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《80日環遊世界》
Around the World in 80 Days
成龍最新荷里活作品
耗資逾億美元 橫跨全球攝製
《未來戰士第3集》監製 《壯志凌雲》監製
攜手泡製暑期鉅獻
《愛情0黎料》、《水壺出英雄》賣座喜劇搞手 - 法蘭哥里斯Frank Coraci執導
《新鐵金剛之金眼睛》攝影 - 菲麥夏斯Phil Meheux
《鋼琴戰曲》服裝指導 - 安娜薛柏Anna Sheppard
《超級爸爸爹》美術指導 - 派利布列克Perry Blake
英國新晉型男 史提夫高謹Steve Coogan
法國性感小貓 薜茜迪法蘭絲Cecile de France
《紅磨坊》 占布寶特Jim Broadbent
《迷幻列車》 艾雲班拿Ewen Bremner
《標錯心》 伊安麥尼斯Ian Mcneice
《危情十日》 嘉菲貝絲Kathy Bates
《未來戰士》 阿諾舒華新力加Arnold Schwarzenegger
《新鐵金剛不日殺機》尊基斯John Cleese
《戇直舞男》 洛史奈達Rob Schneider
《邊緣特訓》 瑪絲姬莉Macy Gray
《贖金之王》 奧雲韋遜Owen Wilson
《癲才家族》 魯克韋遜Luke Wilson
里察布臣 Sir Richard Branson
莫文蔚、洪金寶、吳彥祖、Maggie Q
聯合主演
6月17日旅程開始
背景介紹
Walden Media最新爆笑驚險電影《80日環遊世界》，改編自1873年祖爾梵尼JulesVerne同名小說，由成龍、史提夫高謹及薜茜迪法蘭絲主演，法蘭哥里斯執導，大衛高斯編劇，荷爾賴見文、比巴達拉度監製。
劇中3位主人翁的經歷時而刺激緊張，時而輕鬆滑稽，十分精彩。故事講述英國倫敦一發明家霍利斯發明了一座新飛行機器，但他卻不被認同，且被視為怪人，他在絕望之際，便與英國皇家科學院主席奇雲作一大膽打賭，就是他可在80日之內環遊世界，若成功，奇雲便要辭去退出英國皇家科學院。與霍利斯同行的還有派士普特及想找靈感的法國女藝術家蒙妮，他們三人一同經歷分別以海陸空的奇異旅程。他們在途中遇到不少危險及障礙，碰到不少朋友及敵人，並由國際巨星演出，包括阿諾舒華辛力加、嘉菲貝絲及洛史奈達等。
80環遊世界行程表
第一日：倫敦
第二日：巴黎
第二十日：印度
第四十日：土耳其
第五十一日：中國
第六十日：三藩市
第六十五日：死谷
第七十日：紐約
關於製作
《80日環遊世界》由Walden Media出品，集愛情、驚險、動作及搞笑於一身，老少咸宜。行政總監Phyllis Alia說：「我喜歡這套電影，因為它很特別和神奇，它帶領觀眾環遊世界，為他們發掘世界各地不同的文化。而這些地方你們只會在電視節目《國家地理雜誌》中看到。」Walden Media 的創辦人Gary Granat希望將《80日環遊世界》拍出一個嶄新的版本。它是根據1873年祖梵爾的同名小說，1956年曾被改編拍成電影，獲8項奧斯卡金像獎8項提名，囊括5個獎項，包括最佳影片。Gary Granat認為此片混合經典與現代元素，故此老少咸宜。Gary Granat說：「沒有一部電影能像《80日環遊世界》般能將想像與好奇融合，導演法蘭哥里斯擁有獨特的想像力，他在祖梵爾的經典小說中注入現代豐富的想像，成為一套獨特而奇妙的電影。」導演法蘭哥里斯對於能參與此片表示十分興奮，Phyllis Alia說：「我十年來一直與法蘭哥里斯合作，我們都急不及待要製作這部電影。法蘭哥里斯是執導這部電影的最佳人選，他能把電影集合愛情、動作和歷險三個元素，成為一套觀眾愛看的爆笑喜劇。」
監製荷爾賴見文說：「法蘭哥里斯擁有天賦和直覺，能營造搞笑場面，這是一部較大製作的電影，並幫助他發揮他的才能。」
法蘭哥里斯說：「我想拍攝一部富想像力的電影，像那些陪伴我一起成長的電影。」法蘭哥里斯喜愛創作，他說：「我們要拍攝一部冒險電影，構思霍利斯是一個發明家，他能發明很多新機器，這樣，旅程便會變得更有趣。」劇中霍利斯這角色與原著有點不同，史提夫高謹亦樂於接受。他在劇中的角色比較熱情，但他卻缺乏安全感，往往鬧出不少笑話。
導演法蘭哥里斯說：「我們希望拍攝一部史詩式的電影，但會加入喜劇元素。」
導演及監製們走遍大江南北選景拍攝，最後選定幾個地點，利用佈景建造幾個不同的國家。首先，他們在泰國取景，以拍攝中國和印度的戲份，然後到德國柏林，以代表英國和巴黎。
巨星雲集
要拍一部好電影，便要配合好的演員。監製及導演們邀請成龍演出派士普特一角，成龍自曾主演《火拼時速》及《贖金之王》等荷里活電影後，已成為國際巨星，他在劇中的角色是霍利斯的同伴，也是助手，甚至是拯救者，最後他們更成為朋友。派士普特在故事中的另一任務是要將那件被人盜取的玉佛回他的家鄉蘭州。監製荷爾賴見文說：「我們要求成龍可以作兩方面的發展，他不但是個演員，而且是個諧星，他的演技已達到另一境界，而吸引更多觀眾入場欣賞他的電影。」
成龍亦樂於接受此挑戰，他努力地向觀眾證明他不只是個動作演員，而是一個全面的演員，像羅拔迪尼路、德絲丁荷夫曼和阿爾柏仙奴一樣，即使到了60歲，仍可演出。他說：「我不只是個動作演員，我是一個全面演員，是個喜劇能手。」
導演法蘭哥里斯一早屬意史提夫高謹參演霍利斯一角，他說：「我們相信霍利斯是個天才，而且非常有趣。當我看到史提夫高謹在電視劇《24 Hour Party People》中的演出時，我就知道這角色由他主演最適合不過。儘管史提夫高謹多才多藝，亦是英國當紅演員，他都要經過一輪試鏡才獲邀我演出霍利斯這角色。史提夫高謹說：「我非常享受整個過過程，我亦因此了解導演法蘭哥里斯的風格，他對喜劇的觸覺及拍攝節奏令我印象深刻，他亦願意聽取演員的意見，配合他們。
史提夫高謹所演出的角色是一個英國紳士，他亦是一個發明家，他努力地向英國皇家科學院推銷自己的新發明，但他的發明從未成功過，並不是一件完善的產品，因此他常被視為怪人。他與英國皇家科學院主席奇雲作一大膽打賭，他能以80日環遊世界，若然成功，他便可以代替奇雲擔任英國皇家科學院主席一職。霍利斯對機器方面十分了解，卻不善於人際關係，他亦不認同藝術，他認為科學就是答案，藝術是無關痛癢的事。
故事中有一位人物可改變霍利斯的想法，她便是由薜茜迪法蘭絲主演可愛的法國藝術家蒙妮。蒙妮為人熱情，膽色過人，防於行事，同時她亦是個富同情心的人。薜茜迪法蘭絲生於比利時，她為人正義且熱情，這是她第一部英語對白的電影，在演出前難免有點緊張。她說：「這套冒險電影像我小時候看過的一樣，看過這類電影後，令我夢想成為演員。」
導演及監製們看過數十部電影後而選取薜茜迪法蘭絲當女主角。行政總監Phyllis Alia說：「她真神奇，她的氣質可媲美英格烈褒曼及Dorothy Lamour，她能燃亮整套電影，現在已很難找到像她這樣漂亮而能搞笑的女星。」
蒙妮是個前衛派的畫家，卻不被巴黎評論學者認同。當她知道派士普特及霍利斯要環遊世界後，她便決定要與他們同行，她認為環遊世界可為她帶來不同靈感，從而令她的繪畫藝術達到一個新境界。薜茜迪法蘭絲認為故事中的蒙妮與霍利斯的感情發展是很自然的事，因為霍利斯熱愛科學，蒙妮則愛推動藝術。
監製比巴達拉度說；「他們三人成一魅力的組合，他們是不同類型的人，來自不同的國家，這正是本片想表達的。」
星級配角
與霍利斯打賭的皇家科學院主席奇雲，由2002年奧斯卡金像獎最佳男配角占布寶特飾演。占布寶特說：「奇雲在電影中的角色簡直是個大壞蛋，他要設法阻止霍利斯等人在80日內環遊世界，是個卑鄙的人，他安於現狀，認為科學與文明已發達。
劇中的另一角色Inspector Fix則由蘇格蘭知名演員艾雲班拿主演。Inspector Fix受奇雲主使，跟蹤並阻止霍利斯等人於80日內環遊世界，令奇雲可贏得今次打賭。艾雲班拿說：「每次Inspector Fix出場都是被打的，他不是被擠壓，便是被踐踏、毒打，他更在其中一場戲中被踼出火車外。」
除此以外，英國演員伊安麥尼斯飾演倫敦警察Colonel Kitchner，Colonel Kitchner是個乏味的傻瓜。伊安麥尼斯說：「他的角色就像一個小丑，他做的每件事都是錯的。」
故事中的中國女將軍，則由亞洲當紅女星莫文蔚主演，她永不忘記與成龍合作，她與成龍的一場武打場面，更精彩得令人難忘。這是她第一套英語電影，她亦很高興能演出這個較嚴肅的角色。
另一個令人驚喜的角色是由阿諾舒華辛力加飾演的哈比王子，他是土耳其的一個王子，並愛上蒙妮。阿諾舒華辛力加曾與監製荷爾賴見文於《未來戰士第3集》中合作，他非常渴望能參與此片，他說：「我非常欣賞成龍，法蘭哥里斯亦是一個出色的導演，他能令演員發揮出水準，亦是個出色的喜劇導演。」
洛史奈達飾演一個惡臭難頂的乞丐，他在劇中教導落街頭的菲力斯霍治行乞。洛史奈達曾於《木壺出英雄》中與導演法蘭哥里斯合作。
