accent,” recalls Palmer. “I think they were a bit skeptical about it at first, but after we talked about it, it seemed to make sense. All nine children wouldn’t have been dropped in America; it would have been too dangerous. It was a much more interesting idea to have them land in different countries and have different accents.”

Caruso handpicked Timothy Olyphant (“Justified,” “Live Free or Die Hard”) to play Henri, John’s guardian. “Timothy is a really dynamic person and has amazing acting rhythms,” says Caruso. “It’s been wonderful to see what he has done with the role of Henri and seeing him work with Alex. It’s not like the standard father-son relationship. It’s more like an older brother or an uncle who doesn’t really know how to handle a kid.”

“My character changes throughout the movie,” Olyphant explains. “In the beginning Henri is a guardian from the planet Lorien. His role is to protect this special child as he grows on the planet Earth. As the story continues, John’s unique abilities begin to develop and grow stronger and stronger. Henri helps him understand what his destiny is.”

Reflecting on the relationship between Henri and John, Olyphant says, “I think it’s just this wonderful sort of tension, where Henri loves John, but sometimes he just wants to strangle him. If we’ve done it right, you should see that Henri’s both a bit of a hard-ass and dangerous character, but at the same time you see that he truly cares for him.”

In addition to enjoying the role of Henri, Olyphant also had a very positive experience with director D.J. Caruso. “D.J.’s just a classy guy and a great director,” he says. “Our conversations from the jump were really great and it felt like we were on the same page right from the beginning. I gave him my gut instinct about what I would like to do and he responded very positively.”

Callan McAuliffe was about to get on a plane to go home to Australia, after completing work as the male lead in Rob Reiner’s “Flipped,” when he got a call to audition for the role of Sam. “Sam has a damaged soul,” explains director D.J. Caruso. “Callan navigated his emotions perfectly. He is a natural actor who is both funny and charming.”

“Sam is a borderline nerd, but never boring. He is the kind of guy who gets bullied a lot in school,” McAuliffe says of his character. “People have always called him ‘Spaceman.’ He gets tormented all the time as a result of his interest in aliens. He got it from his father who spent all his time studying ‘close encounters’ and considered himself an ‘ancient astronautologist,’ if you will.”

McAuliffe adds, “When Sam finds out that John is an alien, he's ecstatic! He is convinced that aliens have abducted his father and he hopes this might give him an opportunity to go and find him.”

Kevin Durand plays the role of the Mogadorian Commander. “Kevin brought an unorthodox nature that made the Commander dangerous, yet compelling,” Caruso says. “He has the ability to change the dynamics and rhythm of a scene that raises the bar for everyone involved.”

“I met D.J. at his office,” recalls Durand. “As soon as we shook hands, I knew this was going to be a really fun experience. He’s very willing and happy to create something together. Within the structure of the script and the character, he allowed me to play and find those moments that can only come out of being spontaneous, which is really fun and exciting. It’s so cool to work with someone who is that confident in his cast.”

Durand explains his role as commander of the Mogadorian Army: “We’ve eradicated most of the Loriens, but nine children have escaped with their guardians and come to Earth. I’m tracking them down. Getting rid of them one by one, but I have to kill them in order, which makes it rather inconvenient.”

“I love the character of the Mog Commander. It’s just awesome to disappear into him and bask in the stuff he revels in; it’s so much fun. You feel like a tiger playing around with little bunnies.” —Kevin Durand

“The Commander loves this planet,” says Durand. “I think first and foremost, the thing he appreciates the most are all the toys. People on Earth have the luxury of cruising on the Internet, seeing movies, shopping and eating all these wonderful things. He loves all the great junk food.”

CREATING TIME AND PLACE

Production Designer Tom Southwell has collaborated with Director D.J. Caruso on 10 previous occasions, six as his production designer. “When we first worked together,” recalls Southwell, “we came up with a system of communicating by using miniatures. We would strap a little camera to the top of a toy car and work out the car shots. On this movie, we built miniatures of the sets. D.J. would take his miniature camera to work out his camera angles. The storyboard artist would take that video and create sketches that everyone could look at and see the shots D.J. had planned.”

The story centers around a high school—the hub of the movie—so the film crew was in that setting for a long period of the film, both during the day and at night. The simplest way to get the shots was to use a real school; consequently a lot of the scenes were shot at Franklin Regional High in Murrysville, Penn. However, as Southwell points out, “There were certain sequences that we couldn’t shoot there because they involved mass destruction.”

The creative challenge for the director and his team was to take the high school “look,” which kids see every day, and make it more interesting. “One of the ways to achieve that is to use special lighting effects,” explains Southwell. “Another is by using color. I am constantly trying to influence the audience by using color because it is so psychological. You can make people feel more frightened just by taking the color out. It creates an unnatural feel that makes them uneasy. Gradually they start to feel that something terrifying is about to happen.”

Southwell adds, “The same thing is true of light; the darker it gets, the more apprehensive you get, especially if you know a creature is about to come down the hall.”

Another interesting element in the production design of “I Am Number Four” is that the sheen of everyday objects became very important. As Southwell explains, “There is very little light at some points of the movie, and the only way you are able to see our characters is in silhouette from the shine that comes off the floor. The camera department shot tests on all our materials to make sure they were getting enough sheen and difference in textures.”

Since the school hallways were the setting for the majority of the physical, special-effects work on the film, Southwell also had to rig the sets for the numerous stunts and effects that would take place there—in addition to making the corridors visually exciting and menacing.

As Visual Effects Supervisor Greg McMurry explains, “There are a lot of different types of visual effects and action sequences, and there’s a real dynamic because the characters have different abilities. We also have creatures that we worked with ILM [Industrial Light and Magic] to create; one of which is the Piken, which are unleashed by the Mogadorians.”

