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M:i:III
《職業特工隊III》

舉世屏息 強勢出擊
由全球矚目巨星湯告魯斯主演《職業特工隊 III》，鐵定５月3日(星期三) 率先在本港登場，較美國上映日期5月5日早了兩日 ! 本片可說是湯告魯斯從影以來最多動作場面，親身演出撞車、跳樓、爆炸動作場面，由全球熱爆之《迷》、《特務A》電視劇導演J.J.艾布斯(J.J. Abrams)執導，他是現時荷里活炙手可熱的導演，湯告魯斯亦因為看過他《迷》、《特務A》，即時拍板讓他執導《職業特工隊 III》；喜愛特務電影的J.J.艾布斯，今次不單首次揭開特務伊頓韓的私人生活，而且於本片中回歸《職業特工隊》內重視團隊精神，看過試映?的觀眾，不約而同地認為《職業特工隊 III》是三集中最好看的一齣。

在這部嶄新動作鉅製中，飾演令人髮指的超級壞蛋，正是《冷血字傳》奧斯卡、金球出爐影帝菲臘西摩荷夫曼(Philip Seymour Hoffman)，戲內他是一名軍火拆家戴雲，跟湯告魯斯大鬥演技，而且更威脅他的妻子茱莉亞(米雪慕娜漢Michelle Monaghan飾)的生命。

而本集的特務隊伍，包括三集均有參與演出的資深特工隊員榮雷美斯(Ving Rhames)；其他特工新面孔有香港觀眾熟悉的Maggie Q、嘉莉羅素(Keri Russell)及《我愛碧咸》尊納頓邁亞斯(Jonathan Rhys Meyers)，他們在片中將會大顯身手。I.M.F.首領則由《22世紀殺人網絡》系列的羅蘭士費斯賓(Laurence Fishburne)擔任。

《職業特工隊》全球收逾10億美元　M:I行動再次啟動
10年前，目光銳利的湯告魯斯把60年代經典電視劇《職業特工隊》重新包裝拍成電影，並親自監製及主演。結果，影片瘋魔全球，欲罷不能於2000年開拍《M:I:2》。首兩集已於全球收逾10億美元票房。

特務人物伊頓韓是超級精英組成的美國最高機密特務組織I.M.F. (Impossible Missions Force)其中一員，負責為國家解決最嚴峻的恐怖活動。當中每位成員各有所長，以易容、電腦入侵等進行間諜工作。他們身份隱蔽，且神出鬼沒。而今次由伊頓韓率領新組合要完成的任務更是匪夷所思……

湯告魯斯亡命演出 從影以來取多動作場面
向來搏命的湯告魯斯今次亦毫不錫身，親自上演大部分動作戲，更擺明要突破從影以來的底線，挑戰多個奪命動作，當中包括跳橋、跳樓、火箭埋身等等。湯告魯斯更特別為這一連串的挑戰特訓多月，他說：「《強戰世界》上映時，我已經一邊出埠，一邊鍛鍊身體。每日我都會練習『力學運動』(dynamic movement)。」所謂力學運動，是一種令人學習應付衝力的運動，很受攀山選手歡迎。「我就是需要這種衝力和爆炸速度來完成戲中所有動作場面。」湯告魯斯信心十足地說。

而負責動作?面的就是曾在《強戰世界》、與湯告魯斯的域岩士唐，他是資深的動作特技專家，在電影界40多年，曾經也是《新鐵金剛之明日帝國》、《新鐵金剛之黑日危機》、《神探俏嬌娃》之動作指導，岩士唐指 : 「跟湯合作，他往往給你意外驚喜，因為他所做的動作都遠超過你所設計的。」

雖然有電腦特技的協助，但導演艾布斯認為最重要的還是演員親身演出 : 「先進的電腦特技是很重要的，但如果是演員親身演出特技動作，而不是用替身或特技等，就是拍攝的必勝技。」

為了百分百掌握拍攝時的準確性，以及考慮到湯告魯斯的人身安全，導演艾布斯與特效組則特別採用了一套名為「預視效果」(pre-visualization，簡稱pre-viz)的程式。簡言之，即是在拍攝前用電腦特效由頭到尾模擬一次場面；電腦模擬的畫面不但讓各部門的工作人員對該場戲有清晰的概念，亦能計算出所有爆破、物體移動及翻滾的方向、速度、力度等精確的數據。這樣，導演便能決定真人演出部分可以應付到哪個程度、哪裡必須由電腦特效補上。幸好有「預視效果」的協助，湯告魯斯結果能精確及安全地完成他那四大高難度動作。

4大驚險高難度動作場面
1. 凌空飛越闊15呎橋面
片中一場戲講到大西洋上的乞沙比克灣大橋(Chesapeake Bay Bridge)被炸毀，橋面一分為二，出現15呎的巨大裂口，伊頓必須單人匹馬跳到對面。但難度在於：湯告魯斯不單要跳過這15呎斷裂橋面，更要在跳到對岸時，身體落在橋邊，就快要掉下海的樣子，而湯就只用手指抓著邊緣 ….

3. 凌空飛越高樓 再下墜大馬路
湯告魯斯由一幢摩天高樓，在空中轉動方向飛越另一幢高樓，然後再直插向下，最後倒掛在一條街燈柱上，真的險象環生！因為這場戲的落點正是一條大馬路，正有一輛車身長40呎的貨櫃車之下駛過，如果落點有絲毫之差，湯的後果可說不堪設想。

火箭擊落 被彈向車窗
另一場更不可思議的動作戲，則是火箭擊落在橋上的一輛汽車，火箭的爆破力立時把湯告魯斯彈到飛起，整個人背撞一輛汽車旁邊。由於衝力極大，湯告魯斯把汽車的後窗接爆了！

也難怪監製保娜韋勒說 : 「他不單是偉大的演員、監製、在首映禮上閃亮的名星，而且更是特技人，動作非常精確；當我這個監製站在現場，看到貨櫃車向他滑衝過去時，看得我毛髮皆豎，但我知道他一定能做得來。」

製作花絮
劇情大突破　人物大解剖
踏入第三集，湯告魯斯與導演艾布斯均認為今次的《M:i:III》最令人驚喜之處，就是戲中的人物更真實及更富感情，影片首度以「愛情」、「隊友」、「敵人」三個角度透視伊頓韓這角色，令他更見立體，讓觀眾對他更有共鳴。

初揭伊頓韓愛情生活
以往兩集內，觀眾只能看到伊頓的間諜一面，他的私生活，我們一概不知。湯告魯斯說：「現實生活中，很多人都要面對家庭與事業的平衡問題，究竟如何一邊做喜歡的工作，一邊花時間陪伴另一半及孩子？我們今次大膽地向伊頓提出這個問題。大家會發現他不但一直在平衡這兩個世界，更原來早已因為自己的間諜身份，令家庭生活直接受工作影響。」

今集破天荒深入伊頓韓的世界，並安排他展開人生新一頁。影片一開始，便說伊頓退出火線，不再執勤，從此負責訓練新人的工作；同時他亦準備結婚，重過新生。飾演伊頓未婚妻的米雪慕娜漢說，她的角色可以讓觀眾見到伊頓的另一面，甚至乎他軟弱的一面：「她一直以為伊頓是交通專家，但漸漸發現他在隱瞞一些事。」也因此令伊頓及他未婚妻存在了未能完全信任的關係。

M:I系列最冷血奸角
今集的反派被喻為M:I系列最強的敵人，而這個恐怖冷血、奸險過人又難以捉摸的角色正是由出爐影帝菲臘西摩荷夫曼飾演。但原來戲路出名多元化的荷夫曼今次是第一次拍動作片！

荷夫曼直言他演的國際情報及武器商家是「癲佬」一名：「他針對伊頓，亦是直接威脅伊頓與未婚妻感情的一個重要因素，令兩人對婚姻產生恐懼。」結果，疊埋心水退隱的伊頓被迫再披戰衣，與他正面交鋒。

首次展現I.M.F.隊友感情
湯告魯斯的製片拍檔兼《M:i 》系列監製寶娜韋納(Paula Wagner)指出：「今回亦是首次展現I.M.F.內的隊友關係。」I.M.F.成員來自五湖四海，各具魅力，伊頓與他們亦有不同的感情：

i)　榮雷美斯　飾　電腦專家路德
唯一一位三集均有出現的拍檔路德，與伊頓的友情其實不淺。雷美斯說：「上兩集，我們從不提及自己的私生活；今次我和伊頓的對白終於像朋友之間的對話，可以吐吐生活的苦水。」

ii)　尊納頓邁亞斯　飾　交通專家Declan
來自愛爾蘭的新成員Declan由愛爾蘭出身的尊納頓邁亞斯擔當，他精於交通工具，是海、陸、空專家。他是I.M.F.的新一代，最得伊頓重用。

iii)　Maggie Q　飾　亞洲打女Zhen
活躍於香港演藝界的美越混血名模Maggie Q，今次被選為I.M.F.成員之一，已肯定一登荷里活，升價十倍。Maggie Q笑言：「過去８年我一直住在香港，從來也沒想過會演出美國電影；更沒想過首次拍美國片，便是湯告魯斯的鉅製！」談到自己的角色，Maggie Q說：「Zhen是一個堅強、硬朗的女人，做事多過說話。伊頓在前線上陣，她則在幕後工作，準備好一切。」開拍前，Maggie Q更花了很長時間進行嚴格體能訓練，除了做帶氧健身操、鍛鍊肌肉，更要練習多種功夫及拳術，以應付片中變化多端的動作場面。