里察布臣在劇中飾演熱氣球駕駛者, 現實中他確曾乘坐熱氣球跨越世界很多地方, 對熱氣球飛行之熱愛, 可見一班。
其他演員包括有飾演維多利亞女皇的金像女星嘉菲貝絲、瑪絲姬莉及尊基斯。
取景
《80日環遊世界》的拍攝工作在炎熱的泰國展開。整個拍攝隊伍共有七百名工作人員。UPM Billy Badalato說：「我們所去的每一個地方都很不同。第一日拍攝的時候有七百名工作人員，但其實大部份時間我地只有五百名工作人員工作。」雖然面在高達攝氏52度的天氣和廣闊無邊的地方下工作，但導演法蘭哥里斯將現場氣氛保持得很輕鬆。Badalato說：「很少遇上那麼受演員尊重的導演。我們工作時間很長、很辛苦，但我們很享受每一日的工作，因為法蘭很有趣。」而國際影星成龍亦對導演法蘭的讚不絕口。他說：「他很專心拍攝自己的電影。他很好，有時他會教我怎樣拍攝打交場面。他真是充滿活力。」
成龍的專業精神和朝氣勃勃的性格感染了每一位工作人員。大家都認為法蘭和成龍是最佳拍檔。
剪接師 Tom Lewis說：「與成龍一起剪接電影實在太好，他對所有的打鬥場面都很清楚。而且，他是大師，他很懂得講故事，又有喜劇細胞。他的天賦本能很了不起。」他繼續說：「與導演法蘭合作真是很好，他知道怎樣將電影拍攝得更有動感和活力。他將動作場面編織入故事中。」
泰國主要是電影中蘭州的場景。蘭州是派士普特家鄉，他的任務是將玉佛送回蘭州。美術指導派利布列克曾經在《水壺出英雄》和《愛情0黎料》與導演法蘭合作，他說：「在泰國的山腳重新建築一條中國村莊令演員和工作人員感到難以置信。」史提夫高謹說：「看起來很莊觀。這條中國村很美麗。」
電影中的一場戲，拍攝隊伍找了一隻公牛拉車。派利布列克憶述說：「我記得法蘭和我曾經在村莊內散步的時候，看見一隻公牛在路上跑來跑去。這很真實。所有事情都發生得很突然，所有人都四散，這隻公牛很野性，瘋了一樣。我們用了二十五分鐘才能把它捉住。」
拍攝隊伍在泰國逗留了四個半星期，到過首都曼谷，和南部一個城市Phuket，這城市被譽為安達曼島之珠，有著一個純樸的沙灘，還有Krabi。法蘭說：「這些地方真是很美，我們很幸運，拍攝得很順利。美術指導和攝影師完全將泰國最美的一面給觀察看。」
完成泰國部份，拍攝隊伍移師歐洲，在柏林拍攝其中一幕的重要場面，講述霍利斯、派士普特和蒙妮在數百名人群面前，乘座飛行機衝落皇家科學學院。根據美術指導派利布列克說：「我們曾經做過多次測試。雖然不是用真正的飛行速度，但都是很接近，我們用一座很巨大的吊機，這部吊機高一百呎，而且吊臂也很長。」
這場戲在柏林的大廣場拍攝，派利布列克說：「這是一個很妙的地方，非常莊觀，廣場的四周被歌劇院包圍，其中一面雖然沒有同一類的建築物，所以我們特別在這處建築一座三十五呎高，二百呎大的同類型的建築物。我們盡量將新建造的建築物的顏色和格調跟原有的配合。」
完成柏林的工作，大隊再到德國南部的一個小鎮Goerlitz繼續拍攝，這裡一點也不像現代的世界。派利布列克說：「這裡很細，但地方很美麗，每條街很有趣。」
拍攝隊伍除了橫跨世界各地拍攝《８０日環遊世界》，他們亦面對另一個困難，就是在拍攝現場講多國語言。因為電影在泰國和德國取景，亦在當地聘請工作人員。Phyllis Asia說：「我們要學習泰國人的工作模式，和怎樣與他們合作。當我們在泰國拍攝的時候，導演法蘭跟演員溝通，而另外五個翻譯員同時與不同人用國語、泰文和廣東話溝通。」
Phyllis Asia說：「這是一個好好的經驗去明白和尊重別人的文化。《８０日環遊世界》的精神就是打開眼簾，認識世界各地不同的文化。」導演法蘭說：「我們將世界各地的人聚在一起。」而監製Hal Lieberman贊同並說：「這部電影的中心是關於世界各地的人的親切、仁慈和熱誠。這是一個很妙的故事，帶出來的信息很好。」
這部電影到過世界各地十多個地方拍攝，除了泰國和德國外，還到過巴黎、奧地利、蘇格蘭南部的康瓦爾、英國、加州的沙漠、中國長城。
電腦視覺特技
雖然電影大部份都是在實景拍攝，但今次仍然用了多電腦視覺特技，例如，威也、３D立體動畫等等。
視覺特技師Derek Spears表示除了創造一些特技畫面外，他們亦要將鏡頭內出現的現化建築物消失。
而另外兩場複雜的鏡頭是氫氣球和飛行機，這是將３D環境加上CGI和真人動作所造成，這兩場戲亦有用CGI造人作背景。這個氫氣球和飛行機都是真實的．這個數瑪飛行機用了六個月的時間在泰國製造。視覺特技組首先量度真的飛行機，然後製造一隻模型，並將之粉飾，最後將模型數碼化，再將主角加入飛行機內。
演員介紹
成龍Jackie Chan 飾演派士普特
他的亞洲電影賣座超過20年，其後他踏足荷里活，曾主演的巨片包括《火拼時速》、《火拼時速2》、《贖金之王》及《特務踢死兔》等。他童年時代曾於北京接受戲劇訓練，學習演中國戲劇的多項技能如雜技、體操、功夫、舞蹈及歌唱等。於70年代初期，他身兼演員動作指導，他把喜劇與特技兩種原素揉合在一起，為他的電影創出一種獨特的風格。
史提夫高謹Steve Coogan 飾演霍利斯
生於英國曼徹斯特，並於曼徹斯特理公大學畢業。他於求學時期被電視台發掘，參演第一套電視劇《First Exposure》，其後參演多套電視劇包括《The Prince's Gala Trust》、《Stand-up》、《Up-Front》及《Paramount City》等等。1992年他憑《Steve Coogan in Character with Thompson》獲得Perrier Award，1994年他獲得British Comedy Awards最佳男喜劇演員。
薛茜迪法蘭絲Cecile de France 飾演蒙妮
法國最有前途女星之一。她憑《L'Auberge Espagnole》獲得法國Cesar Award。她自小對演戲有興趣，於巴黎受訓，1998年畢業後，她隨即參與電視及舞台劇演出，作品包括《Nervous Breakdown》、《Petites Joies Lointaines》及《Bon Appetit》等。《80日環遊世界》是她首部以英語為對白的荷里活電影。
占布寶特Jim Broadbent 飾演奇雲
英國資深演員，他憑《Sir Richard Eyre's Iris》勇奪奧斯卡金像獎及金球獎最佳男主角殊榮。他曾主演的電影包括《情陷紅磨坊》、《紐約風雲》、《The Rise Full of Little Voice》、《子彈橫飛百老匯》及《The Crying Game》等。
艾雲班拿Ewen Bremner 飾演Inspector Fix
由1975年開始參演電視劇，1996年他參演丹尼波爾的《Trainspotting》，劇中Spud一角令人印像難忘。其他作品包括《珍珠港》、《The Acid House》、《Life of Stuff》 及《Paranoid》等。
伊安麥尼斯Ian Mcneice 飾演Lord Kitchener
英國資深演員，從影25年來，演出超過60部享譽國際的電影，包括《Top Secret》、《A Perfect Spy》、《Whoops Apocalypse》、《A Life Less Ordinary》、《From Hell》、《Longitude》及《Scarlet and Black》等。
嘉菲貝絲Kathy Bates 飾演維多利亞女王
1990年憑《危情十日》榮獲奧斯卡金像獎及金球獎最佳女主角獎項，其後憑《Primary Colors》及《About Scbmidt》獲得奧斯卡金像獎最佳女配角提名。其他電影包括《鐵達尼號》、《水壺出英雄》及《鬼迷》等。
幕後班底
導演─法蘭哥里斯Frank Coraci
於紐約出生，曾就讀於紐約大學。他曾執導由祖芭莉摩及Adam Sandler主演的《愛情口黎料》，其後他執導另一賣座喜劇《木壼出英雄》，由Adam Sandler夥拍嘉菲貝絲主演。
監製─荷爾賴見文Hal Lieberman
曾監製《未來戰士第3集》及賣座電影《U571風暴》。他亦曾於由李察基爾主演的《The Jackal》擔任行政監製。
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
Production Information
Fabulous adventures, hilarious predicaments, and exhilarating action await an all-star international cast as three unlikely heroes attempt to settle an outrageous wager in Walden Media's new spectacle for the whole family, "Around the World in 80 Days" starring Jackie Chan.