Special Effects Coordinator Peter Chesney worked on the design and creation of the 3500-pound iron Piken. “The Piken represents the bad guy’s bulldog, basically a 1500-pound flying squirrel with teeth,” he says.

“We had a scene where John uses his telekinesis to smash a bunch of lockers in an effort to slow up the charging Piken,” recalls Chesney. Chesney built 24 100-pound hammers that would rise up on both sides of the hallway and swing in an arc, smashing into the back of 20 lockers. Then he used a golf cart to represent the Piken and raced it down the hallway as the hammers were released one at a time in a sequence of 12 parallels.

In another scene the team used real cinder-block walls for part of the set and launched the Piken at 20 miles per hour. “The trick was that it was done with a lot of aggressive camera moves,” explains Chesney. “So we actually had to break through everything before we filmed it so that we’d get the timing right. In a lot of the camera moves, where you’re doing a whip pan with the creature running through, we would set off sparks and back time it on video during rehearsal.”

Production Designer Tom Southwell comments on the stylistic changes in the movie. “The color palette for the film is very varied,” he says. “The movie opens in an isolated hut in the African jungle. It’s brief, but it’s enough to give you a sense that there is some terror to be had in this movie. Then it moves to the Florida Keys where John and Henri are living. They live on a beautiful white beach with palm trees and aqua clear water. It’s the perfect place for a teenager.”

Henri and John live in a stilt house that is like a beachcomber’s hideaway. When John has a terrifying experience in the ocean one night, Henri realizes that they are in danger and tells John they have to leave. They grab all their belongings and leave no trace behind. “That was a big challenge,” recalls Southwell. “The house sits on this beach of sugar sand and it’s absolute paradise. We had to convince the owners to let us build a façade around the house to give us the look we wanted, and then to blow it up.”

Henri and John are forced to go on the run and they end up in Paradise, Ohio. “It’s still quite beautiful, but the colors are very pale. There is a visually boring aspect to it, maybe because it is so traditional,” says Southwell.

Director D.J. Caruso wanted Alex Pettyfer’s character John to dislike the new house in Ohio, so Southwell helped to convey that feeling by making the actual house less attractive and in direct contrast with John’s previous idyllic place. Southwell decided to break open some walls as if a renovation had been taking place, and for some unknown reason it had just stopped. He showed beams and wiring so the characters would be sitting in an unfinished room.

This was in direct contrast to the warmth Southwell created in Sarah’s home, where John would encounter the comfort of a true family environment for the first time.

THROUGH THE LENS

“Getting Guillermo Navarro as my director of photography was a gift,” says D.J. Caruso. “I’ve been a fan of his over the years, but every time I checked his availability, he was already booked. Finally when ‘The Hobbit’ was pushed, his window opened up, and I jumped on it like a flash. It has been an incredible experience working with him.”

“Guillermo Navarro’s lighting comes from a very emotional place, which I much prefer to the technical side. Together we have formed this great synergy and the frames of the movie are just stunning.” —D.J. Caruso, director

“I’m always on the lookout for movies that will allow me to create realities and not necessarily just document an existing reality,” explains Navarro. “Even though, in this case, they are completely tied to our existing realities, and contemporary to our world, there is the other story about characters visiting our world that opens up how we see ourselves in our surroundings—that was what triggered my interest in this film.”

Navarro explains how his approach evolved: “I think that I have accumulated cultural baggage through my process that has allowed me to see things in a particular way. That comes from growing up in the third world where the visuals and the colors and the smells are very much a part of you. That’s how I grew up and how I fell into using images as a way to express myself. My strongest influence was a cinematographer called Ricardo Aronovich, who was a mentor for me when I was young. It’s not that I copied his style, but I learned from him how to prep a movie, how to make your point of view for what you can bring to the table and how to not have a bag of tricks or solutions. Many people expect movies to look a certain way: Space movies should look like this or Westerns should look like this. I don’t believe it should be that way.”

Actor Timothy Olyphant is a big fan of Guillermo Navarro’s work. “‘I Am Number Four’ is going to look unbelievable,” says Olyphant. “Guillermo’s lighting is just outstanding.

“I really love the way he works as well,” Olyphant adds. “He’s named all his cameras after women in famous Spanish literature. His crew has worked on all of his films and he comes with a whole family of people. It’s a wonderful environment to be around. He brought a great atmosphere to the whole set. I felt like I was collaborating as much with Guillermo as I was with D.J.; he is so passionate and engaging. With both those guys it felt like a real dialogue was happening.”

GETTING IN THE ACTION

Aside from the drama of the relationships, the making of “I Am Number Four” required many different types of action sequences based on the needs of the characters in the story.

Actress Teresa Palmer had the majority of the stunt work to do in the movie. She began training about two months before shooting commenced in Pittsburgh. Explains Palmer: “I didn’t want to do Six the disservice of not knowing how to fight, so I worked with Peng Zhang, a talented fight coordinator who specializes in martial arts. We worked extensively for a few months, concentrating on kicking form—side kicks, back kicks, front kicks—and then putting that together with sword work to create the fierce action. I also worked hand-in-hand with the stunt team lead by action coordinator Brad Allan, who trained me to be able to work like one of them. Our goal was to turn me into this character, not to fake it.”

Alex Pettyfer also had several stunt scenes he needed to master. His favorite was being thrown backwards into the school lockers at 40 miles an hour. “The action is so much a part of the scene, and you’re so involved in it as it’s going on all around you. That pressure really upped the adrenaline, although jumping off a cliff backwards was one of the scariest things I have ever done,” says Pettyfer.

“I’m twenty years of age and I’m just a big kid. Not many guys get to experience what I’ve experienced. To go on a movie set and run around, and play with guns and jump off cliffs—that was really fun.” —Alex Pettyfer

MEET THE MOGADORIANS

It was a long process to develop the look of the Mogadorians. The filmmakers researched many different options and looks for them, hoping to walk the line between normalcy and eccentricity. In the book, the Mogs, just like the Loriens, look exactly like humans, except for their extraordinary height.