Maggie Q印象最深刻的是湯告魯斯親身演出動作?面，贏得了在?人仕及動作導演的喝采聲。曾經跟成龍大哥演出過的Maggie Q，已非常佩服大哥拍攝時的韌力；但今次看到?有功夫底子的湯告魯斯，也親身拼搏做出這些難度十足的動作，令她寫個「服」字 : 「湯像有無窮的精力，不單在鏡頭前，而是無論何時何地 !」

iv)　嘉莉羅素　飾　棒打美人林茜
曾經主演導演艾布斯首輯電視劇《Felicity》的嘉莉今回?槍上陣，飾演I.M.F.的訓練生，並以出眾表現，成為唯一一個伊頓選用的愛徒。片中嘉莉擅長棍棒功夫，為此，她接受了四個半月特別訓練。

v)　羅蘭士費斯賓　飾　I.M.F.首領
今集更請來了《22世紀殺人網絡》系列的羅蘭士費斯賓客串I.M.F.首領一角，羅蘭士坦言今次猶如夢境成真：「我記得小時候，一放學大家便衝回家看《職業特工隊》。我們扮I.M.F.間諜，自創武器四圍走…真的沒想到，我今日能做到I.M.F.的首領！」

中、意、美取景　效果震撼
《M:i:III》另一焦點，是其穿越各地的實景，今次則包括中國、意大利、美國及德國等地。當中最熱鬧的當然要數上海取景的情況，前所未有的荷里活攝製大隊軍臨中國，掀起了全國熱話。

中國 - 繁華上海 x 水鄉西塘
導演艾布斯坦言他們決定在亞洲取景後，先去了日本一趟，但來到上海之後，便馬上有定案，不作他選：「上海是個未來、科幻城市。」令攝製隊更刮目相看的是，就在上海不遠的浙江，便有一個古色古香的水鄉西塘。西塘是歷史悠久的漁鄉，有過千年歷史，亦有一間逾700年的老食店。艾布斯說：「把西塘放在美國片中，肯定給人極大驚喜。如此詩情畫意的古城，我當然安排了好些感情戲在這裡拍攝。」

意大利 - 羅馬飛船 那不勒斯重建梵蒂岡
影片另一主景是意大利。一眾I.M.F.成員，包括湯告魯斯、榮雷美斯、尊納頓邁亞斯及Maggie Q先由羅馬開始拍攝，在穿越市中心的台伯河(Tiber River)上乘坐快艇追逐，惹來途人圍觀及記者追訪，場面哄動一時。尊納頓邁在河中飛馳時，腦中便響起《職業特工隊》的經典主題音樂，原來湯告魯斯此時也將這首《職業特工隊》的主題曲自哼起來 …

跟著攝製隊移師到那不勒斯(Naples)附近之Palazzo Reale Della Reggia Di Caserta，在當地搭建像梵蒂岡的巨大庭園，並於堡壘的圓形大廳內拍攝一場容納300人的豪華派對，場面十分壯觀。

美國 - 伊頓老家照抄導演的家
至於伊頓的家，則在美國拍攝。導演更索性建議：「照抄我屋企的設計便可。」誰知場景設計的同事真的走去找導演的太太，結果伊頓的家真的改裝至跟導演的一模一樣。

M:i經典音樂　Kanye West注入新元素
一說起《M:i 》，不期然便令人想起它的主題音樂。電影版首兩集分別找來U2及Limp Bizkit重玩，今集湯告魯斯則找來六項格林美得主、當紅Hip-hop歌手Kanye West重新處理這段經典音樂。West表示今次以更爆炸性、重低音的感覺演繹主題音樂。另外，West亦為影片原創了一首新歌 "Impossible"，找來Twista及 Keisha Cole主唱；新歌將於影片完結時播放。

演員及導演介紹
強中之強　湯告魯斯
在片中擔演特工伊頓，並身兼監製一職的湯告魯斯從影20多年，演出多部票房及口碑俱佳的電影，曾三度榮獲奧斯卡影帝提名，並以《甜心先生》、《人生交叉剔》、《生於七月四日》3度榮膺金球獎最佳男主角的他，不僅是成功的演員，亦是成功的監製。由他主演的電影，全球票房總收已超過60億美元。

湯告魯斯的近作有《強戰世界》(War of the Worlds)，乃他與導演史提芬史匹堡第二度合作。在美國，影片標誌著湯告魯斯的事業新顛峰，亦讓「派拉蒙影片」踏進新里程，刷新了開畫日票房紀錄、單日票房紀錄，以及開畫首周末的票房紀錄。最後，影片全球收逾5億9千萬美元，成為湯告魯斯個人最賣座電影。2002年，湯告魯斯曾主演由史提芬史匹堡執導的科幻懸疑片《未來報告》(Minority Report)。

湯告魯斯與拍檔寶娜韋納(Paula Wagner) 於1993年開設Cruise/Wagner Productions公司，他亦自此了榮升金牌監製，為銀幕上帶來多元化的作品及新面孔。C/W的頭炮是享譽國際的《職業特工隊》，1997年公司亦因此獲得Nova Award頒發「最有前途電影監製」獎。C/W之後屢出佳作，包括《挑戰極限》(Without Limits)、《玻璃真相》(Shattered Glass)、《忠奸道》(Narc)及近年驚嚇片經典《不速之嚇》(The Others)。湯告魯斯亦同時以《不速之嚇》導演艾美尼巴(Alejandro Amenabar)的前作《變臉驚情》(Open Your Eyes)為藍本，找來金馬倫高爾執導《魂離情外天》(Vanilla Sky)一片。2004年1月，【綜藝日報】(Daily Variety)封湯告魯斯和寶娜韋納為「億萬監製」；C/W最近再獲殊榮，得到「加州大學洛杉磯分校(UCLA)／美國監製工會」視覺大獎。去年秋季，這對拍檔炮製了由金馬倫高爾執導的《下一站…伊莉莎伯鎮》(Elizabethtown)；早前則監製了羅拔唐尼的《Ask the Dust》。

1981年，湯告魯斯以19歲之齡在《無盡的愛》(Endless Love)初登銀幕，之後與辛潘及鐵摩菲赫頓合演《Taps》，並參演了哥普拉執導的《局外人》(The Outsiders)。1983年，湯告魯斯憑《乖仔也瘋狂》(Risky Business)嶄露頭角，獲金球獎提名；1986年再憑《雷霆壯志》(Top Gun)晉升為國際紅星，影片成為當年最高票房收入的作品。

之後，湯告魯斯與保羅紐曼合演了由馬田史高西斯執導的《金錢本色》(The Color of Money)，並與德斯汀荷夫曼合演了由巴里利維遜執導的奧斯卡作品《手足未了情》(Rain Man)。1989年，湯告魯斯憑奧利華史東導演的《生於七月四日》(Born on the Fourth of July)贏得他首個奧斯卡提名，同時榮獲金球獎最佳男主角殊榮，片中他飾演越戰軍人兼反戰份子一角；此片亦獲奧斯卡最佳影片提名。其後，湯告魯斯與積尼高遜、狄美摩亞合演了洛連納執導的《義海雄風》(A Few Good Men)，並憑此片第三度獲金球獎提名。1997年，湯告魯斯憑金馬倫高爾執導的《甜心先生》(Jerry Maguire)第二度獲奧斯卡影帝提名，並第二度贏得金球獎最佳男主角獎。

1999年，湯告魯斯在保羅湯瑪士安德遜執導的《人生交叉剔》(Magnolia)作出了震撼性的演出，影片為他帶來第三度奧斯卡提名以及金球獎最佳男配角獎。同年，他主演了史丹尼寇比力克的懸疑片《大開眼戒》(Eyes Wide Shut)。

湯告魯斯其他演出作品包括：朗侯活導演的史詩式電影《大地雄心》(Far and Away)、薜尼波勒導演的司法驚慄片《糖衣陷阱》(The Firm)及尼爾佐敦改編自安萊絲小說的《吸血迷情》(Interview with the Vampire)。此外，近作還包括由米高曼執導的票房大片《Collateral 同行殺機》。

過去多年，湯告魯斯一直榮獲多項獎項及殊榮，證明他在藝術上及商業上的成就皆獲得業內的認同和嘉許，亦一直在世界各地得到廣大觀眾的支持。

去年11月，英國電影電視學院頒授一項名為「Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award」予湯告魯斯，以表揚他對電影藝術的貢獻。最近，湯亦剛獲得MTV Generation Award，被封為代表「這時代」的演員。早於05年４月時，他亦榮獲David di Donatello Award表揚其終身成就。此外，他曾兩度獲「人民之選」獎項(People's Choice Awards)；憑《甜心先生》和《人生交叉剔》兩度獲「美國演員工會」提名；1993年被芝加哥電影節選為「Actor of the Decade」；同年榮獲NATO/SHOWEST「表揚成就獎」。湯告魯斯亦憑《魂離情外天》榮獲土星獎(Saturn Award)；憑《人生交叉剔》贏得芝加哥影評人獎及Blockbuster Award；憑《職業特工隊２》獲得一項MTV獎。

湯告魯斯亦接受過多個致敬獎項，包括由哈佛大學頒發的「Hasty Pudding年度人物大獎」、藝人權益基金頒發的「尊侯斯頓獎」、美國電影獎頒發的「傑出成就大獎」以及「美國電影院獎」。

大冒險家 導演J.J.艾布斯
《職業特工隊III》由膽色過人的J.J.艾布斯(J.J. Abrams)執導。身為《迷》(Lost)、《特務A》(Alias)、《Felicity》等多部收視高企連續劇的原創人兼執行導演，艾布斯於圈內一直備受注目。2005年，他憑《迷》(Lost)獲艾美獎「最佳連續劇」及「最佳連續劇導演」兩項殊榮。而早於2002年，艾布斯亦曾經憑《特務A》榮獲艾美獎最佳編劇。