An eccentric London inventor, Phileas Fogg (STEVE COOGAN), has come up with the secrets to flight, electricity, and even in-line skates, but the establishment has dismissed him as a crackpot. Desperate to be taken seriously, Fogg makes an outlandish bet with Lord Kelvin (JIM BROADBENT), the head of the Royal Academy of Science: to circumnavigate the globe in no more than 80 days! With his valet Passepartout (JACKIE CHAN) and thrill-seeking French artist Monique (CÉCILE DE FRANCE) at his side, Fogg is headed on a frantic, heart-pounding round-the-world race that takes our heroes to the world's most exotic places by land, sea, and air. Along the way, our heroes face many adventures and obstacles from an all-star cast including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathy Bates and Rob Schneider. Frank Coraci ("The Wedding Singer," "The Waterboy") directs.
The Walden Media comedy/adventure "Around the World in 80 Days" stars Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Cécile de France and Jim Broadbent. Directed by Frank Coraci. Screenplay by David Titcher and David Benullo & David Goldstein. Based on the novel by Jules Verne. Producers are Hal Lieberman and Bill Badalato. Executive Producers are Jackie Chan, Willie Chan, Solon So, Alex Schwartz and Phyllis Alia.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
"Everybody knows 'Around the World in 80 Days,' and that's been a great jumping-off point for us to make something like nothing before," says Jackie Chan, the star of Walden Media's new adventure comedy, "Around the World in 80 Days." Highlighting Chan's signature blend of incredible action, hilarious comedy, and madcap energy, "Around the World in 80 Days" is a trip that audiences are unlikely to forget.
"'Around the World in 80 Days' is an adventure, comedy, love story, martial arts film, kid's film, adult's film and fantasy all rolled into one," explains executive producer Phyllis Alia. "I love it because it's different and magical. It's about traveling around the world and exposing the audience to new cultures. You can go to the movies and spend time in India and China and all of these really exotic locations that most people will never get a chance to see except for on a National Geographic video. It's just exciting to watch the movie unfold."
Walden Media founder Cary Granat always knew he wanted to develop a fresh cinematic version of "Around the World in 80 Days." The material was due for a face-lift: the book was first published by French writer Jules Verne in 1873; the movie was a 1956 production starring David Niven, Charles Boyer and Noel Coward that received eight Academy AwardR nominations and five wins, including Best Picture. Granat saw the project as a perfect fit for Walden, which-with films like the critically acclaimed "Holes" and the upcoming "Chronicles of Narnia" series-has focused on taking both classic and modern titles and subject matter and making them accessible to audiences of all ages.
"No project blends curiosity and imagination better for the family audience than the adventure of going around the world in 80 days," says Granat. "Walden found in Frank Coraci an incredible visionary who has taken the classic Jules Verne story and infused it with such magic that it jumps off the screen. This is a special and wonderful piece."
Coraci, the director of the hit Adam Sandler comedies "The Wedding Singer" and "The Waterboy," took Granat's rough idea to bring the book to the screen and ran with it. "Cary and I clicked right away," recalls Coraci.
The director was excited by the opportunity. "I've been working with Frank for about ten years," says Alia, "and we couldn't wait to make this picture."
At first glance, Coraci might seem like an unorthodox choice to helm this sprawling, big-budget extravaganza. But the producers saw the situation differently. "Frank is the perfect director to make this movie," says Alia, "because he combines the action, the adventure and the love story and he wraps it in this crazy, twisted comedy. Audiences want to go see it."
"Frank knows how to bring the fun," says producer Hal Lieberman, who has also produced such films as "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" and "U-571." "His instincts and his intuition are good. This is a bigger movie, and it gave him an opportunity to step up his vision in terms of the production, the size, and the look."
With global travel so much more accessible these days than in the 1950's, and with the growth of television and other media, Coraci knew the material required a novel approach. "I wanted to make a really imaginative movie, like the ones I grew up on," says Coraci. Since his days watching James Bond films, Coraci loved inventions. "I thought, 'let's make an adventure, but let's make Phileas Fogg an inventor so that we can create all these great gadgets. If Phileas Fogg has inventions, it will make the journey that much more fun.' The whole idea was that Phileas was ahead of his time."
Steve Coogan, who plays Fogg, welcomed Coraci's changes to the somewhat stuffy protagonist. "Fogg is deliberately portrayed in the book as quite a grey character. The approach Frank took was to make him passionate about something," says Coogan. "There's more opportunity for comedy because he's very insecure about himself."
"We wanted to make an epic, but with a sense of humor," echoes Coraci.
With the updated concept in place, the film "started running right out of the gate," says producer Bill Badalato, whose producing credits include "About Schmidt", "Alien: Resurrection" and "Men of Honor." "One day I got a call from Cary, the next day I met Frank. I really wanted to work with Frank and really wanted to do the movie. I met Frank on a Wednesday, and on Friday we were on an airplane to scout locations. We had to come up with a plan really quickly. It was an incredible journey."
Not surprisingly, the filmmakers circled the globe in their search for locations. "We went everywhere," says Badalato, whose son, Billy, worked as the unit production manager on the film. "We went to Malta; we went all through Europe; we went to Southeast Asia…"
Since it was clearly impossible to take a film crew 'around the world in 80 days,' the goal was to choose a few locations that could be used in myriad ways. The strategy worked.
During the first scouting trip it was decided that Thailand would stand in for China and India. "Then we went around Europe and came to Berlin," says Bill Badalato. "It was a complete surprise to us because Berlin was such a fantastic location. It was able to stand in for England and Paris.
"With these two countries, Germany and Thailand, we were able to more or less piece together 'Around the World in 80 Days,' and it looked spectacular," continues Badalato. "There's always a temptation to shoot this kind of film, at least partially, on a back lot. But the audience's eye is so acute now-they notice. Movies are major visual experiences, and the audience is very aware of effects, and how things look, and matte shots. It's a very sophisticated audience out there."
An International Cast for an International Story
The next step was assembling a cast with the talent to match the scope of the film.
The director and the producers looked to Jackie Chan, whose performances in such films as "Rush Hour" and "Shanghai Noon" (and their respective sequels) have made him a superstar. A gifted athlete and physical comedian blessed with warmth and accessibility, Chan plays Passepartout, Fogg's valet, assistant, protector and, on several occasions, savior. By the end of the film, you might even call them friends.
Many of the filmmakers see the role of Passepartout-who is involved in a key subplot of the film that involves the Chinese valet returning a valuable jade Buddha to his home village of Lanzhou-as an opportunity for Chan to reach out to a new audience. "We asked Jackie to show sides of himself as an actor and a physical comedian that represent the next level of what he can do," says Hal Lieberman. "I think it's the first time that we asked Jackie to play not just to grown-ups but to kids as well. And he is fantastic at it."
Chan welcomed the acting challenge, as he does any opportunity to enhance the perception that he is more than just an action star. "I really like the audience to treat me like an actor, not just an action star. The life of an action star is short," he observes. "I'd rather be like a Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, or Al Pacino-you can act until you're 60, 70, 80. But an action star… how long can he keep fighting? I'm not an action star. I'm the actor; I'm the comedian."
Chan, who was familiar with the story of "Around the World in 80 Days," jokes that when his manager called, he thought he was tapped for the role of Phileas Fogg. "He said, 'No… Passepartout.' But I said yes. I'm really happy because this is a world movie and a family movie. Everybody knows the story. I'm honored to remake these kinds of things."
Chan says Steve Coogan taught him a lot on the set. "He taught me English. He taught me new words every day, like 'horizon.' On the boat, I was sea sick. Steve said, 'Jackie, look at the horizon.' Every day I learned something."
When he wasn't learning something, Chan was educating the cast and crew about martial arts and film combat, as well as designing fight sequences. Inspired by everyone from Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin to Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, Chan helped Coraci put together several of the film's most exciting and dynamic scenes. He performed in them, too, often going through 20 of the same costume in one day and dozens of pairs of shoes. "I taught so many people the fighting," he says. "Teaching people how to make an action film is a piece of cake for me. I can even make you a great action hero!"
Hong Kong-born Chan is an accomplished instructor. When Chan was younger, he became skilled at the 'southern style' of martial arts, dominated by jumping. Later, he learned 'northern style,' which incorporated more movement. As he completed more movies, he learned everything from boxing, Karate, Hapkido and Judo to skateboarding and motorcycle riding. Today, he calls his style "Chinese chop suey. Everything!"
Despite nearly 43 years in the film business, "For me, it's always fun making a film," says Chan. "And of course, going around the world is more fun for me because I see so many things. I learn so many things when I travel. I really like to show the audience some Chinese culture.
"I think that if everybody understands everybody else's culture and religion, then there is no more fighting and no more war," says Chan. "That's what this movie is about-love, peace and friendship."
Frank Coraci wanted English actor Steve Coogan for the part of Phileas Fogg right from the beginning: "You had to believe that Phileas was a genius, but he also had to be funny in a non-self conscious way. That was always my vision for the role. Once I saw Steve in '24 Hour Party People' I knew I had found Phileas." Cary Granat at Walden agreed: "Steve Coogan is the Peter Sellers of our generation. He is incredibly talented."
"Frank stuck his neck out for me," says Coogan, whose show, "The Man Who Thinks He's It," was nominated for a 1999 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Entertainment for the 1998 season. "When there is a very significant part like this out there, often other people are in the frame for the lead role, and other people were."
Coogan was drawn to the role for several reasons. "It's an iconic part and a famous name. It's great to play a big character like that," he explains. "To become someone who people already have ideas about and try and fulfill their expectations is quite a responsibility. But that attracted me to the part."
Despite Coogan's healthy career as an actor and comedian in the U.K., and his obvious versatility, range of voices and gift for mimicry, he had to screen test for the role of Fogg. "It was interesting because during that process, which went on for a few days, I got to know Frank's style as a director," recalls Coogan. "I was really impressed with his intuitive skills in terms of comedy and comic timing and comic beats. He's a collaborator-he made me feel like he wanted my opinions."