“The Mogadorians are an interesting race because they’re much larger than the Lorien race or the human race would be,” director D.J. Caruso explains. “They are all about seven feet tall, if not more. They have gigantic weapons and blasters, and they are used to getting whatever they want.

“The Mogadorians come in, they take over a planet and they don’t ask any questions. They are like evil Western gunslingers that would come through towns, kill the men, destroy everything and take the women and the children. That’s basically the Mogadorian way of life.” —D.J. Caruso, director

Caruso felt it would be more interesting if the Mogs were threatening, intimidating creatures—in addition to their height. He wanted them to appear humanoid, but cause a double take when people saw them. But it was important to the believability of the story that the Mogs could blend into American society. So for Costume Designer Marie-Sylvie Deveau, the most challenging costuming aspects of the film centered on the clothes for the Mogadorians. “We needed to find the right image as well as provide for the requirements of the action,” she says.

Deveau watched a movie from the ’70s called “The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid.” “We loved the long duster coats they were wearing,” says Deveau. “We wanted something dark because most of the shots with them were at night, so it gave a subtle, menacing look.”

The costumes were extremely hot to wear, however, especially in the heat of Pittsburgh and the Florida Keys in summer. Deveau had to use an air-cooling system under the costumes and the actors had to rest in air-conditioned tents between takes. It was also a problem for the makeup: if the actors were not kept cool enough, it could literally slide off their faces.

Making the Mogadorians taller than the average human being was another challenge. In order to help give the Mogs their ominous presence, the actors wore custom Kangool boots that made them seven inches taller and gave them their odd, slow gait. The Kangools were covered with a leather faux boot to give them the appearance of normal boots.

“We spent a while trying to make them look tall without having to use stilts,” explains Deveau. “Finally the stunt coordinator found these spring boots, so we built a shoe onto them. It gave the actors about seven to eight inches extra. Given that Kevin Durand, who plays the Mog Commander, is already 6’4,” those added inches made him very imposing.”

Kevin Durand adds, “There is a hard plastic cylinder underneath. In addition to making the commander a lot taller, they also add this peculiar movement that makes him even more unique.”

During the process of defining the Mog look, Deveau brought in some research that was centered on wardrobe. Included was a photo she came across in a European magazine where the model had a tattoo in the shape of hair on his head. The idea took root that on a Mogadorian, the “hair” was actually a tattoo. The team also came up with the premise that as the soldiers rose up through the ranks of the military system in Mogadore, their tattoo became more elaborate. All the Mogs have the same basic tattoo as the base of their design and then, depending on their rank and skill level, their tattoos become more distinct.

With all the specialized makeup, it took about two hours a day to turn an actor into a Mog. The individualized tattoos and the prosthetic makeup for the Mog Commander and his henchmen were based on designs created at KNB Effects in L.A, run by Howard Berger and business partner Greg Nicotero.

“When we were hired to design the look of the Mogadorians, we needed to create an alien race that was fresh and interesting, but still could assimilate into the general population on Earth. It was a difficult challenge we were ready to face and in the end came up with character makeups that allowed the actors to perform beneath their prosthetics and tattoos and bring the Mogs to life on screen.” —Howard Berger, SPFX Makeup

In addition to acting the role, Kevin Durand also had to learn a new language—Mogadorian. “When I first looked at it, I was a little intimidated by it,” Durand recalls. “I was like, ‘Wow! This doesn’t really sound like anything I’ve ever attempted to do before.’ I love doing accents and I speak a couple of different languages, but this language was really out there, which only makes sense.”

The Mogadorian language was created specifically for the movie and was influenced by ancient Latin, Slavic languages and English. It has its own set of rules so that the director could create and change sentences on set while filming the movie. Videotapes cataloguing the phonetics of Moganese were sent to the actors in order for them to learn and practice the unique language.

“I have to say, I got really obsessive with learning it word-by-word and then perfecting the pronunciation,” says Durand. “It took me quite a while, but now I can say I am a fairly eloquent Mogadorian speaker.”

“LEGACIES” COME TO LIGHT

Although Lorien is located in one of the furthest galaxies, it is very similar to Earth in that Loriens breathe air and look exactly the way humans on Earth look…but that’s where the similarities end. Each of the nine children who managed to survive the destruction of Lorien and escape to Earth possess different unique abilities called “legacies.”

“An interesting thing about the legacies is that ‘the nine’ aren’t really sure what abilities they are going to inherit,” says Caruso. “As they mature and reach their teenage years, they start to discover things like lumen in their hands. It’s kind of painful, and they don’t really know what they're supposed to do with that yet.”

“When I moved to Paradise, Ohio, and become John Smith, I begin to experience intense emotions that are triggered by Sarah,” says Alex Pettyfer. “I have these emotional highs and lows, which have built up from a mixture of jealousy and the fact that I am falling in love with her, and these intense emotions set off my abilities. The first time it happens is when I am in class one day. Mark, who used to be Sarah’s boyfriend, starts to really bug me and get on my case. I start to have this weird feeling. My hands begin burning and I am sweating profusely. As I run out of the room, I open up my hands and they burst out this light.”

Recalls Pettyfer, “I remember before I began working on the film, I was at dinner and I was putting my hand over a candle to see what it would feel like. Of course, I burned myself but that gave me a way to understand it. I realized that the lumen is not only a source of light but also a source of fire. I wanted to bring across in the film that the legacies are really painful while I am learning how to use them.”