於紐約出生、洛杉磯長大的艾布斯，8歲那年，祖父帶他到環球片場遊玩之後，愛上電影，並馬上借來父親的超８攝影機開始自拍影片。其後10年，艾布斯完成了無數的個人作品，並於多個學生電影節獲獎。他於大學時賣出自己的第一部電影劇本《Taking Care of Business》，隨後編寫了多個賣座劇本，包括由米路吉遜主演的《天荒情未了》(Forever Young)、夏里遜福主演的《還我情真》(Regarding Henry)以及《絕世天劫》(Armageddon)等等。

艾布斯其他監製作品包括桂莉芙柏德露主演的愛情喜劇《出殯抱佳人》(The Pallbearer)、珍妮花洛芙域(Jennifer Love Hewitt)主演的《The Suburbans》等。艾布斯亦曾在幕前客串演出過多部電影，包括《孽迷宮》(Diabolique)以及《Six Degrees of Separation》等。

M:i:III 女星
明日之星　米雪慕娜漢
獲湯告魯斯嘗識，於片中擔演伊頓愛人的米雪慕娜漢(Michelle Monaghan)，毋容置疑，肯定成為荷里活的明日之星。事實上，繼早前於《對抗性侵犯》(North Country)、《史密夫決戰史密妻》(Mr. & Mrs. Smith)以及《叛謀追擊２：機密圈套》(The Bourne Supremacy)等多齣大片的演出後，慕娜漢性感美麗而強悍的形象已日漸深入民心，今回找她與靚佬湯出生入死，可謂是最佳人選。

擁有新聞傳理系學位，曾任職記者，後晉身模特兒行列的慕娜漢，於2001年首度演出電影《Perfume》，之後她於《不忠誘罪》(Unfaithful)中飾演李察基爾的秘書。同時，慕娜漢亦活躍於電視圈，並憑《Boston Public》中的女教師一角贏盡評論及觀眾口碑，成功打入美國家庭。

《職業特工隊III》之後，慕娜漢將馬上投入由賓艾佛力(Ben Affleck)執導的新作《Gone Baby Gone》，影片乃改編自《懸河殺機》(Mystic River)原作者的另一部懸疑小說。

慕娜漢其他作品包括：與羅拔唐尼(Robert Downey Jr.)及韋基馬(Val Kilmer)合演的《Kiss Kiss Bang Bang》、倫理喜劇《坐埋都係一家人》(It Runs in the Family)以及《Winter Solstice》等。

性感代言人　嘉莉羅素
導演J.J.艾布斯可說是嘉莉羅素(Keri Russell)的恩師，1998年嘉莉憑艾布斯原創的電視劇《Felicity》一炮而紅，兼勇奪金球獎（電視組別）最佳女主角獎，繼而在影視雙線發展；今次又再獲恩師嘗識，首次演出超級製作《M:i:III》。同時，嘉莉亦有三齣新片在身，包括與羅賓威廉斯(Robin Williams)合演的《August Rush》、愛情喜劇《Waitress》以及驚慄片《Rohtenburg》，可見她在影圈愈來愈搶手；而電視劇方面，則剛演出了由史匹堡監製的《Into the West》。

最近，嘉莉更成為美國No.1銷量化妝品牌CoverGirl的代言人，由她登場的全新一輯廣告將於今年夏天發布。

嘉莉曾演出的電影還有：與奇雲高士拿合作的《愛你把幾火》(The Upside of Anger)、與米路吉遜合作的《軍天壯志》(We Were Soldiers)以及校園鬼片《高校死咒 》(Dead Man's Curve)等。

殺入荷里活　Maggie Q
為香港人熟悉的名模Maggie Q今回正式打入荷里活，並與超級巨星湯告魯斯合作，掀起全城熱話。影片開拍以來，除湯之外，Maggie Q亦是亞洲傳媒的追訪對象。

現年27歲的Maggie Q於夏威夷出生，父親是美國人，母親是越南人；她18歲來港發展模特兒事業，憑個人魅力及性感身型旋即晉身為亞洲超模，過去幾年曾任過百本雜誌的封面女郎，包括【時代】周刊亞洲版。2001年，Maggie Q 初演電視劇《龍堂》(House of the Dragon)，之後參演了多部影片，包括張堅庭執導的西片《午夜曼哈頓》（Manhattan Midnight），以及《特警新人類2》、《赤裸特工》、《魔幻廚房》等多齣港片。Maggie Q更得到成龍嘗識，演出了《80日環遊世界》。她亦參與過其他海外作品，包括意大利製作《The Counting House》、德國/新加坡合作的電視電影《House of Harmony》等。

成為《M:i:III》一份子後，Maggie Q在荷里活亦人氣急升，新片約已陸續有來，當中包括即將開拍的動作笑片《Balls of Fury》，乃一個乒乓選手追尋殺父仇人的故事。影片暫定於明年公映。

出爐影帝　菲臘西摩荷夫曼
個性派演員菲臘西摩荷夫曼(Philip Seymour Hoffman)憑另類、刁鑽角色闖出名堂，演技出神入化，今年更以《冷血字傳》(Capote)榮昇奧斯卡及金球獎影帝，並同時獲得其餘十多個影評人組織頒發的最佳男主角獎，風頭一時無倆。

擁有一頭金髮及肥腫身材的荷夫曼出道以來，便注定走性格路線，結果他憑大膽的演繹，成功塑造了多個令人難忘的角色。當中包括《生命雄風》(Flawless)中的人妖歌后；《你快樂嗎？》(Happiness)的性壓抑男人；《一舉成名》(Boogie Nights)的鹹片Crew；《心計》(The Talented Mr. Ripley)的肥仔花花公子；《大保齡離奇綁架》(The Big Lebowski)的八卦助手；《不日成名》(Almost Famous)的傳奇樂評人等。

在《M:i:III》之前，荷夫曼亦曾與湯告魯斯合演過《人生交差剔》(Magnolia)，並憑影片獲得「美國國家電影評論協會」(National Board of Review)最佳男配角獎。荷夫曼其他為人熟悉的作品還有：《亂世情天》(Cold Mountain)、《沉默的赤龍》(Red Dragon)、《情場算死草》(Along Came Polly)、《轉捩一刻》(25th Hour)、《妙手情真》(Patch Adams)、《龍捲風暴》(Twister)等。

荷夫曼本身亦是Hoffman LAByrinth 劇團的藝術副總監，曾演出過. 《The Merchant of Venice》、《Shopping and Fucking》等劇目，亦親自執導過多個劇目， 包括揚威愛丁堡節的《'A' Train》。

伊頓的最佳拍擋　榮雷美斯　
性格黑人演員榮雷美斯(Ving Rhames)承接首兩集，飾演特工隊成員路德一角，是唯一一個連續三集與湯告魯斯飾演的伊頓韓出生入死的人物。

雷美斯早於1994年憑《危險人物》(Pulp Fiction)嶄露頭角，隨後演出了多部叫好叫座之作，包括《驚天動地》(Con Air)、《至激關係》(Out of Sight)、《午夜速遞》(Bringing Out the Dead)、《偷天陷阱》(Entrapment)等，近作則有《活死人凶間》(Dawn of the Dead)、《黑獄拳霸》(Undisputed)及《孽殺令》(Sin)等。

愛爾蘭奇兵　尊納頓邁亞斯
來自愛爾蘭的尊納頓邁亞斯(Jonathan Rhys Meyers)於1998年憑《紫醉金迷》妖艷歌手一角嶄露頭角，最近又在《我愛碧咸》演繹教練，深入民心，成為英、美兩地的搶手演員。繼《M:i:III》之後，邁亞斯將與羅賓威廉斯(Robin Williams)及嘉莉羅素合演《August Rush》。

邁亞斯的近作包括：活地亞倫執導的口碑作《迷失決勝分》(Match Point)；奧利華史東的史詩式鉅製《亞歷山大帝》(Alexander)；與影后莉絲韋特斯潘(Reese Witherspoon)合演的《Vanity Fair》等。今年，邁亞斯更憑電視劇《Elvis》年青貓王一角勇奪金球獎（電視組別）最佳男主角獎。

"MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III"

Production Information

Tom Cruise, the most exciting and successful star in the world, returns to one of his signature roles, Secret Agent Ethan Hunt, in "Mission: Impossible III." In this pulse-racing, mind-bending action thriller, Hunt confronts the toughest villain he's ever faced - Owen Davian (Academy AwardR winner Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international weapons and information provider with no remorse and no conscience.

The film is co-written and directed by J.J. Abrams, who brings his unique blend of action, character, comedy, and drama to the franchise. The millions of loyal viewers of Abrams's landmark creations, the television series "Lost" and "Alias," know what to expect: an enthralling, intricate story with an unexpected and arresting payoff that satisfies on every level.

With "M:i:III," Abrams and Cruise turn the spy thriller on its ear as they hark back to the best aspects of the original TV series that inspired the films - a well-connected team of agents centered around a bold and heroic leader, the most exciting action stunts imaginable, and elaborate twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. "M:i:III" is the action movie audiences have been waiting for.

Paramount Pictures presents a Cruise|Wagner production, "Mission: Impossible III." The film is directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner from a screenplay written by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & J.J. Abrams, based on the television series created by Bruce Geller. The film stars Tom Cruise Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q, and Laurence Fishburne. The film is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of frenetic violence and menace, disturbing images, and brief sensuality.

Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc., one of the leading global entertainment content companies, with prominent and respected brands in focused demographics across virtually all media.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Producer Paula Wagner says, "Tom Cruise and director J.J. Abrams deliver a breathtaking, action- and suspense-filled movie with humor, drama, and great characters that leaves the audience wanting more."