Coogan plunged into the role of Fogg, an old-fashioned English gentleman faced with an outrageous wager courtesy of Lord Kelvin of the Royal Academy of Science. "Kelvin bets him that he can't go around the world in 80 days," says the actor. "If he fails, he has to give up his membership in the Royal Academy of Science. If he wins the bet, he becomes the president of the Royal Academy of Science. A lot is at stake."
Fogg tries to pitch his inventions to the Royal Academy, but according to Coogan, "He's a thorn in their side. None of his inventions really work, and they're all kind of half ideas. They aren't fully developed."
Phileas the inventor is also somewhat relationship-challenged. "He relates to machines very well, but not to people," says Coogan. "He's not very impressed with art. He's one of those people who think science is the answer to everything and art is irrelevant."
One of the people who help change Phileas' point of view is a lovely French artist named Monique. "Just like Phileas, Monique is ahead of her time," says Frank Coraci. "She is a woman with a passion and the boldness to go for what she believes, yet she still has the ability to be compassionate, loving and fun." Belgian born Cécile de France, who plays Monique, experienced a combination of honor, pleasure, enthusiasm, and a bit of fear starring in her first big-budget English language film. "This film is a true adventure film like the ones I saw when I was a child," says de France. "This kind of movie made me dream, and made me want to be an actress."
When filmmakers started scouting for "Around the World in 80 Days," "We had dancing around in our heads the perfect, ideal woman to play Monique LaRoche, the romantic lead to Phileas Fogg," says Phyllis Alia. "We didn't know who she was yet, but we knew she was a brilliant French actress."
The filmmakers looked at dozens of tapes and took recommendations from casting directors. "No one even came close to Cécile. She is miraculous," says Alia, who compares her to Ingrid Bergman and Dorothy Lamour. "She has that throwback quality to older films, to older actresses who had screen presence without saying a word. She illuminates the screen. There aren't many young actresses that are beautiful and charming that have comedic timing. Cécile de France has it."
De France describes Monique as "a young French avant-garde painter who is not taken seriously by Paris critics. She learns that Phileas and Passepartout are traveling around the world and decides to join them. She believes that the wonders of the world will lift her painting to new levels. On the outside Monique is an artist, so people think she has her head in the clouds. But in reality she's like a sponge. She wants to learn everything. She's ready to do anything to satisfy her curiosity."
De France sees the romance that blossoms between Phileas and Monique as quite natural because "Phileas wants to push science further, and Monique wants to push art further."
Jackie Chan had a special affinity for his co-star, whom he likens to a "female Chris Tucker" and praises as a diligent student of his combat moves. But, he adds, "She speaks almost no English. She's worse than me!"
"We ended up with a really charming trio," says producer Bill Badalato of the casting. "They are three very different people, which is exactly what the story is about."
"It was always about casting the best people from the start," says Frank Coraci. "We thought Jackie would be the perfect Passepartout. Steve Coogan is really a genius-funny without being self conscious. Cécile just lit up the screen. She was strong, but also lovable and sweet and smart. The three leads are all from other countries, which is in the spirit of the movie."
A Stellar Stable of Supporting Players
The winner of an Academy AwardR in 2002 for his supporting role in "Iris," versatile British character actor Jim Broadbent came on board to play Lord Kelvin, a leader of the old guard in the Royal Academy of Science who makes the wager with Fogg. "He's an amazing performer," says Badalato.
"Lord Kelvin is essentially the baddie," explains Broadbent. "He's the nasty character who's trying at every turn to prevent this wonderful journey from happening. He is a thoroughly unpleasant man. He chooses to believe that science and civilization have developed as much as they can, and the status quo suits him fine."
The comedic aspects of the part appealed to Broadbent, who is known primarily for his dramatic performances. "The film benefits from a light touch, I think," he ponders. "There's a cartoony element to this that I haven't really been part of in film before. It's quite bold and broad in its comedic way, and it's great fun for that."
Director Coraci helped Broadbent make the most of the character's frequent humorous moments. "It's great to work with someone who is a specialist in comedy and knows exactly how comedic timing works on film," says Broadbent of Coraci.
Ewen Bremner, a Scottish actor best known for his hard-edged performances in films like "Trainspotting" and "Black Hawk Down," tackled the crowd-pleasing role of Inspector Fix. "Ewen is nothing less than astonishing," says Bill Badalato. "He's played in very intense contemporary dramas, but here he is in this period piece doing great comedy."
The villainous Fix, hired by Lord Kelvin to follow the Fogg threesome around the world to keep them from winning the wager, is essentially a human punching bag. "Every single time he appears he winds up being pasted to the floor," says Bremner. "He is always out of his depth, but he thinks he's totally in command of the situation.
"I try to apprehend them but I'm foiled at every turn," continues Bremner. "I wind up horribly destroyed every time I poke my head up." When he's not being squashed, burned, beaten, crushed, dragged, trampled, broken or generally wrecked, Fix "has to jump off buildings and fall out of windows. I get kicked out of steaming trains. Every nasty thing that could happen to me happens to me in this film. Jackie uses me as a shield and as a weapon."
Despite the abuse that Fix endures, Bremner gives kudos to Jackie Chan, who conjured up many of the outrageous hijinks in the scenes. "Jackie Chan choreographed fantastically clever and funny sequences for every scene that I was involved in," says Bremner. "They were really well set up-Jackie put them together so that you don't just fall out of a window or get a knock on the head. It was all set up so that each little second is filled with another comic catastrophe. It was great."
As if the cast wasn't boasting enough wattage at this point, comedy legend John Cleese and "Saturday Night Live" regular Will Forte were added to the ensemble. Cleese explains that he "plays a London bobby, 'round about 1885; very old style, old-fashioned kind of guy; not too smart." Forte is his young, naive sidekick.
"We're just in some bookend scenes, which we wrote basically last night and this morning," adds Cleese, demonstrating his famously dry wit. "That's the way it is in these kinds of movies. Until two weeks ago, I thought I was playing a French balloonist."
For American actor Forte, working with John Cleese was nothing short of awesome. "He's always been an idol of mine, and a comedic inspiration," says Forte. "I've loved him in all his movies. He's so funny in this-it was hard not to laugh while we were doing the scenes. It was such an honor to work with him."
British actor Ian McNeice plays London chief of police Colonel Kitchner. "He's a pathetic idiot, really. A buffoon," says McNeice of his character. "He gets everything wrong and he gets things thrown at him. He has a horrible time… until the end."
Hong Kong born Karen Mok, one of Asia's most popular actresses, will never forget working with Jackie Chan, with whom she engages in a brilliant fight scene in the film. In her first English language film, Mok plays General Fang, whom she describes as "really severe and menacing. Of course she's a female villain, which makes her more interesting. It's always nice to play the baddie, and to be able to fight Jackie in one of his movies is about the coolest thing there is."
"Around the World in 80 Days" is also peppered with an assortment of surprising cameos, including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Prince Hapi, a hopelessly vain Turkish prince who falls for Monique.
The Governor, who had previously worked with producer Hal Lieberman on "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines", was eager to work with the cast and crew. "I am a big admirer of Jackie Chan," he says. "Frank Coraci is a terrific director, because he really develops scenes well. He pulls the best performances out of actors, and he's great with comedy."
The film also features Kathy Bates as Queen Victoria, and appearances by singer Macy Gray and Mark Addy.
Rob Schneider, who also starred in Coraci's "The Waterboy," makes an appearance as a malodorous hobo who teaches Phileas how to beg. "Frank gets comedy," says Schneider, "and Steve Coogan's got great timing. He's great to play off of. He's a natural comedian. He is Phileas. You couldn't ask for a better comic actor to work with."
Production Begins in Southeast Asia
Principal photography began on "Around the World in 80 Days" in the sweltering heat of Thailand. On the first day of shooting, the unit had swelled to over 700 crew members. "Part of the learning process for the studio and for those of us in production was to find out what it took to get the job done all over the world," says UPM Billy Badalato. "It was very different everywhere we went." Luckily, he adds, the 700 crew members that showed up the first day whittled down to around 500 most days.
Despite the 125 degree heat and the vast scope of the production, Coraci kept the mood on the set as light as possible.
"I have rarely worked for a director who is so respected by the actors," comments Bill Badalato. "We worked hard. We worked long hours. But we enjoyed coming to work every day because Frank is a hoot."
While Jackie Chan admired Coraci's laid back nature, he adds, "Frank really concentrates on the movie. He's very good. Sometimes even he taught me how to fight. He's full of energy."
Chan's own exuberance and professionalism was contagious among the crew, and many recognized that Coraci/Chan was a winning combination.
"Cutting a film with Jackie Chan is great because he really knows action thoroughly," says editor Tom Lewis. "He's a master because he knows storytelling and comedy; his instincts are terrific. It's great working with Frank because he really knows how to construct a scene dynamically; he knows how to weave the action into the story in an organic way. He and Jackie are both thinking three steps ahead of the game."
Thailand served mainly as the location for Lanzhou, Passepartout's home in China, where the loyal valet returns the jade Buddha so prized by his village. Production designer Perry Blake, who worked with Coraci previously on "The Waterboy" and "The Wedding Singer," built a Chinese village in the foothills of the mountains in Thailand that amazed the cast and crew. "It looked spectacular, even from a distance," says Steve Coogan. "It's a beautiful old village, beautifully made, beautifully constructed."
It was in this village that Blake and Coraci had a run-in with one of the Brahma bulls that were being used to pull carts in a scene. "One day Frank and I were walking to the Chinese village, and we saw this big bull running down the main street," recounts Blake. "We thought, 'wow, that looks very authentic.' All of a sudden, we see people running and scattering. The bull was getting wild and crazy. He's running and people are diving out of the way. And we realized that the bull was actually loose. We ducked into a building and the bull went running past. It took about 25 minutes to finally get him restrained!"
