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《每天愛妳第一次》原創班底2005年最新爆笑作品
重拍1974年同名金球獎最佳影片
監獄瘋球
The Longest Yard
9月15日 公映
故事大綱
告保羅（阿當桑迪拿飾演）曾經是紅極一時的美式職業足球隊四分衛，卻因一次醉酒闖禍被關進監獄，聲名狼藉。獄長酷愛美式足球，卻生性殘忍。在獄長的特別要求下，告保羅被要求組織一支由囚犯組成的美式足球隊，挑戰手法兇狠的獄警隊。可是犯人們根本不是對手，備受壓力的告保羅，設法駕馭這些毫無紀律可言的囚犯。他在獄中遇上美式足球傳奇金牌教練尼特（畢雷諾士飾演）和另一囚犯包搞掂(基斯洛克飾演），兩人聯手團結囚犯共同對抗獄長，誓要將獄長打個遍甲不留。
告保羅漸漸贏得囚犯們的信任，並成為球隊的精神領袖。作為監獄的年度大事，獄長認定這場比賽是己方的囊中物，囚犯在獄警的威脅下不敢有所造次。面對這場關乎尊嚴的比賽，告保羅和囚犯們到底應該放棄比賽以重獲自由，還是冒著在監獄裡共度餘生的危險而堅持下去？
美國開畫票房勝《荒失失奇兵》
由一眾荷李活當今諧星包括阿當桑迪拿、基斯洛克及1974年同名電影主角畢雷諾士擔演的《監獄瘋球》於美國走勢凌厲，單日票房1575萬美元力壓《荒失失奇兵》的1403萬美元，成為該開畫周的票房冠軍。
事實上，本片是導演彼得史高繼《每天愛妳第一次》及《我愛發脾四》後，另一齣與阿當桑迪拿合作的爆笑作品。兩人合作無間，今次再次擦出火花，觀眾自然對《監獄瘋球》期望甚殷。彼得與阿當桑迪拿今次在《監獄瘋球》沒有令觀眾失望，阿當桑迪拿繼續表現出其優秀的喜劇細胞，飾演包搞掂的基斯洛克更大讚這位拍擋是天生的搞笑能手。而導演彼得史高再次成功表現出對喜劇遊刃有餘的功力，《監獄瘋球》繼續笑聲雲集。
重拍1974年同名經典電影
片中飾演教練的畢雷諾士正是1974年同名舊作的男主角，此套經典體育電影堪稱當時的經典：片中的美式足球賽場面有大量激烈的碰撞，緊張的氣氛，受傷的隊員躺在病床上還不忘收聽廣播?隊友加油等……一切都使人不由自主地沉浸在這場正義與邪惡的較量之中。監製積謝勒拔圖一直想把這套經典搬上銀幕，並誠邀畢雷諾士參予演出。當年積謝勒拔圖年少時與父親一起觀看此電影，擁有不少美好回憶，如今已為人父的他亦期望觀眾能與子女一起觀看這套笑聲雲集的電影。畢雷諾士對能夠把這套30年前的電影重拍並能同時參與演出感到很榮幸，他認為新作除能保留原作的質素和精髓外，更能把不屈不撓的精神帶出，信息相當正面。
開拍前找來職業美式足球員親身訓練演員
導演為求逼真，刻意找來前職業美式足球員親身訓練各演員。教練主要教授阿當桑迪拿擲球及四分衛走位的技巧，並大讚阿當充滿體育天份，舉手投足均流露出一個職業運動員的特質。除阿當外，導演更安排其餘體重接近300磅的演員到兩個位於洛杉磯及新墨西哥的美式足球訓練營接受為期數個月的集訓，除了要訓練演員的體能外，更藉此培養演員間的默契。
演員簡介
《每天愛妳第一次》阿當桑迪拿飾演告保羅
搞笑能手阿當桑迪拿集演員、電影監製、導演及音樂人於一身。他自節目《Saturday Night Live》後開始人氣急升，自此片約不斷。出身於紐約布魯克林的阿當桑迪拿於求學時代已對戲劇表演有濃厚興趣，並於紐約大學取得藝術學位。
阿當桑迪拿曾主演的電影包括《球場古惑仔》、《超級爸爸爹》、《愛你有錢途》及《私戀失調》。他更憑《私戀失調》獲提名金球獎最佳男主角。阿當桑迪拿隨後主演多部爆笑作品，把他的喜劇天份表露無遺，包括票房大熱《每天愛妳第一次》及同樣由彼得史高執導的《我愛發脾四》。除此以外，阿當桑迪拿更為多部喜劇擔任監製，包括《戇直舞男》、《戇男有2性》等。周身刀的阿當桑迪拿更擁有自己的電影製作公司名為Happy Madison Production，製作一系列的電視片集。阿當曾推出個人大碟，唱片銷量衝破600萬。阿當桑迪拿更擁有個人網頁--
AdamSandler.com.
《D老篤日記》基斯洛克飾演包搞掂
基斯洛克與阿當桑迪拿同樣是當今影壇數一數二的喜劇專家。自1989年開始已參演《Saturday Night Live》節目的演出。基斯洛克曾主演的作品包括《軟硬天使》、《D老篤日記》、《急救愛情狂》及《紐約黑街》等。最近更憑其螢幕上搞笑的形象聲演《荒失失奇兵》中斑馬馬提一角。
基斯洛克過往曾演出HBO電視喜劇系列，包括今年四月首播的 "Never Scared"、"Bigger & Blacker"、"Big Ass Jokes"等，成功為基斯洛克摘下多項格林美獎及艾美獎。基斯洛克更有個人騷名為"The Chris Rock Show"，榮獲多項艾美獎。他更於1997年推出自傳名為 "Rock This"，推出開首即成為銷量冠軍。
今年二月，基斯洛克更為本屆金像獎擔任司儀，人氣繼續急升。
《一舉成名》金球得主 畢雷諾士飾演教練尼特
畢雷諾士在1974年同名舊作中飾演告保羅一角，自此火速走紅。1997年憑《一舉成名》獲金球獎最佳男配角的畢雷諾士，演技獲紐約、洛杉磯、芝加哥等影評人一致讚賞，演藝成就備受肯定。畢雷諾士曾主演的電影有《狂烈戰車》、《Hotel》、《Tempted》等。
導演彼得史高
大學時代主修電影的彼得史高擅長拍攝喜劇，繼《每天愛妳第一次》及《我愛發脾四》的成功後，今次在《監獄瘋球》中再度合作，笑聲依舊。彼得史高過往的作品包括於1994年首次執導的作品《白頭神探再顯神通》及票房大熱《肥佬教授2》。
《監獄瘋球》演職員表
哥倫比亞影片暨派拉蒙影片聯合呈獻
HAPPY MADISON/MTV FILMS/CALLAHAN FILMWORKS聯合製作
彼得史高作品
主演:《超級爸爸爹》阿當桑迪拿
《急救愛情狂》基斯洛克
《智能叛變》占士高維爾
《3X反恐暴族》歷尼
《黑鷹15小時》威廉費治拿
《一舉成名》金球得主 畢雷諾士
音樂:《超級爸爸爹》泰迪卡斯泰路斯
音樂總監:《超級爸爸爹》米高迪碧克
聯合監製: 希法柏利
服裝:《超級爸爸爹》伊蓮露達
剪接:《超級爸爸爹》謝菲高遜
美術:《超級爸爸爹》派利安迪連碧基
攝影: 《與狼共舞》金像得主 甸史美拉,ACS, ASC
執行監製: 阿當桑迪拿/《玉女半熟時》雲杜費拉/大衛基利
《戇直舞男》巴利賓拿迪/《每天愛妳第1次》艾倫高域
《超級爸爸爹》添卻利/《每天愛妳第1次》米高伊榮
《激情》金像得主 艾拔胡迪
監製: 《超級爸爸爹》積謝勒拔圖
原創劇本: 卓斯奇拿域
故事: 艾拔胡迪
編劇: 舒當杜拿
導演:《肥佬教授2》彼得史高
發行商：Sony Pictures Releasing International
"THE LONGEST YARD"
Production Information
Adam Sandler and Chris Rock star in "The Longest Yard," Columbia Pictures and Paramount Pictures comic story of a former pro quarterback trying to make good in the toughest possible situation. When former NFL player Paul Crewe (Adam Sandler) is sent to prison, the warden forces him to transform a diverse group of inmates into a football team. Unlikely teammates, the convicts unite when they find out who they are playing: the guards. With the help of fellow inmates Nate Scarborough (Burt Reynolds) and Caretaker (Chris Rock), Crewe promises the cons a chance to exact revenge in a bone-crushing showdown where anything goes. The Mean Machine returns to the gridiron in this new take on the 1974 classic.