The goal of the filmmakers was to make these abilities organic; for example, making the light appear to be coming out of Alex Pettyfer’s hands in a natural way. Director of Photography Guillermo Navarro explains his approach: “The character’s hands light up and become light sources, so we played with how that affects him and how it affects the environment. It was very tricky to find a way to patch a light to his hand without burning him, but once we figured it out it was very cool.”

“I also have telekinesis, which I discover in a humorous way,” Pettyfer says. “I have a big argument with Henri and pin him up against the house before I realize what has happened.”

“Number Six has the ability to make herself invisible,” explains Teresa Palmer. “She can disappear and then reappear in another part of the room. It’s basically teleporting. It’s an incredible skill to have in a fight because she will be in the middle of battle, then suddenly she will disappear as they are about to strike and then reappear behind them, giving her final blow to their back. It’s a very useful power and looks great on screen.”

“We had to figure out the technique of getting Six to appear and disappear,” Palmer continues. “It was a great learning curve for me. There are some CGI elements and some physical SFX involved. It’s always challenging working against a green screen, but it was very cool.”

COSTUMES BY DESIGN

The key to costuming the main characters of John and Henri was to make them as nondescript as possible. “They have been traveling all over the world to escape the Mogs,” explains Costume Designer Marie-Sylvie Deveau. “It was very important for them to fit in, particularly John, because he is in high school. We decided that Henri would have a different profession wherever he goes. So when he arrives in Paradise, he’s a writer, so we gave him an artsy look, with sweaters and loose pants.”

“Sarah’s character is romantic and soft,” explains Deveau. “Even though she lives in a small town, she would look on the Internet to see what she would like to wear if she lived in New York or L.A. She has kind of an edge, and she stands out a little bit because she has a style of her own, but it’s soft, like her personality as an artist and a photographer.”

“Number Six has a really hard sexy, edgy look about her,” says Deveau. “We felt that she had traveled all over the world and picked up her look in Berlin.”

Deveau continues, “She’s one of those hero characters that always wears the same thing. She doesn’t have a guardian anymore, so she is more stylish and she doesn’t care if she gets noticed. There’s a complete contrast between Number Six and Number Four as it’s really important for John and his guardian Henri to be unnoticeable and to fit in.”

The filmmakers wanted Number Six’s style to be unique. “She rides a motorcycle so everything is dusty, ripped and very fitted. She wears things that are very sexy and contemporary, but there are details that are confusing, so you don’t really know where’s she’s from. The design of the costume had to be closely coordinated with the stunt coordinator to make sure that she was able to do all the wire work and tumbling required of the role,” explains Deveau.

Teresa Palmer was very happy with the look. “As soon as I read the script I had such a clear idea of who she was and what she was going to look like,” recalls Palmer. “Luckily, everyone else was totally on the same page. She is just such a bad-ass chick. She wears low-slung, tight black jeans with a big belt and a chain dangling down. I wanted her to have a tattoo that was easily visible and a skeleton ring. She is definitely out there.”

Palmer adds, “When I got to Pittsburgh, I started dressing more like Number Six with heavy boots, dark eyeliner and messy, straggly hair. I had to have extensions, which were a bit uncomfortable, but just perfect for the role.”

ABOUT THE CAST

ALEX PETTYFER (John/Number Four) began his acting career in 2005 in ITV’s adaptation of “Tom Brown’s Schooldays,” co-starring Stephen Fry and Jemma Redgrave. His big break came at age 15 when he beat out hundreds of young actors to score the title role in “Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker” for the Weinstein Co., opposite Mickey Rourke and Alicia Silverstone. Following “Stormbreaker,” Pettyfer went on to play the lead in “Wild Child,” opposite Emma Roberts, about a rebellious girl shipped off to boarding school in the U.K.

Last year, Pettyfer shot the lead role in the feature film “Beastly,” a modern and darker take on the classic fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast,” opposite Vanessa Hudgens and Neil Patrick Harris. Daniel Barnz (“Phoebe in Wonderland”) directed for CBS Films, and the movie is set to release March 2011.

Pettyfer also co-stars in Andrew Niccol’s “Now,” with Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake and Cillian Murphy, slated for release in September 2011.

Born and raised in the U.K., Pettyfer currently lives in Los Angeles.

With an expansive list of diverse film and television credits, TIMOTHY OLYPHANT (Henri) is known for his poignant roles in both dramas and comedies. He is currently the lead of the FX series “Justified,” which is based on Elmore Leonard’s short story entitled “Fire in the Hole.” Olyphant plays U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens, a modern-day, 19th-century-style lawman. The series premiere drew in 4.9 million viewers, the largest audience ever to air on FX. Due to the huge success of the show, the network picked it up for a 2nd season, which will debut in 2011.

This past year, he starred as the town sheriff in Breck Eisner’s remake of the horror classic “The Crazies,” which revolves around a small town beset by death and insanity after a plane crash lets loose a secret biological weapon into the water supply. He also starred in Gary Yates’ independent feature “High Life,” a comedy about four hapless junkies who plan to rob a bank. The film premiered at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and won Best Canadian Feature at the 2009 Calgary International Film Festival.
In 2007, Olyphant starred in 20th Century Fox’s “Hitman” and “Live Free: Die Hard.”

Olyphant played the lead in David Twohy’s “A Perfect Getaway” for Relativity Media, starring opposite Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich. He also co-starred with Elisha Cuthbert and Emile Hirsch in 20th Century Fox’s “The Girl Next Door.” Olyphant brilliantly portrayed Kelly, the porn producer and ex-boyfriend of Danielle (Cuthbert), who tries to convince her to come back to the business. He also starred in Doug Liman’s “Go,” playing the role of Todd, a drug dealer being double-crossed by Ronna (Sarah Polley) and Claire (Katie Holmes).