The production spent four and a half weeks in Thailand, making stops in the capital of Bangkok; and the southern cities of Phuket, known as "the Pearl of the Andaman sea" for its pristine beaches; and Krabi. "It really worked out well. We were fortunate, and it looks fantastic," says Coraci. "The design and the photography really show off why we went to Thailand."
The production then moved to Europe. One of the key sequences shot in Berlin was the climactic scene where Fogg, Passepartout and Monique crash land their flying machine at the steps of the London Royal Academy of Science in front of hundreds of onlookers.
Says production designer Perry Blake, "We did a little crash test. It wasn't full speed, but still… We had a gigantic construction crane which was over 100 feet high. It was on a long track so that we could not only bring the flying machine in but we could drop it down and fairly well control it."
The scene took place in a large plaza in Berlin. The square was "Trafalgar Square-esque," according to Blake. "It turned out to be a fantastic place because not only was it spectacular and grand, but it was surrounded by an opera house designed by famed architect Karl Frederick Schinkel that stood in as the Royal Academy of Science." One side of the plaza didn't work as well, so the unit built its own 35 foot tall, 200 foot long building in the same style. "We tried to match the color and the style and the tone of the other buildings, and then we used trees to tie it together and anchor it into the plaza. We were able to shoot in almost any direction," says Blake.
A trick the production used to conceal modern buildings during this important scene was a huge lion. "We built an oversized base unit, and I sculpted a giant lion on it. It was on wheels so that we could move it around," says Blake. With changes in camera angles and moving the lion to different spots, the filmmakers were able to block several structures.
The unit also filmed in Goerlitz, a small town in Southern Germany that seemed untouched by the modern world. "It was a small, beautiful little gem of a city," says Blake, and its quaint streets doubled for French streets. The production also filmed briefly on a back lot in Germany, which stood in for San Francisco.
During filming, "Around the World in 80 Days" endured the normal little catastrophes that one might expect for an undertaking of this magnitude. Not only did the production shoot in many locations across the world, but many different languages were spoken on set and various interpreters were needed. "On American sets, we take for granted the language and the culture," says Phyllis Alia. "On this movie, we needed to learn on the job what works and what doesn't work for Thai crews, or German crews. We were on set in Thailand and Frank would be talking to the actors, and then we'd break for a second and five different interpreters would tell five different sets of people in Mandarin and Cantonese and Thai."
But "Around the World in 80 Days" faced some truly unique challenges-namely the breakout of the war in Iraq and the SARS epidemic.
"It was a trying time for everyone, and cast and crew pulled together as a surrogate family. I think that we gained a larger respect and understanding for other cultures," says Alia. "We talked about what we were feeling towards other people and other countries and how they were being represented on CNN very openly. The spirit of the journey of 'Around the World in 80 Days' is this spirit of opening your eyes to other cultures, and that's why this has been a truly special filmmaking experience for all of us."
"It's a time to embrace other cultures and make the world a smaller place," says Frank Coraci, "so we wanted to make a movie that brought people together."
Producer Hal Lieberman agrees that the film has particular relevance in the charged atmosphere of today's world climate. "These are hard times, and our movie at its core is about kindness, generosity, and spirit across the world. It's a nice story and a nice message. I think the movie speaks to the best places inside of us, because there's people all around the world, meeting and connecting and caring about each other."
"It's a very timely movie," says Steve Coogan. "The world's experienced a lot of problems and this is a way of bringing people together. It's a very unifying, positive view of the world as a global village."
Once all was said and done after principal photography, a crew went to such far-flung locations as Paris, Austria, Cornwall, England, the California desert and the Great Wall of China to shoot additional footage-the film would shoot in 10 different countries and use CGI only when absolutely necessary. "It was about actually being in the places," stresses Coraci. "It's like a movie you don't see anymore … A throwback film done with today's technology."
Visual Effects
Despite the limited use of computer generated images in the film, the visual effects team was kept busy on "Around the World in 80 Days." "We had a wide range of work on this film," says visual effects supervisor Derek Spears. "We did everything: wire removal, advanced 3-D character animation in virtual environments, completely realistic global illumination-type lighting models, particle simulations, water surface simulations, and crowd simulations."
The VFX unit also tried to go farther with a number of technologies they had already mastered, such as crowd simulations and advanced lighting techniques. "We tried to push them a little further along the realism path," says Spears.
In a period film, however, the special effects serve a unique purpose. "We tried to fit into the fabric of the film so you don't notice us," explains Spears. "It's quite the opposite of what people view visual effects to be-something that's big and exciting and something to watch. In this case, it's really just something to help tell the story."
The work also included replacing modern buildings with period matte paintings of everything from the Taj Mahal to the Paris skyline, generating digital buildings, and enhancing some shots with glass and dust. "It's the debris and the minutia," explains Spears. "We add a little bit of danger."
The balloon scenes and the flying machine scenes would prove the most complicated for the visual effects team because they combined 3-D environments with CGI and live action, and involved adding CGI humans. Both a real and a digital flying machine were used. The digital flying machine took nearly six months to create. Originally, a real flying machine-a live action vehicle-was built in Pukhet, Thailand, so the visual effects technicians had something to start with.
"From that," explains visual effects producer Susan Zwerman, "we took measurements, stills and live-action plates and built a model of a flying machine. We got the texture painted and animated. It was lots of layers of lots of work. In addition, we had to create digital actors to put in the flying machine.
"We used technology that had not really been used before with a vendor called Rhythm and Hues," Zwerman continues. "We created fully CG digital people that work in fully CG environments. We created CGI flying machines and balloons with digital people. It was a very difficult type of work on this project-but that's what makes it so interesting and fun to me, to try and pull it off."
The Look of "Around the World in 80 Days"
On one of the lengthy overseas flights to scout locations, recalls production designer Perry Blake, he and Frank Coraci started talking about Fogg's jet pack that seems to scare off his valets-until Passepartout. "I talked about it being very futuristic, as if Phileas is really a forward-looking visionary, not just from the 1880s."
Expanding on Blake's suggestion for the jet pack, the duo determined the 'visual language' of the film. The pair was drawn to the imagery of the 1950's. "We liked the 50's because they were the years when people tried to project what the future would be like. You saw flying saucers and rocket ships and those kinds of things," says Blake. "We tried to integrate that into a movie that took place in the 1880's. It was 'future retro'."
The idea of 'future retro' threaded its way throughout the film. The filmmakers borrowed from time periods ranging from the 1880's through the year 2100. "We tried to take pieces of what we already knew so that as you see different elements of the movie you think, 'oh, maybe that's where that came from. If Phileas Fogg really invented the first one, then this is how it turned into something else,'" says Blake.
With such disparate terms as "period," "ahead of its time," "classic" and "future-retro" being used to describe "Around the World in 80 Days," cinematographer Phil Meheux had a challenging assignment. Director Frank Coraci decided that "we wanted a classy, authentic, period look… colorful but dirty. Phil Meheux was great, because he combined modern camera placement with period lighting."
Coraci strived for a hybrid between period and non-period throughout the film. "We took things from the period, then we pushed the styles," says the director. "Phileas' look was almost 1960's mod. The helmet on the jetpack was like a skateboarding helmet. Jackie's goggles remind me of snowboarding goggles."
The director also wanted a colorful palette in the film that didn't step over the line into childish. "We would take the color scheme of a particular set and then give it some vibrant color," says Blake of the process, "but then we sort of aged it down, so it blended in more."
Costume designer Anna Sheppard helped achieve the film's festive feel. An Academy AwardR nominee for both "The Pianist" and "Schindler's List," Sheppard worked with Jackie Chan previously on "Shanghai Knights."
"This was a very unusual project for me because I'm considered a war specialist after designing costumes for 'Schindler's List,' 'The Pianist' and 'Band of Brothers,'" says Sheppard. "This is completely different, which is why I enjoyed it so much."
Sheppard relished the artistic freedom afforded her on "Around the World in 80 Days." "This is a film with flying machines and other inventions that obviously are from a fairy tale. You had to think differently about period costumes. I didn't have to feel obliged to follow every rule. I could bend the rules to the requirements of the film."
Although research is an important preparation tool for any movie, says Sheppard, "It was very much your personal interpretation of the period that's mattered on this film."
Even on a flights-of-fancy film like this one, the costumes are crucial to the actors' performances, stresses Sheppard. "Wearing these period clothes for twelve hours changes your approach to them, and makes you feel like you really lived in that period. Everything is different," she explains. "So it's not only the experience of dressing people that way, it's also the actor responding to the costumes-making them walk differently and sit down differently and behave differently."
Creating costumes to reflect countries as diverse as India, China, and England was a tall order. Finding the fabrics, then dyeing and aging them was a tedious process. But it paid off. "I think there's a great satisfaction in seeing a crowd of 300 people on the screen wearing costumes that we created from nothing."
Steve Coogan was one of Sheppard's biggest fans. "One of the main reasons I decided to do the part was because the clothes were so good!" he jokes. "That's a big governing factor when I play a part. It's not the script; it's how good the clothes are! And the clothes in this film are really great."
Although hair and makeup designer Christine Blundell had done several period films, "Around the World in 80 Days" presented some hurdles. "Victorian London is something that I know quite well. But the Victorian period around the world? That's where it got a little bit awkward. Trying to capture every country's own quirkiness was quite difficult. But we managed." Blundell collaborated closely with different sources in several foreign countries and with Sheppard, "and we sort of pieced it together."
"Around the World in 80 Days" is editor Tom Lewis' fourth collaboration with Frank Coraci. "This film has a lot bigger scope, and thematically it's a richer film than the other films that we've worked on. It's got action elements and really nice character development. So I was really excited about working on it.
"It's definitely a family-friendly film," he adds. "The humor in it is fun. It's sweet and broad but not too slapstick. It appeals to both kids and adults."