Columbia Pictures and Paramount Pictures present a Happy Madison/MTV Films Production in association with Callahan Filmworks, "The Longest Yard," a Peter Segal film starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds. The film is directed by Peter Segal ("50 First Dates," "Anger Management") from a screenplay by Sheldon Turner based on the screenplay by Tracy Keenan Wynn from a story by Albert S. Ruddy. Jack Giarraputo is the producer. The executive producers are Adam Sandler, Van Toffler, David Gale, Barry Bernardi, Allen Covert, Tim Herlihy, Michael Ewing, and Albert S. Ruddy. The film also stars James Cromwell, Nelly, and William Fichtner. The director of photography is Dean Semler, ACS/ASC. The production designer is Perry Andelin Blake. The film editor is Jeff Gourson. The costume designer is Ellen Lutter. The music is by Teddy Castelucci. The music supervisor is Michael Dilbek.
The film also boasts a who's-who of competitive and world-famous athletes, including three-time Super Bowl-winner Michael Irvin (Dallas Cowboys), four-time Super Bowl-winner Bill Romanowski (Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers), and other NFL players, including Brian Bosworth (Seattle Seahawks) and Terry Crews (San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, and St. Louis Rams).
World Champion Wrestlers Bill Goldberg, Steve Austin (who wrestled as "Stone Cold Steve Austin"), and Kevin Nash and K-1 Kick-boxing champion Bob Sapp are also on board for the explosive action of "The Longest Yard."
Behind the scenes, Adam Sandler trained with former pro quarterback Sean Salisbury and trainer Mark Ellis to learn how to throw like the pros.
Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries.
Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom, Inc., one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies and a leader in the production, promotion, and distribution of entertainment news, sports and music.
MTV Films is the feature film development and production division of MTV that releases films in conjunction with Paramount Pictures. Since its inception in 1995, MTV Films established itself as a unique movie label with a slate of diverse and successful films that have grossed nearly $600 million dollars at the box office. "The Longest Yard" marks the 17th film released under the MTV Films banner, following the sure-to-be cult classic "Napoleon Dynamite," "Better Luck Tomorrow," box-office hit "jackass the movie," the teen romance "Save the Last Dance," the animated feature "Beavis and Butt-head Do America," the Academy AwardR-nominated and critically acclaimed dark comedy "Election," the rousing high school football movie "Varsity Blues," the breakout comedy "The Original Kings of Comedy," the poignant coming-of-age film "The Wood," the outrageous comedy "Orange County," Britney Spears' debut film "Crossroads," Tupac Shakur's biography "Tupac: Resurrection," "Martin Lawrence: Runteldat," and, most recently, the inspiring biopic "Coach Carter," starring Samuel L. Jackson. MTV Films's upcoming releases include the futuristic sci-fi thriller "Aeon Flux," starring Academy AwardR-winner Charlize Theron, and "Hustle & Flow," the hit of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Adam Sandler, whose previous sports comedy hits include "Happy Gilmore" and "The Waterboy," returns to the gridiron for "The Longest Yard," a new take on one of the star's all-time favorite movies. Sandler takes on the character that particularly resonated with him, quarterback Paul Crewe - the role originated by Burt Reynolds.
Producer Jack Giarraputo notes that the filmmakers approached the project with respect. "We called Burt Reynolds to get his blessing, which he gave," he says. As it turns out, Reynolds was interested in becoming involved with the project in a major way.
"I didn't want to do a cameo," says Reynolds. "I told them, 'If you guys are going to the moon, I'd like to be on the ship.'" The star of the 1974 film now takes over the role of coach Nate Scarborough. "I'm honored that a movie we made 30 years ago is still around. Now seemed like a great time to do it again, and I can tell you that everything people loved about the first film gets even better this time around."
"I saw the original movie with my dad, and now, guys my age are dads themselves who can take their own sons to see this movie," says Giarraputo. "This was a great opportunity to bring these great characters to a new generation."
Chris Rock, who plays Caretaker, the prison's go-to guy for anything from the outside world, notes that the cast and filmmakers looked to the classic for inspiration and tried to capture the good times and ensemble energy of the first film. "Our 'Longest Yard' is a fun movie with a big cast - just the kind of movie I wanted to be in," he says. "I don't know the last time I saw a movie like this - a movie where everybody gets to be funny and everybody is at the top of their game."
Director Peter Segal, who previously teamed with Sandler on the comedy hits "Fifty First Dates" and "Anger Management," explains the approach to remaking a beloved classic. "It's like finding a '66 Corvette in a barn, it's a an American classic." says the director. "You have to be careful in restoring it: you don't touch the body, but you start by adding some new wheels, redo the interior, and take it out for a spin. People can still enjoy what they loved about the first film."
Rap artist Nelly makes his feature film debut in "The Longest Yard." He says that audiences will find reason to cheer on the team of convicts. "Everybody likes to root for the underdog," he says. "When you see a guy who's beat-down, with no reason to get up, and he gets up anyway - you want to see him overcome and get his payback. The warden keeps standing on these guys, and they keep standing up."
Adam Sandler trained with former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury on throwing and moving like a quarterback. "At the time, Salisbury was rumored to be going to work with Dennis Green as the Arizona Cardinals' QB coach. He ended up with a much tougher assignment," says Giarraputo.
"When I first saw Adam play pick-up basketball, I knew he had game," says Salisbury. "It made my job easy."
Mark Ellis, the film's sports coordinator, notes that it helped that the actor both wanted the action to be as real as possible and had the athletic chops to pull it off. "Sandler is such a competitor," observes Ellis. "He works hard and the audience is really gonna believe this guy. This is the real deal."