Olyphant’s other film credits include GreeneStreet Films’ independent feature “Meet Bill,” in which he co-starred opposite Aaron Eckhart and Jessica Alba; the romantic comedy “Catch and Release,” starring opposite Jennifer Garner; and the film adaptation of Stephen King’s best-selling novel “Dreamcatcher.” He also appeared in Warner Bros.’ “Rock Star”; Walt Disney Studios’ “Gone in 60 Seconds”; New Line Cinema’s “A Man Apart,” “Scream 2” and “A Life Less Ordinary.”

On television, Olyphant has enjoyed guest appearances on popular shows such as NBC’s “My Name Is Earl,” HBO’s “Sex in the City” and ABC’s “Samantha Who.” He also had a recurring role on “The Office” and recurred on FX’s Emmy® Award–winning show “Damages,” playing a mysterious love interest to Ellen (Rose Byrne). Olyphant garnered critical notice for his powerful portrayal of the tough, honorable natural-born leader Seth Bullock in HBO’s groundbreaking series, “Deadwood.” The show was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award® for Best Ensemble for the third season.

TERESA PALMER (Number Six), who was named one of Australia’s Stars of Tomorrow by Screen International in 2005, first caught the attention of audiences worldwide with her leading role in “2:37,” an Australian independent film that screened to acclaim at both the Cannes Film Festival and in Un Certain Regard and the Toronto Film Festival. The Australian Film Institute nominated Palmer as Best Actress for her complex portrayal of a high school student with a dark secret.

Palmer most recently starred opposite Nicolas Cage in Jon Turteltaub’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” for Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Walt Disney Pictures. She also starred in Adam Shankman’s comedy “Bedtime Stories” alongside Adam Sandler for Walt Disney Pictures. She will next be seen starring opposite Topher Grace in Relativity Media’s ’80s coming-of-age comedy “Take Me Home Tonight,” which will be released in March 2011.

Palmer’s other film credits include Japanese director Takashi Shimizu’s “The Grudge 2,” in which she starred opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Beals; a starring role alongside Daniel Radcliffe in Rod Hardy’s coming-of-age story “December Boys,” which was filmed on location in Australia; and “Restraint,” a psychological thriller, in which she starred with Travis Fimmel and Stephen Moyer.

Palmer is currently the spokesperson for the Australian-based cosmetics company Jurlique. She is from Adelaide, Australia.

DIANNA AGRON (Sarah) is best known for her character Quinn on the hit Fox television series “Glee,” which recently received a Golden Globe® Award and an Emmy®. After a successful launch of the first season, “Glee” aired for the second season in April 2010.

She was most recently seen in “The Romantics” alongside Katie Holmes, Anna Paquin, and Josh Duhamel.

Past television credits include “Numb3rs,” “Shark,” “Close to Home” and “CSI: NY.” She also had a recurring role on the critically acclaimed series “Veronica Mars,” acted as Debbie Marshall on the sci-fi hit “Heroes” and appeared in “It’s a Mall World,” a series of short films directed by Milo Ventimiglia.

CALLAN MCAULIFFE (Sam) is a talented, young Australian actor who has already garnered praise for his numerous roles in theater, film and television. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry and he has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after young actors.

McAuliffe made his U.S. film debut in the Rob Reiner film “Flipped,” which premiered in the summer of 2010. After an international search Rob Reiner hand-picked McAuliffe to star as the lead character. Based on the novel by Wendelin Van Draanen, “Flipped” takes Bryce (McAuliffe) and Juli (Madeline Carroll) from grade school to junior high through triumph and disaster, family drama and first love, as they make the discoveries that will define who they are and who they are to each other. The Warner Bros. film also starred Aidan Quinn, Rebecca De Mornay and John Mahoney.

On television, McAuliffe will next be seen starring in the highly anticipated Australian mini-series “Cloudstreet,” which will air in March 2011. Based on Tim Winton’s literary masterpiece and multi-award-winning book, this is Australia’s largest television production in the past decade. Past appearances include a role in the Australian Logie Award–winning television series “Packed to the Rafter,” as well as “Comedy Inc.” and “Blue Water High.”

Internationally McAuliffe was last seen in the multi-award-winning “Franswa Sharl,” a short film directed by Hannah Hilliard that tells the true story of a young boy (McAuliffe) as he grows up in his own, unique way—while on holiday in Fiji. An official selection at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival, the film received The Crystal Bear Award for The Top Short Film in the Generation Kplus section. It also won the IF Award from Inside Film magazine at the Flickerfest International Film Festival in Australia and Top Short in the Melbourne Film Festival. The film was also screened at the Edinburgh, Aspen, St. Tropez, Rhode Island and Palm Springs Film Festivals.

McAuliffe discovered his talent for acting at an early age. At age 12, he became the Head Chorister of the Scots College in Sydney and played the title role in “Oliver.” In 2008 and 2009, he topped the prestigious London Trinity College musical theater exams in Sydney. With a natural talent as an actor and singer, as well as an ability to play a number of musical instruments, McAuliffe has created a wide variety of characters using accents that include British, Cockney, American and, of course, Australian.

He divides his time between Los Angeles and Sydney as he completes his education and focuses on performing. Recently, McAuliffe spent 3 months in the Australian Outback securing his Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award by completing a survival course. He’s currently working on his Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award in Africa this December.

Canadian-born KEVIN DURAND (Mogadorian Commander) has developed a versatile background, beginning in comedy and Broadway, then transitioning into television and film, illustrating his ability to captivate a wide range of audiences.

In 2009, Durand was nominated for a Saturn Award for his recurring character, Martin Keamy, on the popular series “Lost.” Durand was also a series regular on “Touching Evil” and the James Cameron hit series “Dark Angel.”

Durand was recently seen in the big-budget feature “Robin Hood” from Universal Pictures. He portrays Little John opposite Russell Crowe’s Robin Hood and Cate Blanchett’s Maid Marian.