Phileas Fogg's Fantastical Inventions
"When we started conceiving the film, we really wanted it to be fun," says Perry Blake. "It's a family film, and we wanted parents to enjoy it as much as their kids."
A large part of the broad appeal of the film derives from Fogg's kooky inventions. The filmmakers wanted to portray Fogg as a kind of benign mad scientist who pieces his inventions together from the various objects he finds in his garage. "I used to dream things up when I was a kid," says Blake. "I used to make them out of all of these crazy parts. So we really wanted Fogg's inventions to seem like they had been made out of different things that he just found."
Fogg puts this ingenuity to good use in the film when he has to make the flying machine on the fly while he's on the Atlantic steamer ship. Fogg's flying machine was built out of a dizzying array of parts from the boat: sails, masts, planks; the propeller is made of paddles.
Perry Blake envisioned Fogg's jet pack 35,000 feet in the air, while flying to a location on a scout. "I looked out the window and saw these jet engines. We thought it would be cool if the jet pack was like a big jet engine on someone's back, really overscaled and goofy in its size. That was one of our first drawings. As we developed it, we thought, why don't we make it something that he created out of elements that he had around. So we incorporated the barrel as the main jet pack with all of this other stuff coming off of it-pipes, hoses that look like they came from a saxophone or trumpet, leather bands he took from his horse…"
Other inventions include Fogg's internal combustion car, which runs on beans. "We took a regular carriage and souped it up. We wanted to give it a modern feel but still look like it was from that time period," says Blake. It almost took on the look of a hot rod, "a dragster that has a big exhaust pipe coming out of the side. We painted it a bright metal blue." Once it was built, Blake and others enjoyed test driving it around the lot.
The "urban transport device," an early version of in-line skates, is another Fogg creation. "We wanted to feel like he went into the back of his house or down in the basement and he found some old wheels off of a little cart. Then he took them and put them on his boots, and that's how he made the shoes," says Blake.
"This movie takes place during a period in time when almost all the great inventions were created," points out Frank Coraci. "This whole movie is about Phileas believing in his dreams and having courage. Some of his inventions will actually exist and be used years later."
An Incredible Journey
Ultimately, "Around the World in 80 Days" provides the best kind of family entertainment: action, adventure, romance and comedy, all brought to you by endearing characters that learn a few lessons along the way.
"Phileas learns a lot about himself, about the world, and about art through Monique," says Steve Coogan. "He also falls in love with her. So he learns about things other than those that can be explained scientifically. He learns about the stuff of life.
"It's also part of the message of the film that if you broaden your horizons and you increase your knowledge of people from different backgrounds, you become a more well-rounded individual."
"There are very few films that you can actually bring your entire family to," says Bill Badalato. "Everyone can see this film and have a good time. The comedy is great. In the face of so many big action movies and horror movies, I think this is a breath of fresh air."
"'Around the World in 80 Days' is for everybody," says Rob Schneider. "Everybody can enjoy the film because it's got fantastic scenery, an amazing cast, and you get to see the world. It's a great epic family adventure film, it's funny, and it's a great story. 'Around the World in 80 Days' has got it all."
"When you go to see a film, you want to be surprised and intrigued," adds Jim Broadbent. "This film will appeal to everyone. I mean, it's a Jackie Chan movie. But it's also got Queen Victoria. It's wonderful-it's a very inventive romp."
"It's a wild, imaginative ride that is about embracing all cultures, valuing true friendships and realizing how we can all help each other have the courage to live our dreams," says Frank Coraci. "It's a movie I believe the world can use especially right now."
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ABOUT THE CAST
Jackie Chan
Passepartout
Jackie Chan was Asia's biggest box office star for more than 20 years before he became a household name in the West by starring in such blockbuster hits as "Rush Hour", "Rush Hour 2", "Shanghai Noon", "The Tuxedo" and more recently "Shanghai Knights".
He has also produced, starred in, and directed scores of Asian films, including many that found wide audiences in the U.S. like "Rumble in the Bronx", "First Strike", "The Legend of Drunken Master", "Supercop", "Operation Condor", "Crime Story", "Mr. Nice Guy" and "Armor of God".
Born in Hong Kong to working class parents, Chan trained at the Peking Opera School from the age of seven to seventeen where he learned the various skills required for Chinese opera such as acrobatics, gymnastics, martial arts, weaponry, dance, singing, and dramatics. By the time Chan graduated, Chinese opera was declining in popularity and he gravitated into film.
In the early seventies, Chan worked as a bit player and an action director. Inspired by great film clowns like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, Chan has invented a unique style for film combining humor and death-defying stunts which he has carried to extravagant heights that American films are only now attempting. A superb martial artist and acrobat, Chan has built his legend by putting his life on the line for his movies. In the montage of outtakes, which typically end his films, fans see the proof that Jackie Chan is still his own most amazing special effect. He is the hero of the syndicated animated television series "Jackie Chan Adventures" and is a recipient of MTV's Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to writing, acting and directing, Chan has a successful singing career and is active in numerous charities in Hong Kong and surrounding Asian countries.
In 2002 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Steve Coogan
Phileas Fogg
Born and raised in Manchester, England, Steve Coogan trained as an actor at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre. While studying he saw stand up comedy as a way of obtaining an Equity card and was discovered by a television scout and offered a spot on "First Exposure". That led to many television appearances including, The Prince's Gala Trust for the Prince and Princess of Wales, Stand-Up, Up-Front, Paramount City, London Underground and Word in Your Ear. Coogan was also a regular on Spitting Image for several years.
In 1992 he won the Perrier Award for his show Steve Coogan in Character With John Thompson, where he launched Paul Calf, a character who went on to became a regular on the TV series Saturday Zoo. It was during this series that Coogan introduced Paul Calf's sister Pauline. Coogan went on to write and perform in The Paul Calf Video Diaries for which he received a BAFTA for his performance as Pauline Calf video diary Three Fights, Two Weddings and A Funeral. In 1994 he was awarded Top Male Comedy Performer and Top Comedy Personality at the British Comedy Awards.
Whilst working on radio's On The Hour, one of his most celebrated characters, Alan Partridge was born. On transferring to TV, the show became The Day Today, which later spawned Knowing Me, Knowing You which went on to receive huge critical acclaim and numerous accolades including Best New Television Comedy at the British Comedy Awards. The success of the character later led to two BAFTA awards for Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Performance for the series I'm Alan Partridge.
Film appearances followed in "Resurrected" and Paramount's "Indian in the Cupboard", as well as series of Coogan's Run for BBC2 and a role as Mole in director Terry Jones' production of "The Wind in the Willows". He wrote and starred in a BBC Christmas special entitled Tony Ferrino's Phenomenon for which he was awarded The Silver Rose of Montreux. Coogan also completed a sell-out UK tour of his live show, The Man Who Thinks He's It, which received a South Bank Show Award and broke all box office records for a comedy show in London's West End.
Coogan formed Baby Cow Productions three years ago with business partner Henry Normal and the team co-wrote "The Parole Officer", one of the UK's top grossing films of that year, which John Duigan directed for producers Duncan Kenworthy and Andrew Macdonald. April 2002 saw the release of director Michael Winterbottom's celebrated "24 Hour Party People", with Coogan in the lead role of Tony Wilson in the story of the 80's Manchester music scene and the rise and fall of Wilson and Factory Records.
Coogan's most recent film appearance, an uproarious exchange with Alfred Molina in Jim Jarmusch's "Coffee and Cigarettes", has earned him rave reviews.
Jim Broadbent
Lord Kelvin
Trained at LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), British actor Jim Broadbent's long and distinguished career has spanned stage, big and small screen and culminated in an Academy AwardR for Best Supporting Actor as well as a Golden GlobeR for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Sir Richard Eyre's "Iris".
Other major feature film credits include, Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge", Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" , "The Gathering Storm", "Little Voice", Mike Leigh's "Topsy Turvy", "The Borrowers", "Richard III", "Bullets Over Broadway", "The Crying Game", "Enchanted April", "Life is Sweet", "Superman IV", "Brazil", "The Time Bandits", "Breaking Glass" and "The Shout" "Nicholas Nickleby" and Bruce Beresford's "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself" for HBO.
Acclaimed for this theatre work, Broadbent has worked with the cream of directing talent including, Sam Mendes (Habeas Corpus), Sir Richard Eyre (Kafka's Dick), Trevor Nunn (Every Good Boy Deserves), Mike Leigh (Goosepimples, Ecstasy), Lindsay Anderson (Bed Before Yesterday), Max Stafford Clarke (The Recruiting Officer) and Athol Fugard (A Place With Pigs).
For many years Broadbent was a popular face on British television, with credits such as The Peter Principle, Gone To Seed, Murder Most Horrid, Inspector Morse, Gone to the Dogs, Only Fools and Horses, Happy Families, Silas Marner, The Messiah, Blackadder and A Sense of History.
Cécile de France
Monique
One of France's most promising young actresses, Cécile de France was awarded the coveted Cesar award for her role in Cedric Klapisch's "L'Auberge espagnole".
Born in Belgium, de France's early interest in theatre led to her theatrical training at L'Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Techniques du Theatre in Paris and Lyon. After graduating in 1998 stage and TV roles were followed by the feature films "L'Art délicat de la seduction", "A+ Pollux", "Irène", and "Haute tension".
"Around The World in 80 Days" marks de France's debut in an English language Hollywood project
Ewen Bremner
Inspector Fix
Scottish-born actor Ewen Bremner made his TV debut in 1975 and went on to take roles in "Heavenly Pursuits" and "As You Like It". Mike Leigh's acclaimed "Naked" marked a turning point and led to roles in "Judge Dredd", "Prince of Jutland", "Ruffian Hearts" and "The Phoenix and The Magic Carpet". 1996 saw Bremner's most memorable appearance as "Spud" in Danny Boyles' hugely celebrated "Trainspotting".