One of the reasons for the original film's enduring popularity, says Giarraputo, is the motley collection of memorable characters that populate the prison. With that in mind, the filmmakers turned to several former pro football players, wrestlers, and tough guys to bring them to life. "My favorite character in the original is the giant, played by Dick Kiel," says Giarraputo. "We used him and other characters as inspiration for a different and just as memorable set of characters."
The spirit of that character lives on in Dalip Singh, a 7'2", 400-pound wrestler from India. "His agent sent over a tape - we thought he was pretty good but we didn't get what the big deal was until a normal-sized guy entered the frame and saw Dalip was, like, nine feet taller than the other guy. He ate about 24 eggs and four chickens for breakfast. He's huge."
ABOUT THE CHARACTERS
Forming the backbone of the Mean Machine are Paul Crewe, the quarterback, played by Adam Sandler; right-hand-man Caretaker, played by Chris Rock; the coach, Nate Scarborough, played by Burt Reynolds; and running back Megget, played by rap star Nelly, who makes his major motion picture debut.
Leading the way at quarterback is Paul "Wrecking" Crewe. Crewe gets himself kicked out of the league for shaving points, then gets himself kicked into prison for taking police on a wild joyride.
Adam Sandler, whose lifetime domestic box-office take is over $1 billion, plays Crewe. Hated by the prison population for his role in a point-shaving scandal (he's even called "Unamerican!"), Crewe just wants to serve his time, keep to himself, and get out. The warden immediately dashes that plan.
"When Crewe gets to prison, football is the last thing on his mind," says director Peter Segal. "It's part of his bitter past. So, when he's recruited by the warden, he doesn't want anything to do with it. But even though he's forced into it, he's given a second chance to get some respect for the game - and that becomes something meaningful for his fellow inmates, his band of criminals and misfits."
Segal says Sandler is just the guy to step into Burt Reynolds's shoes. "When Burt Reynolds played the part, he was a sex god," says Segal. "He was the best-looking man on the planet and the world's biggest star. That's intimidating, but Adam grabbed that and really made the role his own. He's as funny as ever, but he also shows a gritty side to himself. He's going to surprise a lot of people."
Crewe's right-hand man is Caretaker, a man with connections to the outside world. "Caretaker is the guy who has the prison wired," explains Giarraputo. "He can get you anything, introduce you to anybody. He's a perfect friend to have on the inside."
To play the part, the filmmakers turned to Chris Rock, marking the first time the former "Saturday Night Live" officemates have worked together on a feature film. Giarraputo says that Rock was the perfect guy to play the part. "Sandler's wanted to work with Rock since the 'SNL' days. When he saw how the role of Caretaker was shaping up, he thought Chris would be perfect. He comes to the set ready, with so many good ideas - he's a great guy to work with."
"Chris Rock helps bring this classic to a new generation," says Segal.
"I've been friends with Adam Sandler for 18, 19 years," Rock notes. "We even shared an office for three years when we were on 'Saturday Night Live.' But this is the first time we've ever really worked together."
Despite the fact that he's the only cast member who doesn't get to suit up, Rock says he doesn't feel like he missed out. "No football for me," he says. "Romanowski, Bosworth - those guys' necks are thicker than my leg. I want no part of them. I don't need to get smacked in the head by Romanowski. Dalip is the biggest guy out there - I bet that my hand feels to him like my daughter's hand feels to me."
That said, the award-winning comedian doesn't deny that he felt the competitive spirit: "Adam Sandler is really funny in this movie," he says. "I had to bring it."
Before assembling the rest of the cast, Giarraputo and Sandler approached Burt Reynolds, who played quarterback Paul Crewe in the original film. Reynolds takes the part of coach Nate Scarborough, a former Sooner and now inmate. Though his playing days are long past, Scarborough contributes a lifetime of football knowledge. Similarly, Reynolds' experience was an invaluable resource for the filmmakers. "Burt's the heart and soul of this movie," says Giarraputo. "It was an immense help to have him on the set - he let us know how things went the first time around."
The 1974 film of "The Longest Yard" was a breakout hit. How did it feel for Reynolds - one of the biggest box-office stars of the 1970s - to turn over the part to Adam Sandler, one of the biggest box office stars of this decade?
"It was definitely a weird feeling to see Adam wearing the jersey with the name Crewe on the back," says Reynolds. "The first day of filming, Chris called, 'Crewe!' and I turned around and ruined the take. But it was a cool feeling to know that we were doing this because the first one is so loved."
"Burt played at Florida State - he's a real athlete and knows the game," says Segal. "He brings all that with him. He really takes that hit; he's a legendary athlete-slash-actor. I got chills when I saw him jogging onto on the field wearing #22."
Reynolds also inspired many of the athletes on-set, as kickboxer Bob Sapp notes. "Right before we started filming the big game, he gave us a speech," says Sapp. "He said, 'I've made hundreds of movies in my day and these are the moments you'll always remember. Make sure you react with passion and heart and give it your all, because you will never have another moment like you will have today.' It meant a lot to us."
Chart-topping rapper Nelly makes his major motion picture debut as Megget, the team's star running back. He was intrigued by the prospect of working with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock.
"It's comedy poetry," says the rapper. "They feed off each other. They could just stand there, looking at each other, and they would draw laughs. It's crazy."
"Nelly's a future movie star," says Jack Giarraputo. "He's got the acting chops, without a doubt; the audience really gets behind his character. He's a great guy to work with - definitely the nicest rapper I know."
"My momma would say I've been acting my whole life," Nelly laughs. "She says she doesn't know what character is waking up in the morning. Seriously, it's a challenge to get comfortable, playing a different character in a different situation, but that's what acting's all about."
In addition to his rapping ability, Nelly has mad skills on the football field. "We saw him playing football at an MTV event at the Super Bowl a few years back - it's obvious that he's a really good athlete," says Giarraputo. "Even the pros were impressed with his talent."
"He really is a great athlete," says Segal, "and he also did everything he could to make his first film role a memorable one. He was really committed to doing everything he could. He was so enthusiastic - we often had to sit his stunt double on the bench so that Nelly could get in there and make the play."
Nicholas Turturro plays Brucie, a con who's long on enthusiasm and short on football skills. "He's this high-energy, crazy little guy," says Turturro. "He talks tough, but he's a softie inside. But he's a player; he takes a beating."
Rob Schneider also makes a cameo appearance to deliver a line familiar with many of Sandler's fans. It should be; after all, Schneider gives the same line in Sandler's movies "The Waterboy" and "Little Nicky": "You can do it!"
HITTIN' HARD: FILMING THE FOOTBALL SCENES
To ensure the football scenes looked as authentic as possible, the production called upon the talents of a former NFL quarterback and a well-known football coordinator to school the actors in the finer points of the sport.
As the sports coordinator, Mark Ellis ("Coach Carter," "Friday Night Lights," "Any Given Sunday") was responsible for ensuring that the actors were prepared to film the football scenes in a safe but ultimately realistic way.
"I made sure that the football is authentic, safe, and works to help tell the story," he notes. "After recruiting the players, the first thing we did was evaluate these guys and find out what their strengths and weaknesses were. We made sure that we took advantage of those strengths."
The director notes that Sandler came to the project with skills. "Adam is a really good athlete," says Segal. "He was quarterback of his Pop Warner team. These days, he's on the basketball court every day, sweating it out. But he hadn't thrown the football in a long time, so Salisbury was there to share his fourteen-year NFL experience with Adam and get him in football shape. Before long, Adam was out there throwing tight spirals, working on the formations, the calls - everything."