Abrams responded immediately to the opportunity to bring a new vision of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise to life. "When Tom approached me about directing this movie, I said 'yes' before he asked me the question," says Abrams. "The promise of a 'Mission: Impossible' movie is the ultimate opportunity for a writer and a director. You have the chance, especially with someone like Tom and the other actors we have in the cast, to get into some real emotional character portrayals.

"From the beginning, Tom and I talked about wanting to do a movie that had a surprisingly personal and intimate story," continues Abrams. "When you hear 'Mission: Impossible,' you know you are going to get extreme situations, great action, and incredible stunts. The idea was to take that opportunity, and combine it with an intimate story, a love story, and friendships that were real friendships with characters that you get to know and like."

To achieve that, the director says, he asked a few questions that probed some parts of the Ethan Hunt character that have gone unexplored. "How do you reconcile being a man who does what Ethan Hunt does?" asks Abrams. "Our approach is not to make a movie about a spy, but to tell a story about a man who is a spy. It may sound like semantics, but when you truly let that guide you, the questions come and the answers that appear are actually relatable, emotional, and fascinating."

Producer Paula Wagner agrees. "Ethan Hunt has a life separate from his work - which creates a new conflict for him in this world of intriguing missions," she says. "In addition to overcoming the challenges that confront the IMF, this film looks at how he has to marry his personal life with the danger of his job.

"What sets 'M:i:III' apart from the first two is that we also show more interpersonal relationships within the IMF," Wagner continues. "Ethan Hunt and Luther Stickell have been working together now for a number of years. They have a relationship that is based on a solid friendship that is explored in this movie. Tom and Ving as actors and J.J. as a director handle that relationship all with a wonderful irony, humor, and finesse."

The third key relationship in the film is that between Hunt and the villain, Owen Davian, played by OscarR winner Philip Seymour Hoffman. "Whenever he plays a role, he makes the part his own; he never does what you expect, so his characters are never the same," says Cruise. "When Ethan Hunt goes up against this guy, it's terrifying - because Philip could go anywhere with Davian, Davian's capable of anything. Ethan's never faced a villain as ruthless and fearsome as Philip's."

"Mission: Impossible III" also delivers all of the incredible action and breathtaking stunts that moviegoers expect from the franchise. The writing team - Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Abrams - dreamed up new sequences for Hunt to survive… which, says Abrams, put the director in a delicate situation. "When we started writing the action sequences, we would say, 'We shouldn't even write this because Tom's going to want to do the stunt himself.' In the end, we realized, of course, we had to give the best we could. Though it's a bit hair-raising, it's inspiring to work with an actor and producer who's so willing to give everything to make the best movie he can."

ABOUT ETHAN HUNT

In writing "M:i:III," J.J. Abrams and his co-writers, Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, went back to the drawing board with the character of Ethan Hunt. "From the very beginning, Tom, Alex, Bob, and I wanted to do a movie about a character," says Abrams. "Not that there isn't a lot of action - that goes without saying - but my favorite kind of spy movie is one where the commitment to the world, as extreme as it is, and as hyper-real as it is, is still emotionally true. You have these characters going through some of the most heartbreaking, most terrifying, most horrifying, most thrilling, most fun moments, and you believe all of them within the context of the genre. That's what we wanted to bring to 'M:i:III.'"

"I think a big challenge many people face in their daily lives is how to balance home and work," says Cruise. "How do you work at a job you love while also spending time with your spouse and kids? What we've done is to raise that to the extreme: not only does Ethan have to balance these two worlds, but because he's a spy, his home world is directly affected by his work. We've started with a real issue and taken it to an incredibly entertaining and extreme level."

In exploring that, the filmmakers created a new life for Ethan Hunt. When the film begins, Hunt has retired from active duty - he now trains new IMF agents. With this change, he opens himself up to other new possibilities in his life, including marriage.

"In this movie, you get to see Ethan in some dramatic and emotional moments," says Michelle Monaghan, who plays Julia, the love of Ethan's life. "He's truly in love and he wants it to last. Julia is truly in love with him, but she doesn't know exactly what he does; over the course of the film, she starts to see him become really distressed and she starts to wonder if there's something else that he's hiding. He asks her to trust him - and she does."

Of course, Ethan cannot tell his new bride the whole truth. "She thinks he studies traffic for a living," she says.

Monaghan takes on the role of leading lady, her largest role to date, after memorable supporting roles in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," and the television program "Boston Public." She says that her character helps the audience to see Ethan Hunt - the man they've known only as a spy - in a different light. "You get to see his vulnerable side," she says. "You see all the action and intrigue you expect, but you're invested in the character in a completely different way than in the past."

Abrams says that his high-stakes story is the perfect match for Cruise's on- and off-screen intensity. "Before we started shooting, Cameron Crowe mentioned to me that Tom was so focused, professional, and hard working, he was going to spoil me for the rest of my life," says Abrams. "Everything he said is absolutely true."

ABOUT THE VILLAIN

Abrams notes that the writing team took special care to create a villain worthy of Ethan Hunt - one that could match up to the hero. "This is the first time that Hunt has come up against an adversary that is as scary, clever, mysterious as the character played by Philip Seymour Hoffman," says Abrams.

Hoffman, who recently won an Academy AwardR for his performance in "Capote," takes on the role of Owen Davian, Ethan Hunt's most ruthless opponent yet. An international information and weapons trader without remorse or conscience, Hoffman describes it this way: "In this type of transaction, there's a good cop and a bad cop. Davian's the bad cop - he takes care of the dirty work."

For Hoffman, Davian is a role he can sink his teeth into. "He's not just a villain - he's a psychopath," says Hoffman. "He creates incredible empathy for Ethan; the darker, more evil, more vicious this man is toward the hero, the more you want the hero to take this man down."

"M:i:III" presented new challenges to Hoffman. "I've never done an action film before," he says, "and it's something I've always wanted to do. I've known J.J. casually for many years, and I worked with Tom before, on 'Magnolia.' When I read the script, I was impressed with the three ingredients - Tom, J.J., and the screenplay - combined. I thought that the time was right to do this kind of project, with these people and with this script."

According to Hoffman, Davian plays a pivotal role in the central tension of "M:i:III." "Ethan and Julia - Tom's and Michelle Monaghan's characters - are two people who have a lot of fear as they get married," says Hoffman. "It comes from the terror about what could happen. Am I going to lose this person? Am I going to lose myself if we unite? On an extreme level, they're going through all the same things that keep people in everyday life from getting married. My character embodies that: the nightmare aspect that keeps people from making that kind of commitment."

ABOUT THE TEAM

Joining Ethan Hunt as members of his IMF team are Luther Strickell (Ving Rhames) - the only person to join in on all three missions - as well as Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), Zhen (Maggie Q), and Lindsey (Keri Russell). Laurence Fishburne plays Brassel, the director of the Impossible Mission Force, and Billy Crudup is Musgrave, Brassel's right-hand man.

Ving Rhames reprises his role as computer expert Luther Strickell. In this film, says Rhames, it's rewarding to see Luther's relationship with Ethan explored in more depth than ever before. "In the first two movies, they never talked about their private lives," says Rhames. "These two guys are co-workers and friends; this time, they talk about the things that friends talk about. That's what J.J. has done - he's made these people humans apart from what they do for a living."

Rhames notes that Abrams's directing style is, in some ways, like that of another director he's worked with. "He reminds me of Quentin Tarantino and the youthful energy he brings to the set," says the actor. "I think that's contagious with actors."

Jonathan Rhys Meyers joins the team as Declan, the team's transportation expert: if you need it flown, driven, sailed, glided, helicoptered, or motored, he's the man you want - despite his personality quirks. "Declan's a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, mad Irishman," says Rhys Meyers, who was most recently seen in the lead role of Woody Allen's "Match Point," a performance for which he received rave reviews. "He's part of the next generation of the IMF - Ethan's grooming him. He's got that risk element that Ethan likes in his team members."

Declan is also a chameleon, able to blend into any situation unnoticed. "One minute, he's an Italian deliveryman; the next, he's a geeky American tourist; and the next, a Vatican guard," notes Rhys Meyers. "It's very easy for him to slip into another character."

Maggie Q comes to "Mission: Impossible III" as one of Asia's most popular actors after starring in such motion pictures as Hong Kong's box-office smash "Gen-Y Cops" and "Naked Weapon."

Born in Hawaii, Maggie was busy working in Hong Kong when the "M:i:III" call came. "I've been living in Hong Kong for eight years and wasn't planning to do an American film," she says. "Now, my first American starring role is in a huge Tom Cruise movie. The scale of everything is so much bigger than in Hong Kong. Coming back to America has been a real culture shock."

"Zhen is a very tough, hard woman - a doer, not a talker," Maggie says of her character. "She works behind-the-scenes; Ethan is the front man of the operation and Zhen is part of the team that helps make everything work."

To prepare for her role, Maggie underwent a rigorous training regime. In addition to cardio and toning, she underwent some strength training to gain muscle. She also went through martial arts training and boxed. "In movie fighting, you have to be a jack-of-all-trades," she says. "You can't specialize - you're often called upon to chameleon into different kinds of fighting."

After witnessing Jackie Chan and other Asian martial-arts stars willing to put their bodies on the line for their films, Maggie Q was impressed with Cruise's willingness to perform his own stunts. "I've worked with Jackie Chan, and watching Jackie, you know he grew up in a Kung Fu school, he was in the circus - he had a tough upbringing and he's a tough guy. There's no doubt he can handle it. When I see Tom do the same things, that, I think, is amazing. Tom earns a lot of respect from the action director and the stunt people who know just how difficult everything is. Tom has an undying energy - when he's acting, of course, but really, all the time."