Other major credits have included, "The Acid House", "Life of Stuff", "Mojo", "Julien Donkey-Boy", "Paranoid", Guy Ritchie's "Snatch", "Pearl Harbor", Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down" and "The Reckoning". Upcoming projects include "Fancy Dancing Skagerrak" and "Welcome to the Jungle".
Ian McNeice
Lord Kitchener
A veteran of the big and small screen, British-born actor Ian McNeice has over sixty credits to his name, spanning almost twenty-five years, the most notable being, "Top Secret!", "Edge of Darkness", "Whoops Apocalypse", "84 Charing Cross Road", "Cry Freedom", "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne", "A Perfect Spy", "The Raggedy Rawney", "Valmont", "1871, "The Russia House", "Secret Friends", "The Cloning of Joanna May", "An Ungentlemanly Act", "Scarlet and Black", "The Wimbledon Poisoner", "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain", "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls", "A Life Less Ordinary", "Hornblower", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "A Christmas Carol", "David Copperfield", "Longitude", "The Nine Lives of Thomas Katz", "Town and Country", "From Hell", "Anazapta" and "Man and Boy".
THE CAMEOS
Kathy Bates
Queen Victoria
Award-winning Kathy Bates received both an Academy AwardR and a Golden GlobeR in the Best Actress category for her role in "Misery" in 1990. Bates also went on to receive Academy AwardR nominations for Best Supporting Actress in "Primary Colors" and more recently "About Schmidt".
Other major credits include "Titanic", "Dick Tracy", "Fried Green Tomatoes", "Dragonfly", "The Waterboy", "Dolores Claiborne", "The Stand", "Hostages", "Come Back To The Five and Dime Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean" and more recently "The Tulse Luper Suitcase" and "The Bridge of San Luis Ray".
John Cleese
Grizzled Sergeant
Born in Somerset, England in 1939, John Cleese received a Masters Degree in Law from Cambridge University and during this time he joined the university's legendary Footlights. In the autumn of 1963 he joined BBC Radio as a writer. In 1968 he started writing with Graham Chapman and in 1969 the first Monty Python's Flying Circus series was born. Month Python thrived, two further TV series, the first feature film And Now For Something Completely Different and a stage tour followed. The features "Monty Python and The Holy Grail" and "The Life of Brian" went on to achieve huge acclaim and Cleese was also celebrated for the hugely popular comedy TV series Fawlty Towers.
Cleese's career on both the big and small screen has been long and distinguished, other major movie credits include "A Fish Called Wanda", for which he was Oscar-nominated in the Best Screenplay category and received a BAFTA Best Actor accolade and Best Screenplay from the Writer's Guild of America, "Silverado", "Privates on Parade", "The Great Muppet Caper", "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein", "Disney's The Jungle Book", "Fierce Creatures", "Out of Towners", "Isn't She Great", "The World is Not Enough", "Rat Race", "Pluto Nash" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". Most recent credits include, "Die Another Day", "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", "Charlie's Angels - Full Throttle", "Shrek 2" and "Looney Tunes: Back in Action".
Mark Addy
The Steamer Captain
Born in York, England in 1963 and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Mark Addy had appeared in a number of top British TV dramas and comedy series including Band of Gold, The Thin Blue Line, Sunnyside Farm and The Heart Surgeon before starring in the box-office smash "The Full Monty" in 1997.
Addy's other notable feature film credits include "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas", "A Knight's Tale", "The Time Machine", "Heartlands" and "The Order".
Karen Mok
General Fang
Asia's popular actress/singer Karen Mok speaks five languages and is gifted in music and the arts. After university studies in London, her passion for music led to an offer from a record company which brought her back to Asian entertainment. She soon became a household name in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and elsewhere in Asia in her dual career as actress/singer. She first starred in Wong Kar Wai's "Fallen Angels", for which she won two Best Supporting Actress awards in 1995 - the HK Film Academy AwardR and the Golden Bauhinia Award. Many other memorable roles followed, especially in Asia's number one comedic actor/director Stephen Chow's films like "God of Cookery", "King of Comedy" and "Shaolin Soccer", which led to more acting nominations, giving firm recognition to her acting talent. Karen recently starred in Columbia Pictures Asia's female actioner "So Close" which was widely released across Asia, and also made her first on-screen appearance with Jackie Chan in "The Twins Effects". "Around the World in 80 Days" marks her first foray into Hollywood.
In music, her many accolades include being the first ever Hong Kong born Artiste to win Taiwan's coveted Golden Melody Award for Best Female Singer 2003. Same year in mainland China, Karen was presented with the MTV/CCTV Award for Best Female Singer (HK), a major award which makes her the undisputed reigning queen of "Mando-pop".
Rob Schneider
Hobo
Born in San Francisco, Schneider began writing jokes as a teen, appearing at local venues including the Holy City Zoo. After cutting his teeth on the stage as the opening act for comedians Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld, he made his major network television debut in 1987 on The David Letterman Show. In 1990, Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels saw his appearance on HBO's 13th Annual Young Comedians Special. He subsequently joined SNL for four seasons, where he met friend and future collaborator Adam Sandler. Schneider has worked on eight films through Sandler's Happy Madison Productions.
He most recently appeared in "50 First Dates" with Sandler and Drew Barrymore. He starred in "The Hot Chick" and co-wrote and starred in "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo". He co-wrote and starred in "The Animal" and narrated the animated comedy "8 Crazy Nights". In addition, he co-starred with Sandler in "The Waterboy", "Big Daddy", "Little Nicky" and "Mr. Deeds".
Schneider's additional motion picture credits include "Home Alone II" and "Down Periscope". He is currently at work on "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo".
Will Forte
Young Bobbie
Will Forte is best known for his two seasons on Saturday Night Live, where he is currently a repertory player. Forte has appeared in many memorable sketches and created recurring characters in "The Falconer" - the once-successful executive who's mysteriously chosen to live in the woods with his faithful falcon, Donald - and the (very) soft-spoken politician Tim Calhoun. Forte came to SNL from the Los Angeles improv-sketch theater "The Groundlings", where fellow SNL cast members Chris Parnell and Maya Rudolph got their start. Forte's experience has been predominantly behind the camera-serving as producer on "That 70's Show" and as story editor for "3rd Rock from the Sun" and "Action" as well as working as a writer for "Late Show with David Letterman" and the MTV Movie Awards as well as performing as the voice of "Abraham Lincoln" on the MTV animated series "Clone High."
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Frank Coraci
Director
Born in and raised in New York, Frank Coraci studied at New York University and went on to receive his BFA in film from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 1988.
After graduation, Coraci landed a job directing travel documentaries for the world's largest touring company. This opportunity allowed him to travel to over 35 countries and film some of the world's most spectacular cities and landmarks including, The Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock, and The Great Wall of China. Frank's passion for exploring the world and his dream to share these experiences led him to team up with Walden Media CEO Cary Granat to adapt Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days".
Frank's previous directing credits include the critical and box office success "The Wedding Singer" starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore and the smash hit comedy "The Waterboy" also starring Adam Sandler and her royal highness, Kathy Bates. At 26, his debut film, the independent, award-winning feature, "Murdered Innocence" garnered "Best Feature Film" and "Best Directorial Debut" at the Long Island Film Festival.
Frank's production company, Spanknyce Films, developed and produced "80 Days" in collaboration with Walden Media. Spanknyce is currently developing a number of films ,including the sci-fi film "Human", which re-teams Frank with "80 Days" CGI designer/animator and world renowned Dutch artist, Micha Klien.
Frank will continue to journey the world and hopes to someday make it to outer space. Until then he'll continue to direct movies here on Earth.
Hal Lieberman
Producer
Prior to "Around The World in 80 Days", Hal Lieberman produced "Terminator 3: Rise of The Machines", which is directed by his partner Jonathan Mostow. Warner Bros will release the movie domestically in July and internationally by Sony Pictures.
Lieberman executive produced the international box office hit "U-571" starring Matthew McConaughey and Bill Paxton and also served as executive producer on "The Jackal" starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere.
Based out of Universal Studios in Hollywood, Mostow/Lieberman Productions is currently developing a number of projects including "Modern Bride" for Disney and "Mutha In-Law" for Revolution Studios.
Lieberman began his entertainment career as a screenwriter and he was soon hired as a production executive for Universal Pictures, where he moved up through the ranks, eventually rising to President of Production for the studio in 1994.
During his tenure, Lieberman developed and supervised a diverse slate of films, including "Apollo 13", "Fried Green Tomatoes", "The Nutty Professor", "Liar Liar", "Death Becomes Her", "Dragonheart", "The River Wild", "The Paper", "Billy Madison", "Happy Gilmore" and "Problem Child".
Bill Badalato
Producer
Born in New York, Bill Badalato studied economics at Cornell University and completed his graduate studies at New York's New School for Social Research. Starting his professional career producing commercials, Badalato's interest in a career in features began when he met director John Hancock.
After working in labor relations for Screen Gems, Badalato moved into feature production, serving as co-producer for Hancock's acclaimed baseball drama, "Bang the Drum Slowly" starring Robert DeNiro. The creative partnership surfaced again in 1987 when he produced Hancock's Weeds starring Nick Nolte.
A three time collaborator with comic director Jim Abrahams, Bill Badalato produced "Mafia!", "Hot Shots!" and "Hot Shots! Part Deux".
He also produced "Alien: Resurrection" starring Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder, "Broken Arrow" with John Travolta, Diane Keaton's "Unstrung Heroes", the aerial-action film "Fire Birds" and "1969".
Badalato has served as executive producer on many features including, "Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill", "Benny & Joon" and the smash hit Top Gun. He has also produced the telefilms "Laguna Heat "and HBO's "Dead Solid Perfect", which was based on the novel by Dan Jenkins.