Segal notes that throwing ability is only part of portraying a good quarterback. "It's also how you carry yourself; the swagger, how much confidence you have coming to the line, how you look in command when you're serving, surveying the defense, giving the audibles. Adam has a lot of that, and as practices went on, we really saw how he was leading the team."
To instill this confidence, Ellis and his team helped Sandler master the vocal inflection on the line of scrimmage and the leadership in the huddle that a former NFL player would bring to the Mean Machine.
Coach Ellis was impressed with the star's commitment and athletic ability. "We did a shot with Adam where he threw a football; it leaves his hands and the camera tracks along for 45 yards as the ball sails right into Michael Irvin's hands - there's no cut," says Ellis. "I've been doing this for 13 years and I've never been able to get that shot the way we have with Adam."
Coach Ellis also took 22 300-pound guys and put them through two football training camps, first in L.A. and then again in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His recruits came from a number of different backgrounds: former NFL players, AFL players, wrestlers, kickboxers, actors, and even a musician.
It was a real training camp regimen. "A lot of the guys would work out with weights in the mornings; we'd bring them back for a second afternoon practice," says Ellis. "Training camp is as grueling mentally as it is physically. But that was all part of what was building camaraderie, getting to know each other and learning the plays."
Although there were physical demands on the players, they also needed to remember they were making a film. To that end, the football sequences needed to be structured into a coordinated effort - a staged reality. "You can make an analogy between dance choreography and football," observes Ellis. "I have 22 guys that are involved in a very violent dance. They'd better know what they're gonna do, or somebody has a chance of getting hurt."
BUILDING A MEAN MACHINE (AND RECRUITING THEIR GUARDS)
To round out the cast of cons and guards, the filmmakers turned to real-life NFL players, pro wrestlers, and tough guys. "You can't fake football," says director Peter Segal. "This is America's game - everyone is an expert. The hits have to be real. I prided myself on really getting in there and seeing the faces of the actual players and actors who were performing their own stunts."
At the center of the Mean Machine is their star receiver, Deacon Moss. To play the role, the filmmakers called on one of the greatest players in the history of the game: former Dallas Cowboys receiver - and Football Hall of Fame nominee - Michael Irvin.
"I hadn't put the pads on in a long time," says Irvin. "As soon as I did, I started thinking about playing again - I couldn't help it. But I got so beat up, sore, and tired from this movie - I can't imagine ever going back.
"The difference between a movie and the real game is when you're shooting the movie, if you're about to get bust in the mouth, you can call in the stunt double," Irvin jokes. "But I do love the game, I love it."
That said, Irvin notes that there was one important way in which shooting a movie was very much like playing football. "What I found to be very profound is that we put a bunch of guys together who did not know each other and we really came together like a regular football team. We spent a lot of time together, just like you do in the NFL, and we became a real team."
World Champion Wrestler Bill Goldberg also put the pads back on after several years off the field. Though he went on to his greatest fame as a wrestler, Goldberg logged five seasons in the NFL. "It felt great putting on the pads again, after ten years," says Goldberg, "but it sure didn't feel good the next day - I woke up and felt like I'd been hit by a Mack truck."
Even so, Goldberg relished the chance to play a character that fit his persona. "I knew that if I was gonna be in this movie, I wanted to be the most violent guy on the field, responsible for delivering the most violent blows possible," he says. "I'm out for every single guard there is out there. They're all on my hit list."
Several former NFL and wrestling greats play guards in the film, taking on the Mean Machine. Four-time Super Bowl champion Bill Romanowski landed the role of the most violent guard in the film. "You can't fake football. You can't fake hitting somebody," says Romanowski.
True to form, Romanowski relished the action on the field. "To put the pads on again, to come out and fly around and play football was great," he says. "The one thing you miss leaving football is the camaraderie. You miss the team, you miss the guys. This has been a replacement for that. It was a lot of fun."
Romanowski, famous for his toughness on the playing field, took a page from the playbook of former Green Bay Packer great Ray Nitschke. While filming the 1974 film, Nitschke would often try to tackle the star, Burt Reynolds. "Romo is an authentic champion," says Giarraputo. "It seemed like he'd forget he was on a movie set; he put on the pads and in his mind, he was playing pro ball again. He was trying to tackle people for real. His energy is genuine."
Wrestler Kevin Nash is Guard Engleheart, who decides to use steroids to get an edge on the football field. Though Nash has great athletic ability and an imposing physical presence, his football skills were rusty. "I was a basketball player in school and haven't played football since I was in the 10th grade," he says. "So when we would practice and they would say, 'We're gonna shift,' I would say, 'What does that mean?'" he laughs. "Bill Romanowski was my mentor out there. He dragged me through it."
K-1 Kickboxer Bob Sapp fights internationally as The Beast, but, as he notes, "The Beast takes many forms. This time, The Beast is a kitten - Switowski is just a big, cuddly guy. But that doesn't mean he can't get mean - and when he does, if you're on the receiving end of it, you're gonna cry like a little baby."
Former NFL pro Terry Crews takes the role of Cheeseburger Eddy, the con who can get you that quarter-pounder-with-cheese fix. Indian wrestler Dalip Singh is Turley, the biggest and meanest con on the block.
On the guards' side, former NFLer Brian Bosworth plays Guard Garner and former wrestler Steve Austin is Guard Dunham. Both find ways to make the cons' lives miserable. "You gotta have a villain if you're gonna have heroes," says Bosworth. "You really need to hate the guards if you're going to root for the cons. But from the guards' point of view, these guys have all done something wrong - they wouldn't be in jail otherwise. They don't see that the cons are trying to do better and it's the guards that are keeping them down."
THE GROUNDS CREW: DESIGNING THE PRISON AND THE FIELD
The filmmakers scoured the country to find a prison that showed the sort of desolation, dryness, and isolation needed for the film's fictional Allenville Federal Penitentiary. Production designer Perry Andelin Blake traveled all around the United States - from Chicago to Nashville to Hawaii to Los Angeles - before finding the right prison in the defunct Santa Fe State Penitentiary, known as Old Main before it was closed twenty years ago. Blake says, "Old Main had the perfect look to it, the perfect bones to it. The old prison was on the edge of a beautiful wide open plain with desert as far as you could see."
"It brings a middle-of-nowhere feel - you believe that this warden is really in charge because there's no one watching him, no one around him," says the producer, Jack Giarraputo.
While the existing structures of the 1950s-era prison - a flat and low-lying series of buildings - formed a great base for this, Blake and Segal felt that Allenville would need a few enormous structures surrounding the prison. Blake and his team built guard towers, a power plant with smokestacks, and a new main entrance to the prison with huge windows. Behind those windows is the Warden's office, from which he can watch his guards practice on the football field (and keep an eye on the prisoners' field at the same time).
Between two of the cellblocks is the Blake-built Rotunda, an entryway with big, thick arches. These lend it a sense of strength and power - giving the prisoners a feeling that they are up against a system that they can't fight.