Keri Russell, who previously starred for Abrams on his first television series, "Felicity," takes on the role of Lindsey Ferris, the only trainee that displays the high skill level and abilities to be confirmed by Ethan to become a member of IMF.

"Keri's the absolute greatest," says Abrams. "I haven't worked with her since 'Felicity,' so having this opportunity is an absolute joy. It's inspiring: she's never done anything like this before, so watching her pick up the gun work and the stunts really showed me that she's capable of anything. Tom was really helpful in showing her the ropes of action and stuntwork: the timing of it, the rhythm of it, and getting the confidence to do it."

In the movie, Russell's character, Lindsey, spars with Ethan using stick-fighting techniques. "The training was really fun," says Russell. "I spent about four and a half months training with the stunt guys - they're incredible athletes. We boxed and I learned to stick-fight. It was pretty cool."

For Laurence Fishburne, joining the cast of "Mission: Impossible III" was the realization of a childhood fantasy. "When I was a kid, it was the show we ran home to watch," he says. "We'd play Impossible Mission Force and pretend to be secret agents, play with the gadgets, sing the cool music, all of that. Now I'm the boss, the guy above Mr. Phelps - I'm the guy who sends the envelopes. Who could pass that up?"

ABOUT THE STUNTS AND ACTION SEQUENCES

In creating 'Lost' and 'Alias,' J.J. Abrams has already invented his personal visual style: because the action derives organically from Abrams's very human characters, he chooses a natural, realistic, and gritty approach over stylized, slow-motion, and highly edited fighting sequences.

Legendary action director Vic Armstrong was charged with realizing J.J. Abrams's signature action style on the big screen in "Mission: Impossible III." "All the initial discussions I had with J.J. were about the style," stresses Armstrong. "J.J. wanted to put his own stamp on the action sequences; my job as an action director is to copy the style of the director. You need a seamless transition between the action and the rest of the film - it's all part of the same world. Once we had established that, I started looking at the action in the movie and what had to be achieved."

In order to work out the complicated action shots and sequences, Abrams made full use of the pre-visualization capabilities at his disposal. Pre-visualization is the director's opportunity to describe an action sequence, as he envisions it, to a visual effects editor, who makes a CG representation of it. In this way, each department can see exactly what the specific requirements will be as they prepare to pull it off.

Special Effects Coordinator Dan Sudick explains, "When we sit down with the director and look at a pre-viz for the bridge sequence, for example, we can see the cars driving down the bridge, flipping, rolling, or whatever J.J. wants them to do. We take that information and do it in the real world. We take the cars and rig them to do exactly what is shown in the pre-viz."

Once the heads of each department can see what the director intends for the sequence, they can begin the intricate work of realizing the sequence on film. Sudick continues the example of the bridge sequence: "There are a lot of cars to rig. Stunt players will drive many of them; each of those cars has to be fitted with roll cages. Then we have to work out how to get the performance from the cars: the rolls, flips, and explosions. It can take weeks to shoot a sequence that will appear in the film for only a few minutes."

Armstrong - a movie-industry veteran of more than 40 years - says that his experience working with Tom Cruise on "War of the Worlds" prepared him for the actor-producer's well-known enthusiasm for performing his own stunts. "He's 100% hands on, which is ideal, because of his tremendous ability," says Armstrong. "Having worked with him before really helped, because I designed the stunts with him in mind. We've done some amazing things with Tom; he went above and beyond what I expected him to do."

For Abrams, achieving the effects in-camera (as opposed to with CGI) with Cruise performing as many of his own stunts as possible was a must. "All the latest CG technology is great - but if you can do something for real - actually have the actor perform the stunt and not rely on head replacement - well, nothing trumps that."

"For me, it's part of the challenge of making movies," says Cruise. "You can't take undue risks, but if you can train and perform a stunt in a way that gives the movie credibility - 'Wow, that really is that guy doing that' - then it makes for a more entertaining experience for the audience.

One of the centerpiece stunts in the film is a sequence on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. "These are unique moves," says Armstrong. "At one point, the bridge is blown apart; Ethan has to jump over a fifteen foot gap - he just makes it and hangs on by his finger nails. Tom had to hit the other side hard - people know what an impact looks like when you jump that sort of distance."

Another impressive stunt on the bridge required Cruise to escape a rocket hit on one of the vehicles; he is lifted and blown across the bridge by the force of the explosion into a parked car. "He hits it so hard he blows out the back window," says Armstrong. "We controlled the rig - on explosion, we ratcheted him into the side of the car. And he really hit it - he went in horizontally, flying through the air. The impact dented the door on the vehicle. And then, we did the stunt two or three more times. Tom really is game - if any stuntman had that shot on their resume, they would be very, very proud of it."

Cruise, though, takes it in stride. "It's like being a wide receiver going over the middle - you know that you are going to get stuffed by the middle line backer as hard as he can hit you. I want it to be exciting for an audience; I hope they'll be right with that character at that moment. It had to be real."

To prepare for the stunts in "M:i:III," Cruise trained for many months. "When I was releasing 'War of the Worlds,' I was training every day while I was traveling. I would do a warm up in the morning, then practice 'dynamic movement,'" he notes. Often used by rock climbers, dynamic movement involves movement through momentum, rather than by becoming balanced. This type of movement is high-energy, requiring effort to keep momentum going, but by using an efficient use of a moving center-of-gravity, a person can reach further than by starting standing still. "My goal was to get everything going," continues Cruise. "I needed that dynamic, explosive speed for what we all wanted to accomplish with the action and the story."

Another dramatic stunt in "M:i:III" is a jump off an eighty-foot building. "He jumps - and free-falls for about fifty feet," says Armstrong. "It was essential that Tom perform the stunt - not only do we see the jump and the fall, but Tom acting as the character falling. It wasn't about just having the guts to shut his eyes and jump on a bungee jump; Tom not only had to jump, but act as well. It's one of the most amazing things I have seen an actor do."

"Tom drops, stopping eighteen inches above the concrete, and I found myself talking to someone else between takes," says J.J. Abrams. "I realized I had become complacent about having Tom Cruise - who was entirely my responsibility - dangling from a crane, dropping at breakneck speed, stopping just above the ground. I remember thinking: 'I have to get back to being terrified.'"

In a third spectacular jump off a building, Ethan Hunt dives from the roof of one skyscraper to another. "After Tom jumps off the skyscraper, he comes to the end of his tether and a pendulum effect starts snatching him in another direction," says Armstrong. "Crashing down, he is hooked on a lamppost upside down; releasing himself, he finds himself on a busy street with a semi hurtling towards him.

"For this stunt, Tom lay in the street as a jackknifed rig, which is a forty foot truck with a tractor unit on the front of it, drives over him," continues Armstrong. "If any of those cylinders failed, the truck would straighten out and flatten Tom. To test it out, I laid under it once and felt it go over my head; it was a very scary experience. For the real thing, I was standing on a hill beside one of the cameras and it seemed that the truck was driving straight at him forever before it started jackknifing around. You can imagine how I was feeling."

"Tom Cruise raises the bar in this movie by doing his most intricate and amazing stunts to date," says Wagner. "Not only is he a great actor, producer, and the premiere movie star in the world, but he is also a stuntman. He is very precise. When I stand there as a producer and I see Tom with a truck sliding over him, it's a little nerve-wracking, but I know he is totally in control of what he is doing."

For Keri Russell - who had no major stunt experience before taking on "M:i:III" - Cruise's expertise was essential. "Jumping off a six story building isn't exactly something I had done before," Russell laughs. "It was very scary the first time - my heart was pounding - but having Tom with me really helped. He said, 'It's a breeze, let's do it. Are you excited?' And we jumped."

ABOUT THE LOCATIONS AND PRODUCTION DESIGN

"Mission: Impossible III" lives up to the tradition of spy thrillers taking audiences to exotic international locations. However, Abrams is careful to note, the locations were chosen because they were specifically part of the story he tells. "I didn't want the audience to get 'travelogue syndrome,'" he says. "The places we chose are integral to the whole story."

Enzo Sisti in Italy and Eric Schwab in China worked with production designer Scott Chambliss and the filmmakers to find locations that could be incorporated into the film organically.

"From the very start, J.J. didn't want 'Mission: Impossible III' to look super-slick," explains the production designer, Scott Chambliss, who previously collaborated with Abrams on the television series "Felicity" and "Alias." "He wanted it to be grounded in reality. He wanted grit and texture and reality to the character. That meant that our locations had to have the same reality and also be at the enormous scale that befits a 'Mission: Impossible.'"

To bring that to life, the filmmakers chose, in Chambliss's words, "a huge Vatican sequence, a huge rooftop sequence in Shanghai, and huge factory sequence in Berlin. J.J.'s concept drives the scale of all the action in our story."

In order to find the kind of unique locations they were looking for, Chambliss embarked on a worldwide scout. "I've visited some of the most amazing, exciting locations in the world," he marvels. "Every country we visited offered incredible opportunities and incredible challenges as well. We looked for places with dramatic power. This isn't a fantastical world, it isn't a period piece; every place we go, we want to believe in it."

Principal photography began in Rome. The first thrilling action sequence took place on the Tiber River, which runs through the middle of the city. The filming in such a public place caused great excitement, with crowds of paparazzi and onlookers crowding the banks and bridges overlooking the river.