Most recently, Durand completed production for Shawn Levy’s “Real Steel” for DreamWorks. He can also be seen in Screen Gems’ “Legion” as the angel Gabriel opposite Paul Bettany’s Michael and as Fred Dukes aka The Blob in the first origin film in the hugely successful X-Men franchise “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” alongside Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber.

Before his film career, Durand was voted one of Canada’s funniest new comedians. In addition, he originated the role of Injun Joe in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” on Broadway.

Durand is best known for his roles in James Mangold’s “3:10 to Yuma,” with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale; Joe Carnahan’s “Smokin’ Aces,” opposite Ben Affleck and Jeremy Piven; and Walt Becker’s “Wild Hogs,” with John Travolta, Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence.

Durand’s other credits include: “The Butterfly Effect,” opposite Ashton Kutcher; Jay Roach’s “Mystery, Alaska,” with Russell Crowe; Columbia Pictures’ “Winged Creatures,” opposite Forest Whitaker and Dakota Fanning; and Vertigo Entertainment’s “The Echo.”

He currently resides in Los Angeles.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Prior to directing “I Am Number Four,” in 2008, D.J. CARUSO (Director) directed the action-thriller “Eagle Eye,” starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan, which debuted at number one and was the 4th biggest opening in history for the month of September. The film went on to gross over $200 million worldwide.

Prior to that, he directed the hit suspense thriller “Disturbia” which spent an impressive three consecutive weeks at number one in the box office. In 2005, Caruso directed “Two for the Money,” teaming Oscar® winner Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey in a fast-paced story set in the world of high-stakes gambling. The film followed his 2004 hit “Taking Lives,” which starred Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke in a haunting thriller about an FBI agent on the trail of an elusive serial killer.

Although Caruso came up through the directing ranks in television by helming such shows as “The Shield,” Steven Spielberg’s “High Incident” and James Cameron’s “Dark Angel,” it was the directorial debut of his critically acclaimed feature film “The Salton Sea” that put him on a short list of directors to tap. The 2002 neo-noir thriller, starring Val Kilmer, was praised for its strong performances and visual technique.

In 1998, he teamed with Hollywood veteran screenwriter Frank Darabont on “Black Cat Run,” which proved to be HBO’s highest-rated world premiere movie that year. Caruso also has directed music videos for such bands as This World Fair and Airborne Toxic Event. He also was a guest judge on the Fox reality show “On the Lot.”

D.J. Caruso was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, and graduated from Pepperdine University where he studied production and played tennis. He began his career in the film industry as a production assistant and later was mentored by director John Badham.

ALFRED GOUGH & MILES MILLAR (Screenplay by) are a prolific writer/producer team with a string of successful hits on both the large and small screens. They are currently writing and developing an edgy remake of the 1970s classic series “Charlie’s Angels” for ABC. The one-hour drama will be set in Miami. As creators and executive producers of the critically acclaimed action-adventure series “Smallville,” Gough and Millar played a key role in making it the number-one show in the history of the WB Television Network. The series, currently shooting its tenth and final season, is the longest-running, comic book-based series of all time.

On the feature side, Gough and Millar are responsible for writing hits such as “Spider-man 2,” starring Toby Maguire, “Lethal Weapon 4,” starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” for director Rob Cohen. They wrote the screenplay for the hit action-comedy “Shanghai Noon,” starring Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson and Lucy Liu, as well as the sequel “Shanghai Knights,” directed by David Dobkin.

Gough and Millar met in the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California. After completing the program, the duo teamed up to form production company Millar/Gough Ink. The company has a first-look deal with Walt Disney Studios and produced the hit film “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” based on the hit Disney Channel series, starring teen phenomenon Miley Cyrus. The duo is currently writing and executive-producing the feature “Upgrade” for Paramount with Michael Bay producing and the musical “Monster High” for Universal Pictures.

MARTI NOXON (Screenplay by) is a versatile writer/producer who works fluidly through genres and mediums. Noxon has established herself as an in-demand creative voice, excelling with character-driven genre films that appeal to a broad audience.

Noxon’s next film is a reimagining of the classic cult horror film “Fright Night.” Opening in August 2011, the DreamWorks Studios film stars Anton Yelchin and Colin Farrell. Additionally, Noxon is currently developing “The Defenders,” with filmmaker Jon Hamburg for Kurtzman Orci Paper Products and Masi Oka.

Noxon has written and executive-produced for many critically acclaimed shows including “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Grey’s Anatomy,”“Private Practice,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Point Pleasant” and “Still Life.” She has also acted as consulting producer for “Mad Men,” “Prison Break” and “Angel.”

Under her Grady Twins Productions banner that she co-runs with longtime collaborator and friend Dawn Olmstead, Noxon proves to be an all-around talent, building a thriving production company. She is currently producing projects for Lifetime, FX, the CW and NBC.

A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, Noxon currently lives in Hollywood with her two children.

For the last 15 years, MICHAEL BAY (Producer) has been one of the world’s boldest and most bankable filmmakers as both director and producer. His films have grossed over $4 billion worldwide.

Since his 1995 breakout “Bad Boys,” Bay has directed a succession of international hits that have redefined the action genre, including “The Rock,” “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Bad Boys 2,” “The Island” and two “Transformers” films. The third movie in the franchise, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” will hit theaters July 4, 2011; it is Bay’s first live-action film shot entirely in 3D. Bay Films is one of the most cutting-edge production entities in Hollywood and continues to grow.

Through his Platinum Dunes production company, Bay has produced reinventions of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “The Amityville Horror,” as well as the original “The Unborn.” With Platinum Dunes, Bay will reteam with Hasbro to produce a globe-spanning adventure film inspired by the storied “Ouija” board game, with production beginning later this year. Platinum Dunes is also readying a highly anticipated relaunch of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” franchise.