After a month of shooting in New Mexico, the company moved to Los Angeles to shoot the final game between the guards and the inmates. The filmmakers wanted a football stadium that had a small-town Texas feel - and found what they were looking for in the second-biggest city in the country. The stadium at El Camino College in Torrance - a horseshoe-shaped stadium with an opening at one end - worked perfectly, save one element. "We built a scoreboard on a backing that looked like the front of the Alamo," says Blake. "It was small, so we called it the mini-Alamo, which pretty soon was shortened to the Malamo."
ABOUT THE CAST
ADAM SANDLER (Paul Crewe/executive producer) has enjoyed phenomenal success in the entertainment industry as an actor, writer, producer, director and musician. He first gained international recognition as a cast member of television's "Saturday Night Live."
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, Sandler's first brush with comedy came at age 17, with a spontaneous performance at a Boston comedy club. From then on, he was hooked, performing regularly in comedy clubs throughout the state while earning a degree in Fine Arts from New York University.
Sandler made his motion picture debut in "Coneheads," opposite Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin. He has gone on to become an almost self-contained mini-studio involved in all aspects of film production. "Happy Gilmore" was one of the most successful movies of 1996. With a budget of just $12 million, it grossed more than $40 million at the box office and $35 million on home video. "The Wedding Singer" was the first box office hit of 1998, with an opening weekend gross of more than $22 million. His next film, "The Waterboy," had an opening weekend of almost $40 million. Other recent $100 million-plus grossing Sandler films include "Big Daddy" and "Mr. Deeds."
Sandler collaborated with writer Tim Herlihy on the screenplays for "Happy Gilmore," "Little Nicky," "Billy Madison," "Big Daddy," and the smash hit, "The Waterboy." "Billy Madison" has become a cult classic for college students across the country, with "Billy" nights and "Sandler" festivals.
Sandler's most recent roles include the critically acclaimed "Punch-Drunk Love" for director Paul Thomas Anderson, for which he garnered a Golden Globe nomination; "Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights," which he wrote, produced, and lent his voice to; the box-office smash "Anger Management," co-starring Jack Nicholson and Marisa Tomei; and two films for Columbia Pictures: "50 First Dates," in which he reunited with his "Wedding Singer" co-star Drew Barrymore, and "Spanglish" for director James L. Brooks.
Sandler served as executive producer on "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo," "The Animal," "Joe Dirt," "The Master of Disguise," "The Hot Chick," and "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."
Sandler's production company, Happy Madison Productions, has recently signed a deal with Columbia TriStar Domestic Television to develop television shows for the studio.
Several of Sandler's comedy albums on Warner Bros. Records have gone multi-platinum. Collectively, they have sold more than six million copies to date. Several years ago, Sandler launched AdamSandler.com. This site is updated weekly with mini-movies featuring Sandler, the staff of Happy Madison, and his dog Meatball -- all in their daily routines.
CHRIS ROCK (Caretaker) grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Lauded by awards and critics alike, Rock has re-defined standup comedy with his smart and incisive takes on race, relationships and society. The comedian has garnered three Emmys, two Grammy Awards, been featured on the cover of many national publications and has seen his former eponymous HBO talk show become one of the network's highest-rated and most talked-about programs.
Honing his comedic skills on the comedy club circuit, he realized a long-held dream when he joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" for a three-year tenure beginning in 1989.
In February, Rock was host of the 77th Annual Academy AwardsR.
In the feature-film world, Rock's voice will soon be heard in the animated feature "Madagascar," also featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Andy Richter, Jada Pinkett Smith, and David Schwimmer. Previously, Rock was most recently seen in "Head of State" - which was also his directorial debut - for DreamWorks, which opened #1 at the box office. "Bad Company," "Down to Earth," "Nurse Betty," "Dogma," "Dr. Dolittle," "Lethal Weapon 4,"" "New Jack City," "CB4," and "Beverly Hills Cop II."
Rock has been the star of four HBO comedy specials, most recently "Never Scared," which aired last April. His others, including "Bigger & Blacker," "Big Ass Jokes," and "Bring the Pain," have garnered him numerous Grammy and Emmy Awards and a CableAce Award. Rock also picked up a nomination when he received a shared writing credit for "Politically Incorrect" in the category of Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program.
"The Chris Rock Show," created in the wake of his two award-winning specials, aired for four seasons on HBO and was honored with two 1999 Emmy nominations for writing and host and received an Emmy Award for Best Writing. Rock's debut book, Rock This, was published by Hyperion in 1997 and became a bestseller.
BURT REYNOLDS (Nate Scarborough) is an Academy AwardR nominee and Golden Globe winner. He has enjoyed enormous success as an actor and director in feature films, television and stage productions. In addition to receiving an OscarR nomination and winning the Golden Globe Award for "Boogie Nights," Reynolds was honored by The New York Film Critics, The Los Angeles Film Critics, The Chicago Film Critics and The National Society of Film Critics with Best Supporting Actor awards for his memorable role in that film.
He will soon be seen in "The Dukes of Hazzard," "Forget about It," "Cloud Nine," and New Line Cinema's "Grilled," with Ray Romano. He is currently filming "End Game," co-starring with Cuba Gooding, Jr. His most recent film was "Without a Paddle."
His feature films include "Driven," "The Crew," "Mystery Alaska," "Striptease," "Citizen Ruth," "Bean," "Cop and a Half," "Deliverance," "Starting Over," "White Lightning," "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing," "Hustle," "Semi-Tough," "Hooper," "Stroker Ace," "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "The Longest Yard," "Smokey and the Bandit," "Sharky's Machine," "Gator," "The End," and "The Final Hit." He also directed the latter four films. He has completed the independent films "Tempted," "Snapshots," "Hotel," directed by Mike Figgis, and "Time of the Wolf."
For television, Reynolds has enjoyed an auspicious career as an actor, director and producer. Among his finest endeavors in this medium is the hit series "Evening Shade" (as star, executive producer and, more often than not, director). For this series, he won his ninth People's Choice Award as Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series, the 1991 Emmy Award for Best Performance in a Comedy and the Golden Globe Award for the same category. His additional television credits include "Riverboat," "Gunsmoke," "Hawk," "Dan August," and "B.L. Stryker," as well as the series of specials titled "Burt Reynolds' Conversation With," the telefilm "The Man From Left Field," and TNT's "Hard Time," a 6-hour movie thriller trilogy. Reynolds also starred in the miniseries "Johnson County War" and Hallmark's telefilm "Hard Ground."
Reynolds made his Broadway debut in "Look, We've Come Through" with director Jose Quintero. In addition, he has directed eight productions, and starred in two, at the Jupiter Theatre, which he founded in Jupiter, Florida. He also tours the country with his one-man show titled "An Evening with Burt Reynolds."
His numerous achievements have been recognized by being named America's Favorite All Around Motion Picture Actor (People's Choice Award) for a record six consecutive years; the Most Popular Star for five years running; Star of the Year (National Association of Theatre Owners); and # 1 Box Office Star for five years in a row, still an unmatched record.
Burt Reynolds commitment to his profession and devotion to education can perhaps be best exemplified by the program he created to give college students scholastic credit and wages for their work while obtaining an education at the Burt Reynolds Institute for Theatre (B.R.I.T.) located in Tequesta, Florida. Reynolds created a chair at Florida State University by donating generous endowments as well as Asolo Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.
His autobiography, My Life, reached the New York Times Best Seller List just after publication. He recently received the prestigious "Children at Heart Award," for his humanitarian efforts benefiting and aiding the children of Chernobyl.