Tom Cruise and the actors playing the other members of the I.M.F. team - Ving Rhames (Luther), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Declan) and Maggie Q (Zhen) - took part in a high speed motor boat chase on the Tiber, which featured the incredible backdrop of the Vatican itself.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers describes the scene: "We're flying along in this speedboat, going through these archways, and all of a sudden I hear this sound in my head - the theme to 'Mission: Impossible': dun, dun, dun dun, dun, dun, dun dun… doodle doo, doodle doo… and I realize, it's coming from Tom. Tom's actually singing it. He's still that same kid, sitting down with popcorn and ice cream to watch the show on a Friday evening. He still believes in the magic of it."

From Rome, the production moved south to the Palazzo Reale Della Reggia Di Caserta, near Naples, which would double for the Vatican.

Chambliss was responsible for transforming the monumental fortress into the Vatican courtyard. "The scene involves a party for 300 people in a gigantic rotunda; it had to have a texture and a punch so that it wouldn't get lost in the enormous architecture. We very studiously went through mounds of research on Vatican ceremonies, public and private. As it turns out, they don't have one single color palate for their ceremonies, so we fabricated dozens of enormous Papal banners."

From there, the production moved to Shanghai, China. From the very beginning, Abrams envisioned a sequence taking place in the Far East; after scouting Japan, the filmmakers took a trip to China and found a location unlike any other in the world. The China locations were produced with the assistance of China Film Co-Production Corporation and The Fourth Production Company China Film Group Corporation.

"Shanghai is a futuristic, science-fiction city," says Abrams. "It's also a city that reveals a real cost to its expansion: old neighborhoods are being razed in order to build these monolith office buildings. That was fascinating - the ancient as counterpoint to the brand new and what's next."

"Shanghai was just astonishing," adds Chambliss. "Even though so many people are being displaced, there's this incredible spirit of optimism and energy. I think they consider themselves the city and country of the future."

The production also found that a short distance from Shanghai, many fishing villages still live in much the same way that they have for centuries. With this in mind, the writers decided to showcase this part of the country.

"Our locations managers and props designer identified a handful of cities outside of Shanghai; Xitang was the most unusual in terms of its look for an American film - I hadn't seen this before," says Abrams.

Xitang is an ancient fishing village about a two-hour drive outside Shanghai. It is estimated to be around 1,000 years old and boasts a 700-year-old restaurant. "Xitang is the setting that bookends the film," explains Abrams. "We wanted to use the ancient town as a backdrop for an emotional endpiece."

One location in the United States was a homecoming of sorts for Abrams. When preparing to film Ethan Hunt's home, Abrams asked Chambliss to style the set after Abrams's own house. "It made things simple for me," says Chambliss. "I just called J.J.'s wife, Katie, and asked if I could come over to take some pictures."

According to Michelle Monaghan, the director was unprepared for how much like his own home the set would look. "J.J. kind of freaked out," she says. "He was checking it out and was like, 'This is my bathroom.' It was pretty funny."

ABOUT THE THEME

The theme to "Mission: Impossible" is not only well known, but iconic; originally written by Lalo Schifrin, the theme sets the stage for all the action and suspense to come. To interpret the theme for "M:i:III," the filmmakers chose an artist who makes it contemporary while keeping it as familiar and classic as ever.

Kanye West fit the bill. Hailed by TIME Magazine as "the smartest man in pop music," West is the winner of six Grammys, a legendary music producer, and a multiplatinum-selling recording artist whose two albums, "The College Dropout" and "Late Registration," have reinvented hip-hop. The choice of West continues the tradition of groundbreaking and innovative artists performing the classic theme, as members of U2 did in 1996 for "Mission: Impossible," followed by Limp Bizkit in 2000 for "M:I-2."

For Cruise, West was the only choice.

"When I work on music, I think visually," says West. "Though this is my first opportunity to make a song specifically for a movie, I've always tried to make my music sound cinematic."

West jokes that working with the theme represented a unique opportunity, one he couldn't pass up: "I knew we could get the sample cleared, for a change," he says. "'You mean, I have permission?! I can use this?!'"

West feels that he's a natural fit with the explosive, bass-heavy theme. "I like music that's both dark and melodic," he says. "Tom put it best - when you hear that theme come in, it sounds mean. It puts you in exactly the right mood for what's going to come."

West also recorded an original song, "Impossible," featuring Twista and Keisha Cole. The song is featured over the end credits of the film.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

J.J. Abrams, the creator of the groundbreaking television programs "Lost" and "Alias," takes on his greatest challenge to date as co-writer and director of "Mission: Impossible III." After Brian de Palma and John Woo left their indelible marks on the first two films in the franchise, Cruise and Wagner sought out a new voice for the third film.

"Making a 'Mission: Impossible' is a different experience every time," says Cruise. "We present Ethan Hunt from a different viewpoint. I love playing Ethan; each time out, we go on that 'Mission' ride from a new perspective. This is J.J. Abrams's vision, with his voice as a filmmaker."

"J.J. has earned his reputation as a television maestro," says Wagner, "but I had known J.J. from his years as a feature film writer and his scripts were always written with the amazing eye of a director. When Tom and I went back and watched the work he had directed - the pilot of 'Lost' and his 'Alias' work - Tom said, 'This is it. This is the guy to direct 'Mission: Impossible.'"

"The instant I went into J.J.'s office, we clicked, both artistically and personally," says Cruise. "J.J.'s work has everything I love about movies: his characters, the personal stories, the twists and turns. The first thing that I said to him was, 'What would you do with this series? I want this to be a J.J. Abrams 'Mission: Impossible.'"

Abrams is a talent widely admired by audiences and critics alike; hailed by The New York Times as "one of the most exhilarating storytellers in television," he recently won two Emmys - for best directing and best dramatic series - for his work on "Lost."

The production designer, Scott Chambliss, says that Abrams' television experience prepared him - and the rest of the crew - for a run-and-gun style of feature filmmaking. "The last five years working with J.J. at that pace has been the perfect training to work with J.J. here. On 'Alias,' we had to think on our feet and make choices quickly. Then, on 'M:i:III,' we had so many people so well versed in this format and this scale. It was interesting to watch the integration between the TV guys and the guys who've been doing the big movies; we all figured out how to make a huge action movie in a very compressed time envelope."

"I don't think this film could have been done without J.J.," says Philip Seymour Hoffman. "He brings an incredible sense of humor, he's astonishingly bright and sharp, and he has a confidence about him that's absolutely necessary to steer the ship of 'Mission: Impossible III.' He has such a sure hand that we all trust him implicitly - he kept us on the right path."

ABOUT THE CAST

TOM CRUISE (Ethan Hunt/producer) has achieved unprecedented success as an actor and producer in a career spanning two and a half decades. In that time he has put forth an array of memorable performances that has firmly ensconced him at the pinnacle of the pop culture lexicon. He is a three-time Academy AwardR nominee whose films have earned in excess of seven and a half billion dollars in worldwide box office. Cruise has starred in an unprecedented 13 films that have earned more than $100 million in domestic box office, 13 films (including his last six in a row) that have earned more than $200 million in worldwide box office, and is the only actor with five films that have grossed more than $400 million in worldwide box office. Recently, Cruise was named the top money-making star of 2005 by the International Motion Picture Almanac's Quigley Poll, an annual survey of motion picture exhibitors which asks them to vote for the ten stars that generated the most box office revenue for their theaters. Cruise has received this distinction a record seven times, the most of any actor since the poll's 1932 inception, and has appeared on on Quigley's top ten list 18 times. Cruise was also recently voted "the biggest movie star ever" in a reader's poll conducted by Britain's Empire Magazine.

In addition, while continuing to explore new artistic challenges, Cruise has maintained and is recognized globally as an untiring ambassador of goodwill for his commitment to working towards bringing about positive change to the world by becoming an international advocate, activist and philanthropist in the fields of health, education and human rights.

His most recent film, the critically acclaimed "War of the Worlds," marked Cruise's second collaboration with director Steven Spielberg. In the U.S., the film set a new career high for Tom Cruise as well as a new mark for Paramount Pictures by scoring the largest opening day, largest single day, and largest opening weekend the star and the company have ever had. In addition, the film reached a worldwide gross of $591 million, becoming the biggest hit in Tom Cruise's extraordinary 25 year career and established him as the actor who has generated the most box office for a single studio in the history of film, $2.6 billion for Paramount Studios alone. In 2002, Cruise also starred in Spielberg's critically lauded futuristic thriller "Minority Report," which went on to gross $358 million at the worldwide box office.

Through Cruise|Wagner Productions, which he founded in 1993 with Paula Wagner, Cruise has moved seamlessly into the broader role of producer, bringing a range of diverse projects from new and established talents to the screen. The first film released under the C|W banner was the international hit "Mission: Impossible," and in 1997 resulted in the company being honored with the Nova Award for Most Promising Producers in Theatrical Motion Pictures. The company went on to produce the critically acclaimed films "Without Limits," "Shattered Glass," "Narc," and the period thriller and box-office hit "The Others." The last marked Cruise's first collaboration with director Alejandro Amenabar, whose film "Abre Los Ojos" became the basis for the C/W production "Vanilla Sky," under the direction of Cameron Crowe. In January 2004, Daily Variety honored the producing team as "Billion-Dollar Producers"; most recently, they were presented with the UCLA /Producers Guild of America Vision Award. Last fall, Cruise|Wagner produced Cameron Crowe's "Elizabethtown."

Cruise made his feature film debut in 1981 at the age of nineteen in the romantic drama "Endless Love," followed by the critically acclaimed "Taps," co-starring Sean Penn, Timothy Hutton, and George C. Scott, and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Outsiders." His breakout performance in "Risky Business" earned him his first Golden Globe nomination in 1983. The role of Maverick in Tony Scott's "Top Gun" catapulted Cruise to international stardom as the film went on to become the highest grossing picture of 1986.