He has overseen production on a long list of feature films including, "Nighthawks" "The Man with Two Brains", "Cat People" and "Young Doctors In Love".
Badalato most recently executive produced Alexander Payne's celebrated "About Schmidt" starring Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates. He currently has a number of feature films in development including a project about Genghis Khan.
Willie Chan
Executive Producer
Willie Chan has been associated with Jackie Chan for over 30 years. Among his international feature film credits as executive producer are "Shanghai Noon", "Shanghai Knight", "Purple Storm," "Metade Fumac'a," Tempting Hearts," "Gen-X-Cops," "Actress a.k.a. Center Stage," "Rouge," "Police Story," "2000 AD," "Gen-Y-Cops," "Beijing Rocks," "Visible Secret," "Princess D," and "Enter The Phoenix." He is also the producer of "New Police Story" and "Rice Rhapsody" which are under production at the moment. He also served as co-producer of "The Tuxedo."
Chan was also co-producer on the Jackie Chan videos "Jackie Chan - My Story" and "Jackie Chan - My Stunt." In addition, he is executive producer of the animated series "Jackie Chan Adventures."
Solon So
Executive Producer
Solon So has served as senior vice president of The Jackie Chan Group for 15 years. As a feature film producer his credits include "Gen-X-Cops," "Tempting Hearts," "Metade Fumac'a" "Purple Storm," "2000AD," "Gen-Y-Cops," "Beijing Rocks," "Visible Secret," "Princess D," and "Enter The Phoenix." His current productions include "New Police Story" and "Rice Rhapsody".
In addition, the busy international filmmaker served as co-producer of "The Tuxedo." As co-producer, his credits include the popular videos "Jackie Chan - My Story" and "Jackie Chan - My Stunt." He also serves as executive producer of "Shanghai Noon," "Shanghai Knight" and the animated series "Jackie Chan Adventures."
Phylis Alia
Executive Producer
Phyllis Alia, producing partner of Frank Coraci, graduated in 1990 from Northwestern University with a degree in television and film. In 1993 she produced Murdered Innocence, her first feature film. She met and hired Frank Coraci to direct the film starring Academy AwardR winner Jason Miller. It went on to win Best Feature Film at The Long Island Film Festival, was featured at the 17th Annual Sao Paolo Film Festival in Brazil, and was distributed by Columbia TriStar. In 1995, Alia returned to television as Director of On-Air Promotions for Comedy Central. During her tenure, Dr. Katz and The Daily Show were successfully launched, putting Comedy Central in the spotlight of new cable networks. But she was soon pulled back into the feature film world by Frank Coraci to join the production team on the hit romantic comedy "The Wedding Singer", marking their first studio picture. Many reviewers and film-critics alike claim this was the film that catapulted both Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore into their mega-star status. In 1998, Alia associate produced "The Waterboy", starring Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, and Henry Winkler. This blockbuster was the 4th highest grossing movie in 1998 topping 160 million dollars, and broke the record for the highest opening weekend in November ever at 39 million dollars. In addition to her film career, Alia launched SHiNE (Seeking Harmony in Neighborhoods Everyday), a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging and empowering young people through film, music, and other forms of artistic expression. At SHiNE, she received million dollar grants from both AOL and Microsoft. Today, shine.com reaches over a half million teens each week, both online and through live events sponsored in part by corporate partners such as AT&T, Kodak, and MTV.
Phil Meheux, BSC
Director of Photography
Phil Meheux is a six-time collaborator with director Martin Campbell, most recently serving as Director of Photography of "Beyong Borders." Credits with Campbell include "The Mask of Zorro," "Goldeneye," "No Escape," "Defenseless," and "Criminal Law." Other notable credits for the talented British cinematographer include "Bicentennial Man," "Entrapment," and "The Saint," as well as "The Long Good Friday," "The Fourth Protocol" and "Ruby" for director John Mackenzie, whom Meheux knew from earlier days at the BBC. In addition, he filmed "The Final Conflict," "Renegades," "Highlander II: The Quickening" and "Ghost in the Machine," among others.
Inspired at an early age to make movies, Meheux worked various film jobs in London during the 1960s to learn his craft. With the help of friends, he wrote, produced, directed and photographed the successful 16mm short "One Is One," which was sponsored partly by the British Film Institute. His ambitions efforts placed him in the BBC's prestigious training program, and by the end of 1968, Meheux was working as full-time cinematographer with the BBC film unit.
Several award-winning television films followed, which brought him to the attention of director Tony Simmons, and Meheux's first feature, "Black Joy," was the official British entry at Cannes in 1977. Martin Campbell produced the film. Meheux teamed again with Campbell as producer with "Scum," a controversial film concerning a correctional center for teenage boys. In 1987, Meheux photographed Campbell's first Hollywood feature as director.
Tom Lewis
Film Editor
Tom Lewis reunites once again with Frank Coraci after their previous collaborations on Coraci's directorial debut film, "Murdered Innocence" and the hit comedies "The Wedding Singer" and "The Waterboy." His credits also include "Rat Race" and "The Whole Nine Yards."
Upon graduation from New York University's Film School, Lewis was hired by Academy AwardR-winning producer Arnold Kopelson to shoot and co-direct a documentary on the making of "Triumph of the Spirit," starring Willem DaFoe, in Poland's Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camp. The documentary won the Gold Medal Award at the Houston International Film Festival.
Lewis has edited a wide range of television programs and documentaries. In addition, Lewis has worked with many of the largest advertising agencies in New York editing spots for such internationally recognized accounts as Reebok, MTV, American Express, Nissan and Merrill Lynch.
Perry Andelin Blake
Production Designer
Perry Andelin Blake is a versatile and innovative designer whose work has garnered acclaim and repeated requests from directors to craft the look of their films. His imaginative work can be seen in the production designs of "Mr. Deeds," "Joe Dirt," "Little Nicky," "Big Daddy," "The Waterboy," "The Wedding Singer," "Billy Madison," "Half Baked," and the upcoming "Without a Paddle." His other feature film credits include "Bulletproof" and "Leave It to Beaver."
Blake received a Masters of Architecture from Harvard University before moving to L.A. to work with noted architect Frank Gehry. He began his film career by serving as art director for commercials for such companies as Coca Cola, Reebok, Nike and Nissan as well as TV shows including "In Living Color" for Fox. He also worked on the Academy AwardR-nominated short "Birch St. Gym." His film sets and architectural work have been published in many books and magazines throughout North America.
Anna Sheppard
Costume Designer
Anna Sheppard received Academy AwardR nominations for "Schindler's List" and "The Pianist," both filmed in her native country of Poland. Her recent credits include "Shanghai Knights," HBO's "Band of Brothers," "The Insider," "Maybe Baby," "Circus," "The Proposition," "Washington Square," "Dragonheart," and "To Kill A Priest." She will reunite with "Pianist" director Roman Polanski with the upcoming "Oliver Twist."
Born in Warsaw, Sheppard studied architecture at a polytechnic school before moving to London, where she found work as an apprentice to a production designer and later a costume design assistant. While working her way into the film industry, she also modernized several of the city's underground metro stations. She worked on several projects in Germany and France before she was contacted by Steven Spielberg to work on her first American production, the Oscar -winning "Schindler's List."
Trevor Jones
Composer
Trevor Jones has written scores for more than 60 motion pictures, most recently for "From Hell" and "Crossroads." He received BAFTA nominations for "Brassed Off," "Mississippi Burning" and "Last of the Mohicans," the latter also earning him a Golden GlobeR nomination. He also received a Golden GlobeR nomination for his song for "The Mighty," and he was nominated for an Emmy Award for scoring the television miniseries "Merlin."
Among Jones' film credits are "13 Days," "Notting Hill," "Titanic Town," "Dark City," "G.I. Jane," "Richard III," "Desperate Measures," "Kiss of Death," "In the Name of the Father," "Cliffhanger," "True Colors," "Arachnophobia," "Sea of Love," "Angel Heart," "Dominick & Eugene," "Runaway Train," "The Dark Crystal," "Labyrinth" and "Excalibur." His TV work includes "Gulliver's Travels," "Cleopatra" and "The Last Days of Pompeii."
He composed the score for the "Dinotopia" television film and series.
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Jones won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Music where he studied for four years before earning an M.A in Film and Media Music from the British National Film School, whose music department he currently chairs. Jones was the first graduate from the British National Film School to win an Oscar (shared credit), with the short film "The Dollar Bottom."
Micha Klein
Designer of Animated Transitions and Titles
Micha Klein graduated in 1989 at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam as the first artist to receive a BA in computer-graphics.
Since 1989 Klein, as a fine artist, held exhibitions in galleries and museums worldwide of monumental photo-panels utilizing diverse digital techniques and styles. His digital "paintings" draw attention with their bright colors and smooth surfaces, but show underneath, a unique world with references to art history and pop culture.
In 1998 the Groninger Museum honored Micha Klein with a retrospective of 10 years of his digital art and video.
After that, shows followed in London, Tokyo, Milan and San Francisco. In 2000 a show at the prestigious Mary Boone Gallery in New York started his career in the United States. Rapper Eminem went on tour using Klein's notorious character "Pillman" in specially made background projections.
Klein's work is in the collection of the following museums: Groninger Museum, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Amsterdam Historical Museum, LACMA Los Angeles, Denver Art Museum, and in various corporate and private collections.
Currently in 2004 Klein's work is included in several international museum shows.
Micha has designed a Swatch artist-watch in 1996, and last January his first Coca-Cola commercial aired 400 times in the Netherlands, and is now being used by more then 25 countries worldwide.
Studio Micha Klein (SMK) is his high end computer design studio which serves international clients like: Coca-Cola, Hugo Boss, Heineken, and Walden Media.
The last project was the movie 'Around the World in 80 Days' for which Micha Klein designed the titles and animated transitions. It will go in premiere June 16th in the USA.
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