Bay also owns one of the film industry’s premier special-effects companies, Digital Domain. A graduate of Wesleyan University and Art Center College of Design, Bay began his career as a distinguished commercial and music video director. He has won virtually every major award in the commercial industry, including Cannes’ Golden Lion, the Grand Prix Clio and the Directors Guild of America’s Commercial Director of the Year award. His “Got Milk?” campaign resides in the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

DAVID VALDES (Executive Producer), one of the film industry’s busiest and most respected film producers, has enjoyed successful collaborations with such noted filmmakers as Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, Frank Darabont and Kevin Costner and has helped launch the careers of a number of popular actors.

Valdes’ most recent projects as a producer were the action-adventure, “The Book of Eli,” starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman, and the acclaimed drama “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, for director Andrew Dominik. He was also executive producer on “Babylon A.D.,” starring Vin Diesel.

In 2000, he received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Picture for “The Green Mile,” which received a total of four Oscar® nominations. His additional motion-picture producer credits include the Western “Open Range,” directed by Kevin Costner and starring Robert Duvall, Annette Bening and Michael Gambon; the reimagining of “The Time Machine,” based on H.G. Wells’ classic novel; “Turbulence,” featuring Ray Liotta and Lauren Holly; “A Perfect World,” starring Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood; and “The Stars Fell on Henrietta,” starring Robert Duvall and Aidan Quinn. He successfully teamed Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen in “The Rookie” and likewise paired Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron in “Like Father, Like Son.” He served as a producer on “Pink Cadillac” and on the last of the popular Dirty Harry movies, “The Dead Pool,” which marked the feature-film debuts of Jim Carrey and Liam Neeson. In total, Valdes has collaborated on 17 films with Clint Eastwood.

Valdes was sole executive producer on Eastwood’s acclaimed revisionist Western “Unforgiven,” which won four Academy Awards®, including Best Picture; and Wolfgang Petersen’s multiple Oscar®-nominated hit “In the Line of Fire.” He was also the executive producer on Eastwood’s critically acclaimed biopic “Bird,” starring Forest Whitaker, and “White Hunter, Black Heart,” and collaborated on four films with Francis Ford Coppola, most recently as the executive producer on the Vietnam War–era drama “Gardens of Stone.”

Among his extensive television credits is his tenure as a director of the innovative series “Moonlighting.” Valdes worked in all television formats—movies-of-the-week, series, commercials, and music videos—before finding his niche as a film producer.

A California native, Valdes earned a Bachelor of Theatre Arts degree from UCLA, magna cum laude, and began his film career as an assistant director alongside such esteemed directors as Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, Clint Eastwood and Francis Ford Coppola. The films on which he worked include “Raging Bull,” “Oh God! Book II,” “Any Which Way You Can,” “Hammett,” “The Outsiders,” “Rumble Fish,” “Sudden Impact” and “Tightrope.” He segued into producing as an associate producer on Eastwood’s “Pale Rider” in 1984.

Valdes is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America and the American Film Institute. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Latino Theater Company (LTC) and is also a mentor to graduate students at the USC Peter Stark graduate producers program.

CHRIS BENDER and JC SPINK (Executive Producers) established Benderspink in November of 1998 with “American Pie” in post-production and 14 writer clients signed to their management company. Their film production arm has had a successful first look deal with New Line Cinema for over 10 years.

They have produced or developed projects that have grown into five franchises in various genres: “Final Destination,” “American Pie,” “The Ring,” “Cats and Dogs” and “The Butterfly Effect.” Eight of their movies have opened to number one and Bender and Spink were nominated for a Golden Globe® for “A History of Violence.”

Benderspink has continued to make diverse feature films over the past 10 years, including “Just Friends,” “Monster-in-Law,” “Red Eye,” “Leap Year” and “The Hangover.” They recently finished shooting “Arthur,” starring Russell Brand and Helen Mirren, which will be released by Warner Bros. in April 2011, and they are executive producers on “Hangover II,” which is currently filming.

GUILLERMO NAVARRO (Director of Photography) is a long-standing collaborator of Guillermo Del Toro. Navarro has shot all of Del Toro’s films since “Cronos,” with the exception of “Mimic” and “Blade II,” and includes “The Devil’s Backbone,” ”Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “Hellboy” and “Pan’s Labyrinth,” for which he won an Oscar® for Best Achievement in Cinematography.

Navarro draws on an endlessly rich palette, in perfect accord with the worlds created by Del Toro in “Cronos,” which won the Critics Award at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival and was the official Mexican entry for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards®.

In addition to his collaborations with Del Toro, Navarro has also worked as cinematographer on several films by another compatriot, Robert Rodriguez, including “Desperado,” “From Dusk till Dawn,” and “Spy Kids.” His other credits include Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown,” Renny Harlin’s “The Long Kiss Goodbye,” Rob Minkoff’s “Stuart Little,” Mark Dippé’s “Spawn,” Jon Favreau’s “Zathura,” and Shawn Levy’s “Night at the Museum.” Navarro, who began his career filming documentaries in South America, also shot the Emmy®-nominated National Geographic special, “Lost Kingdoms of the Maya.”

TOM SOUTHWELL (Production Designer) reteams with D.J. Caruso, having served as production designer on “Disturbia,” “Two for the Money,” “Taking Lives,” “The Salton Sea,” the director’s HBO film “Black Cat Run,” and as storyboard artist on “Nick of Time” and “Drop Zone.”

In addition to designing, Southwell has worked in many different capacities in the art departments of feature films—art director, conceptual artist, illustrator and graphic designer. Six of the films he worked on were nominated for Academy Awards® in the art direction category. The first major film he worked on was “The Godfather: Part II” as a set dresser. As an art director, he worked on “Mighty Joe Young” and was the visual-effects art director on “Executive Decision.”