He next starred opposite Paul Newman's OscarR-winning role in Martin Scorsese's "The Color of Money" and opposite Dustin Hoffman in his OscarR-winning role in Barry Levinson's OscarR-winning "Rain Man." In 1989, Cruise received his first Academy AwardR nomination and earned the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his portrayal of Vietnam veteran and anti-war activist Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone's "Born on the Fourth of July," which received a Best Picture nomination. That same year, Cruise received the People's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture Actor. His performance in Rob Reiner's "A Few Good Men," opposite Jack Nicholson, a role for which Nicholson received an Academy AwardR nomination, and Demi Moore, led to a third Golden Globe nomination. In 1994, he received his second People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture Actor and, in 1997 he was named Best Actor by the National Board of Review and received his second Academy AwardR nomination and the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his work in Cameron Crowe's "Jerry Maguire," a film in which his co-star Cuba Gooding, Jr. received an Academy AwardR for Best Supporting Actor. The role also garnered Cruise an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance.

In 1999, Cruise received critical acclaim for his powerful performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's ensemble drama "Magnolia," earning an award for Best Acting by an Ensemble from the National Board of Review, a third Academy AwardR nomination and his third Golden Globe, for Best Supporting Actor. That same year, he starred in Stanley Kubrick's final film, the critically acclaimed psychological thriller "Eyes Wide Shut."

His additional screen credits include Ron Howard's epic "Far and Away," Sydney Pollack's legal thriller "The Firm," and Neil Jordan's "Interview with the Vampire," based on the bestselling novel by Anne Rice. He also starred in the critically acclaimed box-office hit "Collateral" for director Michael Mann, a role in which his co-star, Jamie Foxx, received an Academy AwardR nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Cruise has been the recipient of numerous awards and tributes, reflecting both critical and commercial recognition within the industry and the broad popular support of audiences worldwide. His films have garnered 9 Academy AwardsR and 53 Academy AwardR nominations and 9 Golden Globe Awards and 38 Golden Globe nominations, not only for Cruise himself, but for the cast members and crews that have worked with him.

Last November, Cruise received the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for excellence in film from the British Academy of Film & Television Arts. The recipient of three MTV Movie Awards for Best Male Performance and multiple nominations, Cruise was recently honored with the MTV Generation Award, which celebrated his work as the actor of the "MTV generation," a period which spans three decades. In April 2005, Cruise received a David di Donatello award for lifetime achievement. He has been honored twice by the People's Choice Awards, and received two Screen Actors Guild nominations for his work in "Jerry Maguire" and "Magnolia." He was recognized by the Chicago Film Festival as the 'Actor of the Decade' in 1993 and earned the NATO/SHOWEST Meritorious Achievement Award that same year. Cruise has also been honored with a Saturn Award for "Vanilla Sky," both the Chicago Film Critics Award and the Blockbuster Award for "Magnolia," and an MTV Award for "Mission: Impossible 2."

Cruise has also been honored with tributes ranging from Harvard's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award to the John Huston Award from the Artists Rights Foundation, and The American Cinematheque Award for Distinguished Achievement in Film.

Tom Cruise Filmography

Actor Producer 2006 Mission: Impossible III 2006 Mission: Impossible III 2005 War of the Worlds 2005 Elizabethtown 2004 Collateral 2003 The Last Samurai 2003 The Last Samurai 2003 Shattered Glass 2002 Minority Report 2002 Narc 2001 Vanilla Sky 2001 Vanilla Sky 2000 Mission: Impossible II 2001 The Others 1999 Magnolia 2000 Mission: Impossible II 1999 Eyes Wide Shut 1998 Without Limits 1996 Jerry Maguire 1996 Mission: Impossible 1996 Mission: Impossible 1994 Interview with the Vampire 1993 The Firm 1992 A Few Good Men 1992 Far and Away 1990 Days of Thunder 1989 Born on the Fourth of July 1988 Rain Man 1988 Cocktail 1986 The Color of Money 1986 Top Gun 1985 Legend 1983 All the Right Moves 1983 Risky Business 1983 Losin' It 1983 The Outsiders 1981 Taps 1981 Endless Love

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN (Owen Davian) most recently starred in the feature film "Capote," which he executive produced through his company, Cooper's Town Productions. Widely acclaimed, Hoffman was honored by eighteen critics' groups as the best actor of the year for his performance in the title role, as well as earning a Golden Globe for best actor (drama), a SAG Award, and an Academy AwardR.

Hoffman also received an Emmy nomination for his work in the HBO film "Empire Falls," alongside Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Robin Wright Penn, among others.

Previous film credits include "Cold Mountain," "Along Came Polly," "The Party's Over," "Owning Mahowny" (which had its world premiere at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival), "Red Dragon," "Punch-Drunk Love," "25th Hour," "Love Liza," (which was written by his brother, Gordy Hoffman, who won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance, where the film premiered), "Almost Famous," "State and Main," "Flawless" (London Film Critics and SAG nomination for Best Actor), "Magnolia" (National Board of Review's Best Supporting Actor Award and Ensemble SAG Award nomination), "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (National Board of Review's Best Supporting Actor Award), "Boogie Nights," "Happiness" (Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Male), "Patch Adams," "The Big Lebowski," "Twister," "Scent of a Woman," and "Nobody's Fool."

Hoffman is a member and Co-Artistic Director of LAByrinth Theater Company. His stage credits include: "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations), "The Seagull" (The New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre), "True West" (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, Outer Critics Circle Award), "Defying Gravity" (American Place Theater), "The Merchant of Venice" (Dir. by Peter Sellars), "Shopping and Fucking" (New York Theater Workshop), and "The Author's Voice" (Drama Dept., Drama Desk nominations).

His theatrical directorial credits include "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot," "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings," and "Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train," all written by Stephen Adly Guirgis for LAB. His production of "'A' Train" was produced to great acclaim Off-Broadway, at the Edinburgh Festival (Fringe First Award), at London's Donmar Warehouse, and then at the Arts Theatre in London's West End. In addition, he directed LAB's Off-Broadway commercial production of Guirgis' "Our Lady of 121st Street" at the Union Square Theater (Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk nominations) and Rebecca Gilman's "The Glory of Living" at MCC Theater.

The prolific, multi-talented VING RHAMES (Luther) reprises his role of tech expert Luther Strickell after creating the role in the first two "Mission: Impossible" films.

Most recently seen in "Dawn of the Dead," Rhames received an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe for his role as Don King in the telefilm "Don King: Only In America." He was also awarded the Golden Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Martin Scorsese's "Bringing Out the Dead," in which he starred opposite Nicolas Cage, and received a Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Entrapment," with Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery.

Recent productions include "Back in the Day," "Three-Fifths of a Man," and headlining as the titular legendary boxer in "The Sonny Liston Story."

Having gone down in pop culture history for his role as Marsellus "we're gonna get medieval on your ass" Wallace in Quentin Tarantino's seminal "Pulp Fiction," Rhames has continued to win fans with such performances as Shad in "Striptease," Mann in "Rosewood" (for which he won an Image Award for Best Actor), Mel in "Baby Boy," Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones in "Con Air," Buddy Bragg in "Out of Sight," and Deputy Chief Arthur Holland in "Dark Blue."

On the small screen, Rhames recently appeared in the title role of "Kojak," on which he also served as executive producer. Rhames was nominated for a Best Actor Image Award for his role as Garrick Jones in the television movie, "Sins of the Father." He also starred as John Morgan in "Little John" and Judge Jones in "RFK." In the television series "UC: Undercover," he starred as Quito Real and received his second Image Award. The actor also lent his voice (as narrator) to the television documentary "Robert F. Kennedy: A Memoir".

Starring as the voice of Cobra Bubbles in the animated film "Lilo & Stitch" has won Rhames a new set of fans among the younger generation. He was also the voice of Sergeant Ryan Whitaker in the computer-animated feature "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within."

Ving Rhames was born in New York City, New York, and grew up in Harlem, New York. A good student, Ving entered the New York High School of Performing Arts, where he discovered his love of acting. He studied at the Juilliard School of Drama, and began his career in New York theater. He first appeared on Broadway in the play "The Winter Boys" in 1984. Ving continued his rise to fame through his work in soap operas. He found work as a supporting actor, and came to the attention of the general public in "Pulp Fiction."

Equally successful on the stage and screen, BILLY CRUDUP (Musgrave) most recently starred in the 2005 Broadway production of Martin McDonagh's "The Pillowman," for which he received a Tony nomination. Crudup just wrapped filming "The Good Shepherd" opposite Robert DeNiro, Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. His most recent film is "Trust the Man," in which he stars with Julianne Moore; the film will be released this year.

Crudup was seen in "Big Fish," Columbia Pictures' comic fantasy from director Tim Burton. He also starred in "Charlotte Gray" opposite Cate Blanchett and "World Traveler" with Julianne Moore. Prior to that, he starred in the critically acclaimed "Jesus' Son," opposite Samantha Morton, Holly Hunter, and Denis Leary, which earned him a Best Actor Award from the Paris Film Festival and an Independent Spirit Award nomination. He was also seen in Cameron Crowe's Academy AwardR-winning "Almost Famous" with Frances McDormand and Kate Hudson and in the acclaimed "Waking the Dead" with Jennifer Connelly.

He made his motion picture debut in Barry Levinson's "Sleepers," opposite Robert DeNiro, Brad Pitt, and Jason Patric. He was featured in Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You" and starred in Pat O'Connor's "Inventing the Abbotts." He also played the leading role in critically acclaimed "Without Limits," the story of legendary long distance runner Steven Prefontaine; he won the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance of the Year for his performance.