JAMES CROMWELL (Warden Hazen) received a Best Supporting Actor OscarR nomination for his memorable performance as Farmer Hoggett in the smash-hit, "Babe." Cromwell's recent motion picture work includes "Black Ball," "Angels in America," "Space Cowboys," Frank Darabont's critically acclaimed "The Green Mile," "The General's Daughter," "Snow Falling on Cedars," "The Bachelor," "The Sum of All Fears," and DreamWorks SKG's "Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarron."
Additionally, he starred as Grandpa in "The Education of Little Tree," and Police Captain Dudley Smith in "L.A. Confidential." Among his many other films are "Star Trek: First Contact," "The People vs. Larry Flynt" and "Babe: Pig in the City."
Cromwell's most recent television work includes the starring role in John Wells' former CBS series, "Citizen Baines." He starred opposite Rob Lowe in "Salem's Lot," on TNT, portrays George Sibley on the Emmy nominated HBO original series, "Six Feet Under," and William Randolph Hearst in the HBO movie, "RKO 281," for which he received an Emmy nomination. He also starred in TNT's "A Slight Case of Murder." His body of work encompasses dozens of miniseries and movies-of-the-week, as well as roles on such popular series as "E.R." for which he received an Emmy nomination, "West Wing," "Picket Fences," "Home Improvement," "L.A. Law," and "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
Cromwell has also performed in many revered plays, including "Hamlet," "The Iceman Cometh," "Devil's Disciple," "All's Well That Ends Well," "Beckett" and "Othello" in many of the country's most distinguished theatres, including the South Coast Repertory, the Goodman Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum, the American Shakespeare Festival, Center Stage, the Long Wharf Theatre and the Old Globe. He recently played A. E. Houseman in the American premiere of Tom Stoppard's "The Invention of Love" at A.C.T. in San Francisco.
Trained as a director at Carnegie Tech, Cromwell has directed at resident theatres across the country and was the founder and Artistic Director of his own company, Stage West, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He also co-directed a short film, which was shown at the London Film Festival.
Born in Los Angeles, Cromwell grew up in New York and Waterford, Connecticut, and studied acting at Carnegie Mellon University (then Carnegie Tech). His father, John Cromwell, an acclaimed actor and director, was one of the first presidents of the Screen Directors Guild. His mother, Kay Johnson, was a stage and film actress. He is the founder of Hecel Oyakapi, a foundation committed to assisting the Lakota People of South Dakota in preserving their language and their culture through the arts.
A groundbreaking hip-hop and rap artist, NELLY (Megget) burst onto the scene in the summer of 2000, when the then-unknown rapper from St. Louis, Missouri, sold over a quarter of a million copies of his debut album, "Country Grammar," during its first week of release. On the strength of his first single "Country Grammar (Hot . . .)," the album would spend seven weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. His subsequent hits, "E.I." and "Ride Wit Me," would push the album to over 9 million units sold domestically.
Two years later, in the summer of 2002, Nelly proved to be no one-hit wonder when his sophomore album "Nellyville" came in at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart. "Nellyville" went on to sell over 6 million records domestically and earn its creator two Grammy trophies for the singles "Hot In Herre" (Best Male Rap Solo) and "Dilemma" (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration).
In 2003, he released a platinum-selling remix album, "Da Derrty Versions (The Reinvention)." As a member of the St. Lunatics, comprised of Nelly, Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan and Slo Down, he released the platinum-selling "Free City" in 2001. In 2003, he picked up another Grammy for his collaboration with Murphy Lee and P. Diddy for "Shake Ya Tailfeather" (Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group). Cumulatively, Nelly has sold close to 30 million singles/albums worldwide, establishing him as one of the top-selling artists of our time. In 2004, Nelly became the first rap artist to release two separate albums on the same day with "Sweat" and "Suit." Both albums have been certified multi-platinum.
Nelly is the CEO of his own label, Derrty Entertainment, a venture with Universal Records that has seen success with release of his remix album and Murphy Lee's platinum-bound solo debut, Murphy's Law. He also heads up Vokal and Apple Bottoms, the men's and women's clothing lines.
Before rising to prominence as a rap artist, Nelly was seriously scouted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves baseball organizations; he still hoops at his hometown community center and continues to show his love for sports. He's performed at Superbowls XXXV and XXXVIII (2001 and 2004, respectively). He maintains interest in a NASCAR team and is part owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.
Nelly commits his time to two non-profit organizations: 4 Sho 4 Kids aims at helping underprivileged inner-city youth by providing them literacy and other educational and social programs and Jes Us 4 Jackie helps locate bone marrow donors for leukemia patients.
WILLIAM FICHTNER (Captain Knauer) will next be seen in "Empire Falls," starring Paul Newman and Ed Harris, for HBO Films. Fichtner was recently seen in two films at the Sundance Film Festival: "The Chumscrubber" and "Nine Lives." He will next be seen in "Crash," directed by Paul Haggis, and will soon be seen in "The Moguls," written and directed by Michael Traeger and starring Jeff Bridges, and "Ultraviolet" for writer/director Kurt Wimmer.
Other credits include: Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down," MGM's "What's the Worst that Could Happen?," "A Perfect Storm," Jersey Films' "Drowning Mona," Paramount Classics' "Passion of the Mind," HBO's "The Settlement," Agnieszka Holland's "The Healer," Columbia/TriStar's "Go," the box office hit "Armageddon," Steven Soderbergh's "The Underneath," Michael Mann's "Heat," and "Strange Days," directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Fichtner was also seen as the blind astronomer in "Contact" opposite Jodie Foster and starred in Kevin Spacey's directorial debut, "Albino Alligator."
As a member of the Circle Repertory Theater, Fichtner received critical acclaim for his performance in "The Fiery Furnace," directed by Norman Rene. Other theater work includes "Raft of the Medusa" at the Minetta Lane Theatre, "The Years" at the Manhattan Theatre Club, "Clothes for a Summer Hotel" for the Williamstown Theatre Festival, "Battery" at the New York Theater Workshop, and "Machinal" at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
PETER SEGAL (director) most recently collaborated with Adam Sandler on last year's hit "50 First Dates," and the previous year, he teamed with Sandler on the comedy hit "Anger Management."
A USC graduate, Segal made his feature film directorial debut in 1994 with the hit comedy "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult," starring Leslie Nielsen. His list of credits include the 2000 blockbuster "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps," starring Eddie Murphy, the critically acclaimed "My Fellow Americans," starring Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Dan Aykroyd and Lauren Bacall, and the hit comedy "Tommy Boy," starring Chris Farley and David Spade.
With an extensive career directing for television, Segal has won eight Emmy Awards, a Cable ACE award for Best Director and two National Association of Broadcasters' Service to Children awards. In 1995, Segal formed his production company, Callahan Filmworks. In 2002, he co-wrote and created the NBC comedy series "Hidden Hills."
SHELDON TURNER (screenplay by) moved out to Los Angeles immediately following law school, with no contacts to speak of. Turner tended bar three nights a week in order to write all day, penning 10 screenplays before he felt confident enough to show his work to anyone.
That script sold shortly thereafter and Turner's been assiduously writing ever since, working in myriad genres from comedy to horror.