His credits as a conceptual artist include “X-Men,” “Man on the Moon,” “Dr. Dolittle” (1998), “U.S. Marshalls,” “Twilight” (1998), “The Devil’s Advocate,” “Nick of Time,” “Mission: Impossible,” “The Sandlot,” “Demolition Man,” “Hearts and Souls,” “Under Siege,” “Flatliners,” “Gremlins 2” and “Major League.”

As an illustrator and/or graphic designer, Southwell contributed to the feature “Minority Report.” His long list of credits in these roles also includes “Eraser,” “Basic Instinct,” “City Slickers,” “Arachnophobia,” “Lethal Weapon 2,” “The Color Purple,” “Romancing the Stone,” “Annie” (1982) and “Blade Runner.”

Southwell received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in communication design from Pratt Institute in New York and studied at the New Rochelle Academy in New York State. He has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1980.

MARIE-SYLVIE DEVEAU (Costume Designer) created the costumes on four other films directed by D.J. Caruso: “Eagle Eye,” “Disturbia,” “Two for the Money” and “Taking Lives.” Her work can also be seen in Raja Gosnell’s comedy “Yours, Mine and Ours,” with Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo, and in Simon West’s “When a Stranger Calls.”

Her additional film credits include the costumes created for “The Perfect Man,” co-starring Hilary Duff and Heather Locklear; Mike Figgis’ “Cold Creek Manor”; “Levity”; Phil Alden Robinson’s “The Sum of All Fears”; “Serendipity”; “Angel Eyes”; “Urban Legend: Final Cut”; Rob Cohen’s “The Skulls”; Mike Newell’s “Pushing Tin”; “The Mighty”; “Mimic”; “Fly Away Home”; and the Adam Sandler comedy “Billy Madison.”

For television, Deveau created costumes for the pilot of the hit television series “Desperate Housewives,” “Mr. Headmistress,” “F/X: The Series” and “Matrix” and for the telefilms “Harrison Bergeron” and “Thicker Than Blood: The Larry McLinden Story.”

PETER CHESNEY (Special Effects Coordinator) has worked on a range of motion pictures as special effects supervisor and/or coordinator. His credits include “Dark Water,” “The Ring 2,” “The Ladykillers,” “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” “Cats and Dogs,” “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” “Inspector Gadget,” “The Truman Show,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Men in Black,” “Tremors II: Aftershocks,” “Vampire in Brooklyn,” “Waterworld,” “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “Forever Young,” “Pet Sematary II,” “Honey I Blew Up the Kid,” “The People Under the Stairs,” Stephen King’s “Graveyard Shift,” “Young Guns II,” “Child’s Play,” “The First Power,” “Pacific Heights,” “Miller’s Crossing,” “Pet Sematary,” “K-9,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” “The Serpent and the Rainbow,” “Friday the 13th, VII : The New Blood,” “Tapeheads,” “Lady in White,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street III,” “Dream Warriors,” “Dudes,” “House II: The Second Story,” “Raising Arizona,” “Amazon Women on the Moon,” “Quiet Cool,” “Vamp,” “Wired to Kill,” “Where Are the Children?” and “The Osterman Weekend.” He also served as special effects supervisor on “Conan: The Adventurer.”

HOWARD BERGER and GREGORY NICOTERO (SPFX Makeup) founded KNB EFX Group, Inc. in 1988, and over the past 23 years, they have become one of the most prolific special makeup effects studios in Hollywood. Specializing in character prosthetics, animatronics, creatures and replica animals, Berger and Nicotero have over 700 feature film and television credits including “Inglourious Basterds,” ”The Transformer Trilogy,” “Kill Bill 1 & 2,” “Predators,” “Splice,” “The Mist,” “The Book of Eli,” “Drag Me to Hell,” “The Last Exorcism,” “Hostel 1 & 2,” “The Green Mile” and “Piranha 3D,” to name a few.

Last year they completed work on the third installment of the “Narnia” series, “Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” and handled the acclaimed undead creations for AMC’s horror/drama series “The Walking Dead,” where Nicotero acted as second unit director and consulting producer. They just completed work on “Spy Kids 4,” “Dolphin Tale” and “Fright Night” for DreamWorks Studios.

In the past, films like “Sin City” have been lauded for the character prosthetics created for Mickey Rourke and Benecio Del Toro and won them the 2005 Hollywood Film Festival Award for Make-Up of the Year. KNB received the 2001 Emmy® Award for Best Visual Effects for the mini-series “Dune,” as well as multiple nominations and awards from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror in recent years. Their contributions to “The Cell” and “The Time Machine” earned Academy Award® nominations for Best Makeup while the fantasy characters for “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” won them both the British Academy Award and Academy Award® for Best Achievement in Makeup in 2006. This year they were awarded their second Emmy Award for their realistic battlefield prosthetic work on Steven Spielberg’s “The Pacific” series on HBO.

Berger and Nicotero met while filming “Day of the Dead” in Pittsburgh, Penn., in 1984 and became fast friends. Nicotero moved to Los Angeles and worked with Berger at numerous makeup-effects studios until the two decided to open their own studio.

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S

UNIVERSAL PICTURES and MEDIA RIGHTS CAPITAL

Present A GAMBIT PICTURES Production

In Association With ELECTRIC SHEPHERD Productions A Film by GEORGE NOLFI MATT DAMON

EMILY BLUNT ANTHONY MACKIE JOHN SLATTERY MICHAEL KELLY and TERENCE STAMP

Executive Producers ISA DICK HACKETT JONATHAN GORDON

Produced by MICHAEL HACKETT GEORGE NOLFI BILL CARRARO CHRIS MOORE

Based Upon the Short Story “Adjustment Team” by PHILIP K. DICK

Screenplay by GEORGE NOLFI

Directed by GEORGE NOLFI

NOTES

䌀漀渀最爀攀猀猀洀愀渀......................................................

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