He most recently penned New Line's "Chainsaw Massacre" prequel. He's also written the upcoming thrillers "Scrawl" and "Pursuit" (with Will Smith attached), comedy drama "Up in the Air" for DreamWorks, and the sports drama "Overtime" for Warner Bros. (with Ashton Kutcher attached). He's presently at work on one of the "X-Men" franchise movies for 20th Century Fox.
Turner, 31, said "The Longest Yard" signifies "far and away the best experience" he's ever had, enabling him to work closely with "the Happy Madison Family" - whom he calls "the hardest working people in show business."
In 1972, Clint Eastwood presented ALBERT S. RUDDY (executive producer) with the OscarR for producing "The Godfather," and the two have remained close friends ever since. Earlier this year, they appeared onstage together again - this time, to share the Academy AwardR for producing the Best Picture of the Year, "Million Dollar Baby."
As producer and writer of the original story "The Longest Yard," Ruddy approached a virtually unknown actor named Burt Reynolds to star in the film. Ruddy and Reynolds went on to work on many more films together, including two "Cannonball Run" films.
Ruddy's ability to spot promising material and creative talent is reflected in his choice of projects and recognized by his various industry awards, amassed over three decades. He has produced over 30 features, including "Bad Girls," the first western with all female leads; "Death Hunt," pairing the late Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin; "The Scout," a film that Time Magazine described as "The best comedy fantasy about baseball ever made"; "Ladybugs," starring Rodney Dangerfield; and "Farewell to the King," starring Nick Nolte.
Ruddy has also created and produced numerous television series and movies that continue to entertain current audiences, including the highly successful series "Walker, Texas Ranger," the classic "Hogan's Heroes," 50 hours of the series "How the West Was Won," and "Martial Law," for CBS.
Ruddy's accomplishments have earned him numerous awards, including two Academy AwardsR, two Golden Globes, two Davids of Donatello (Italy), two Heraldos (Mexico), Chicago, Miami, and Shanghai Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Awards, and NATO's "Producer of the Year."
JACK GIARRAPUTO (producer) began his film career as associate producer on "Heavyweights," directed by Steven Brill. He then teamed up with his college buddy Adam Sandler to associate produce "Billy Madison" and the hit comedy "Happy Gilmore."
He later went on to produce "The Wedding Singer," "The Waterboy," "Big Daddy," "Little Nicky," "Mr. Deeds," "Anger Management," and "50 First Dates." With Happy Madison producing partner Adam Sandler, he executive produced "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" and its upcoming sequel, "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo," as well as "The Hot Chick," "The Adventures of Joe Dirt," and "Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights." Giarraputo also produced "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."
Giarraputo grew up on Long Island. He attended New York University before graduating from The Fordham University School of Law.
ADAM SANDLER (executive producer/Paul Crewe). Please see his biography in the "About the cast" section.
VAN TOFFLER (executive producer) is MTV Networks Group president, responsible for all of the MTV Networks music services, including MTV, MTV2, VH1, CMT and all their affiliated digital services, as well as Logo, MTV Networks' soon-to-be-launched network for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender audience. Additionally, he is president of MTV Films, the feature film division he helped create in 1995. As MTVN Group President, Toffler also provides leadership for all other ancillary businesses related to these brands. He works with the dedicated team of executives at each channel to set overall creative and business strategy, and long-term planning for all the brands.
In his previous position as president of MTV & MTV2, Toffler's strong business acumen, creative thinking and passion for music helped propel MTV into the number-one rated cable television destination for 12 to 24 year-olds, a position it has maintained for more than 12 years. Over the years, Toffler assembled a talented team of creative executives who developed and produced some of television's best entertainment and biggest moments including the animated hit "Beavis and Butthead," the maverick reality series "The Osbournes," the hilarious prank show "Punk'd" and two of the biggest annual cable entertainment events: "The MTV Video Music Awards" and the "MTV Movie Awards."
Toffler also worked hard to ensure that pro-social programming is an integral part of MTV with campaigns like the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning "Choose or Lose" political awareness and voter registration & mobilization campaign. The Emmy Award-winning "Fight For Your Rights" campaigns have also helped empower young people to take a stand against violence and discrimination, as well as help them get information and take charge of their sexual health with "Fight For Your Rights: Protect Yourself." Taking the lead from the audience, Toffler and his team continue to create pro-social programming that speaks to young people's beliefs and desires.
In 1999, Toffler also oversaw the re-launch of MTV2, which is on pace to deliver its highest year ever, and can now be seen in more than 53 million homes. Additionally, he helped guide the acquisition of CTN (College Television Network) in 2002, re-launched as mtvU, the ultimate network for college students.
One of Toffler's goals has been to build the MTV brand and expand its businesses to touch the teen and young adult audiences on new and different platforms, including film, online, wireless and VOD. He took the "MTV Unplugged" franchise platinum with a line of "Unplugged" releases, brought MTV to the World Wide Web where today, MTV.com is one of the top entertainment music sites. Toffler spearheaded the creation of MTV Films, having executive produced a diverse slate of feature films including "Save the Last Dance," "Jackass: The Movie," "The Original Kings of Comedy," "Varsity Blues," "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America," the critically acclaimed "Better Luck Tomorrow," the Academy AwardR-nominated "Election," "Napoleon Dynamite," and, most recently, the box-office hit "Coach Carter."
Toffler has held a succession of positions at MTV, culminating in his appointment as MTVN Group president in 2004. Prior to that, he had served as president of MTV and MTV2 since 2000.
DAVID GALE (executive producer) is executive vice president of MTV Films, overseeing the activities of the feature film division since its inception in 1995 and serving as producer or executive producer on all the movies that MTV develops and produces. During his tenure, MTV Films established itself as a unique movie label with a slate of diverse and successful films that have grossed more than a half-billion dollars at the box office. Under Gale's creative leadership and in partnership with Paramount Pictures, MTV Films has released 14 films, including "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America," "Varsity Blues" and "Save the Last Dance," each of which broke box office records on its opening weekend.
Some other highlights of Gale's successful tenure at MTV Films include "Jackass: The Movie"; "Orange County"; "Crossroads," starring Britney Spears; the comedy concert films "The Original Kings of Comedy" and "Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat"; and the Academy Award -nominated "Election." Other projects include the critically lauded and groundbreaking, "Better Luck Tomorrow"; "The Fighting Temptations," starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles (winner NAACP Image Award for Best Picture); "The Perfect Score," directed by Brian Robbins ("Varsity Blues"); and the feature documentary, "Tupac: Resurrection."
In 2004, MTV Films released with Fox Searchlight the indie comedy, "Napoleon Dynamite," which proved to be another huge success for the company as it earned critical raves, over $40 million at the box office, and three Independent Spirit Award nominations.
Earlier this year, Gale and MTV Films produced the box-office hit "Coach Carter," and coming later this year, MTV Films will be releasing two more films: "Aeon Flux," produced with Gale Anne Hurd's Valhalla Pictures, starring Academy Award -winner Charlize Theron as the title character, and "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," a feature starring rapper 50 Cent and directed by Academy Award -nominee Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot," "In the Name of the Father," "In America").
BARRY BERNARDI (executive producer) most recently produced the hit Adam Sandler comedy "Anger Management," as well as the comedies "Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo," "The Master of Disguise," and "The Animal." He also served as executive producer on "The Haunted Mansion" and "Double Take." Additionally, Bernardi executive produced the features "Inspector Gadget," "My Favorite Martian," "Deep Rising," "Tom and Huck," "Cabin Boy," "The Adventures of Huck Finn," and "The Devil's Advocate." His other producer credits include "Poltergeist III," "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves," and "Starman."
Beginning his career as a story editor and producer's assistant after attending the California Institute of the Arts as a music major, Bernardi teamed with director John Carpenter in 1979 to associate produce "The Fog," "Escape from New York," and "Christine." He remained with Carpenter to co-produce "Halloween II" and "Halloween III." From 1987-1989, Bernardi served as senior vice president of production at New World Pictures, where he oversaw the development, production, and release of such films as "Heathers," "Meet the Applegates" and "Warlock."
Bernardi went on to co-found Steve White Productions. With White, he produced more than 25 telefilms. Among their credits are "Amityville," "The Evil Escapes," "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?," "She Said No," "The Carolyn Warmus Story," "She Stood Alone" and "A Mom for Christmas."
ALLEN COVERT (executive producer) has co-starred in every Adam Sandler movie except Billy Madison. He was an associate producer on "Big Daddy," "Little Nicky," and "Mr. Deeds." He produced "Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights," served as an executive producer of "Anger Management," and has collaborated on four comedy albums, as co-writer and producer, with Sandler and Brooks Arthur.
TIM HERLIHY (executive producer) has written or co-written the films "Billy Madison," "Happy Gilmore," "The Wedding Singer," "The Waterboy," "Big Daddy," "Little Nicky," and "Mr. Deeds." He was also an executive producer of "Anger Management." He was formerly head writer of the television variety series "Saturday Night Live."
MICHAEL EWING (Executive Producer) is partnered with Peter Segal in Callahan Filmworks and oversees the development of numerous feature film and television projects for the company. Most recently, he executive produced the hit romantic comedy "50 First Dates" starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. He also co-produced "Anger Management" starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, which were both, directed by Segal.
Ewing began his career in New York studying with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg at the Actor's Studio. He went on to direct and co-produce John Rechy's off-Broadway play "Tiger Wild" before turning his attention to feature films. Ewing's first feature was "The Naked Gun," starring Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley. He returned as associate producer on the next two successful sequels, "Naked Gun 2-1/2" and "Naked Gun 33 1/3," where he first worked with director Peter Segal. Ewing went on to serve as associate producer and co-producer respectively on the director's next two features, the hit comedy "Tommy Boy" starring Chris Farley and David Spade, and the critically acclaimed "My Fellow Americans" starring Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Dan Aykroyd and Lauren Bacall. Next, Ewing co-produced Eddie Murphy's box-office hit "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps."
DEAN SEMLER, ACS/ASC (director of photography) won an Academy AwardR for his work on Kevin Costner's epic of the American West, "Dances With Wolves." One of the world's most accomplished cinematographers, Semler has photographed a wide range of productions in his native Australia, in the U.S., and around the world.
Semler began his career as a news cameraman at a local television station, photographing news stories. This led to a nine-year stint at Film Australia, where he made documentaries and anthropological films for educational and research purposes. His first credit as a feature cinematographer was "Let the Balloon Go" in 1976.
In Australia, Semler served as cinematographer for "Hoodwink," the now-classic futuristic thriller "The Road Warrior" and its follow-up, "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome," "Razorback" (for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award), "The Coca-Cola Kid," "The Lighthorsemen," and "Dead Calm." His U.S. credits include "Young Guns" and "Young Guns II," "Cocktail," "Farewell to the King," "City Slickers," "The Power of One," "The Three Musketeers," "The Cowboy Way," "Waterworld," "The Bone Collector," "D-Tox," "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps," "Heartbreakers," "Dragonfly," "We Were Soldiers," "XXX," "Bruce Almighty," and "The Alamo." His work can soon be seen in "Stealth."
For television, Semler photographed "Return to Eden" in Australia, and in the U.S., "Passion Flower." He also served as cinematographer and second unit director of the television miniseries "Lonsesome Dove" and "Son of the Morning Star."
During the filming of "XXX," it was announced that Semler was the recipient of a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia, appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
PERRY ANDELIN BLAKE (production designer) began his design career by receiving a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University, where he met the noted architect Frank O. Gehry. After working with Gehry as a design architect for several years, he opened his own architectural and design office in Los Angeles. Blake soon began designing not only homes and offices but also sets for commercials, working on more than 100 commercials for such clients as Coke, Pepsi and Nike.
Blake's first feature film was "Billy Madison," starring Adam Sandler. He went on to design many of Sandler's films, including "Mr. Deeds," "Big Daddy" and "The Wedding Singer," where he met the director, Frank Coraci, for whom he designed "Around the World in 80 Days." He is most recent credit is "Without a Paddle."
Blake's work also includes such eclectic design projects as the rock-and-roll stage set for Ozzy Osborne's "Ozzfest" and the animated holiday feature film "Eight Crazy Nights." In 2002, he made his directorial debut with the Dana Carvey feature "Master of Disguise." Blake's work has been published in numerous magazines and periodicals.
JEFF GOURSON (film editor) edited the Adam Sandler comedies "50 First Dates," "Anger Management," "Mr. Deeds," "Big Daddy," "Little Nicky," and "Happy Gilmore," as well as "The Animal," starring Rob Schneider, and most recently, "White Chicks." He began his career working as an assistant film editor on such films as Alfred Hitchcock's "Topaz," Clint Eastwood's "High Plains Drifter," and the Steven Spielberg films "The Sugarland Express" and "Jaws." It was while working on "Jaws" as an unaccredited assistant film editor that Gourson met legendary Academy AwardR-winning film editor Verna Fields. On Fields' recommendation, director James Bridges hired Gourson as his editor for the film "September 30, 1955." Gourson went on to edit "Flight of the Navigator," "FM," Somewhere in Time," "The Incredible Shrinking Woman," "Tron." "Perfect," "Mike's Murder," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Big Top Pee Wee," "Beverly Hills Ninja," and "Shadow of Doubt."
ELLEN LUTTER (Costume Designer) is Brooklyn based and happily counts among her credits such east coast films as "Fresh," "Flirting with Disaster," "Copland," Living in Oblivion," "Mississippi Masala," "28 Days," "Big Daddy" and "The House of D."
Thanks to the miracle of jet travel and the superhuman miracle of loyal Los Angeles bosses, Lutter has had the privilege of designing five west coast films for Adam Sandler. These films include "50 First Dates," "Anger Management," "Mr. Deeds," "Little Nicky" and "The Longest Yard," which she considers one of her most rewarding and challenging experiences to date.
TEDDY CASTELLUCCI (composer) has scored such motion pictures as "White Chicks," "50 First Dates," "Anger Management," "Mr. Deeds," "Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights," "Big Daddy," "The Animal," "The Guest," "Good Advice," "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo," "Repli-Kate," "Little Nicky," and "The Wedding Singer." As a studio musician, his long list of recording and performing credits include such diverse artists as Michael Jackson, Jackson Browne, Boz Scaggs, Smokey Robinson, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Bolton, Natalie Cole, Brian Wilson, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton.
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