Crudup starred in "The Elephant Man" at the Royale Theater, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for best performance by a leading actor in a play. He made his Broadway debut as Septimus Hodge in Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia," directed by Trevor Nunn, which won him several awards, including the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Debut of an Actor and a Theater World Award. He was also honored with the Clarence Derwent Award from Actors' Equity for Outstanding Broadway Debut.

Crudup has appeared on Broadway in William Inge's "Bus Stop" and in the Roundabout Theatre's production of "Three Sisters," witch earned him a Drama Desk nomination. Crudup also appeared in "Oedipus" with Frances McDormand, starred in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of "Measure for Measure" at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, and starred in the off-Broadway run of "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" opposite Al Pacino and Steve Buscemi.

Crudup received his Masters of Fine Arts from New York University and also attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He resides in New York City.

Rising young star MICHELLE MONAGHAN (Julia) will next be seen as the star of Miramax Films' "Gone Baby Gone," directed by Ben Affleck and based on the book by Dennis Lehane ("Mystic River").

Last year, Michelle burst onto movie screens and received rave reviews for "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," in which she starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer for writer/director Shane Black. The film world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She then joined Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, and Sissy Spacek in "North Country" for director Niki Caro.

Michelle made her movie debut in "Perfume," directed by Michael Rymer and released by Lions Gate. She next played Richard Gere's secretary in "Unfaithful," directed by Adrian Lyne; starred opposite the Douglas family in "It Runs in the Family," directed by Fred Schepisi; co-starred with Anthony LaPaglia and Allison Janney in "Winter Solstice"; and appeared as a tech-savvy computer expert in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS (Declan) first gained international attention for his starring role in Todd Haynes' "Velvet Goldmine," with Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, and Toni Collette. Rhys Meyers' daring performance as ex-glam rocker Brian Slade garnered him a nomination for a London Film Critics Circle Award. Since then, Rhys Meyers has landed leading roles opposite today's hottest film actors and directors and has emerged as one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading men.

In 2006, Rhys Meyers received the great honor of a Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his portrayal of the young Elvis Presley in the television miniseries "Elvis." He was also nominated for an Emmy for his role.

In February 2006, Rhys Meyers began filming on "August Rush," alongside Keri Russell and Robin Williams. The story centers on an orphaned musical prodigy who uses his gift as a clue to finding his birth parents, Rhys Meyers and Russell. The film will be directed by Kirsten Sheridan, a writer of "In America."

Rhys Meyers was most recently seen starring in Woody Allen's "Match Point." Dubbed as Allen's "comeback" and nominated for three Golden Globes including "Best Picture," the film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, with Rhys Meyers winning the festival's Chopard Trophy for Male Revelation. His performance was hailed as one of the year's best.

Rhys Meyers is also recognized for his role as the girls' soccer coach in the award-winning sleeper hit "Bend It Like Beckham," in which he starred with Keira Knightly and Parminder Nagra. Rhys Meyers's recent film credits include starring roles in Oliver Stone's epic "Alexander," with Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie, and in Mira Nair's "Vanity Fair," with Reese Witherspoon.

On the small screen, Rhys Meyers has starred in a wide range of longform projects, both here and in the U.K. Among his television credits are the Showtime presentation of "The Lion in Winter," with Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close; Alfonso Arau's "The Magnificent Ambersons"; "Gormenghast"; "The Tribe"; and "Samson and Delilah."

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Rhys Meyers made his film debut in "A Man of No Importance," and then played the young assassin in Neil Jordan's biopic "Michael Collins." His subsequent film credits have included "The Maker"; "Telling Lies in America," starring Kevin Bacon; "The Governess," opposite Minnie Driver; the thriller "B. Monkey"; Mike Figgis' "The Loss of Sexual Innocence"; Ang Lee's Western "Ride With the Devil"; Julie Taymor's "Titus," with Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange; "Prozac Nation," opposite Christina Ricci; "The Tesseract"; the crime drama "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," with Clive Owen and Charlotte Rampling; and "The Emperor's Wife."

Rhys Meyers currently resides in London.

A familiar face to audiences, KERI RUSSELL (Lindsey) reteams with J.J. Abrams after bringing to life the title role in the hit Warner Bros. Television series "Felicity," for which she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series just four months after the show's acclaimed premiere.

Russell, who is currently filming "August Rush" opposite Robin Williams, in New York, recently completed production on the romantic comedy "Waitress" for director Adrienne Shelly and the psychological thriller "Rohtenburg."

Russell's film credits include "The Upside of Anger," "We Were Soldiers," "Mad About Mambo," "The Curve," and "Eight Days a Week."

Russell's recent television credits include "Into the West," the six-part mini-series which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and the critically acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame production "The Magic of Ordinary Days."

Last year, Russell made her New York theatrical debut in the off-Broadway production of Neil LaBute's play "Fat Pig," as Jeannie, a vindictive girl furious at her ex-boyfriend, played by Jeremy Piven, for having the gall to fall in love with someone who is overweight.

Russell is also the newest spokesmodel for CoverGirl, the number one-selling make-up in the U.S. Keri joins CoverGirl's current roster of models, including Christie Brinkley, Molly Sims and Queen Latifah. The CoverGirl ads will launch in late summer 2006.

MAGGIE Q (Zhen), a former top model and established film actress in Hong Kong and across Asia, makes her US debut in "Mission: Impossible III."

Born in Hawaii to an American father and a Vietnamese mother, Maggie moved to Hong Kong at the age of 18 to pursue a career in modeling. She quickly rose to the status of supermodel in many parts of Asia and has appeared on more then 100 magazine covers including various Asian editions of Time, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Madame Figaro, Marie Claire, and Elle.

Maggie began her acting career in the highly acclaimed Asian television drama "House of the Dragon," which opened the door for her to feature films. Maggie starred along side Paul Rudd in the movie "Gen-Y Cops," which was produced by Jackie Chan. Jackie was so impressed by Maggie's acting in the movie that he cast her in the award-winning film "Manhattan Midnight." In addition to starring in numerous Chinese films, including the popular "Naked Weapon," Maggie has also starred in several European films such as Italy's Rai Entertainment film "The Counting House" and Germany/Singapore two-part television movie, "House of Harmony."

Maggie will next star opposite Dan Fogler, George Lopez and Christopher Walken in the Spyglass Entertainment and Rogue Pictures comedy, "Balls of Fury," which will begin production next month. The film is about an ex-ping pong champion, who enters the secret world of ping pong to find the man who killed his father. The film is being produced by Spyglass's Jonathan Glickman and is being directed by Ben Garant. The movie will be released in 2007.

Maggie currently divides her time between Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

Over the past few years, acknowledgment of LAURENCE FISHBURNE's (John Brassel) work has been impressive. In 1992, he was awarded a Tony for Best Featured Actor In A Play, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critic's Circle Award, and a Theater World Award for his work on Broadway as Sterling Johnson in August Wilson's "Two Trains Running." His rare television appearance in the '93 premiere episode of Fox TV's "Tribeca" landed Fishburne an Emmy. To complete a Triple Crown, he was nominated for an OscarR as Best Actor of 1993 for his portrayal of Ike Turner in the film "What's Love Got to do With It."

Most recently, Fishburne appeared in "Assault on Precinct 13," co-starring Ethan Hawke, and the gigantic box office smashes "The Matrix: Reloaded" and "The Matrix: Revolutions." He was also seen in Clint Eastwood's critically acclaimed "Mystic River."

In October 2000, Fishburne wrote, directed, starred in, and produced "Riff Raff," an adaptation of his own 1994 play.

Fishburne began acting at the age of 10 and was only 15 years old when he won the role of a young G.I. in Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam War epic "Apocalypse Now." He went on to work with Coppola in "Rumble Fish," "Gardens of Stone," and "The Cotton Club."

Fishburne has collaborated twice with director John Singleton, on "Boyz N the Hood" and "Higher Learning," earning an NAACP Image Award for Best Actor for the former.

His other feature credits include "Othello," "Searching for Bobby Fischer," "Just Cause," "Bad Company," "Class Action," "Deep Cover," "Fled," "Cadence," "King of New York," "Red Heat," "Band of the Hand," "School Daze," "The Color Purple," "Hoodlum, "Event Horizon," and "Biker Boyz."

On the small screen, Fishburne received nominations for the Emmy, Golden Globe and CableACE Awards and won an NAACP Image Award for his performance in the HBO movie "Tuskegee Airman." He also received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Mini Series or Special for his role in the HBO drama "Miss Evers' Boys," which he also executive produced. His other television credits include the critically acclaimed "A Rumour of War," "For Us The Living," "Decoration Day," and "Always Outnumbered."

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

J.J. ABRAMS (director/co-writer) is the co-creator and executive producer of the enormously successful television series "Lost," "Alias," and "Felicity." In 2005, he won two Emmy Awards, for outstanding drama series and outstanding directing for a drama series (both for "Lost") and was nominated for a third, for outstanding writing for a drama series. Abrams received his first Emmy nomination in 2002 for outstanding writing for a drama series for his work on "Alias." Abrams is also the screenwriter of such films as "Armageddon," "Forever Young" and "Regarding Henry."

Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles, Abrams developed a passion for movies at age eight when his grandfather took him on the Universal Studios Tour. He asked his father if he could use his Super 8mm camera to make his own films. Over the next ten years, Abrams made countless amateur films that he entered in various student festivals, winning a number of awards.

Abrams sold his first feature film treatment, "Taking Care of Business," while attending Sarah Lawrence College. He followed that with "Regarding Henry," starring Harrison Ford and "Forever Young," starring Mel Gibson.

His feature producing credits include "The Pallbearer," directed by "Felicity" co-creator Matt Reeves, and "The Suburbans," with Jennifer Love Hewitt. He has also appeared on screen as an actor in "Diabolique" and "Six Degrees of Separation."

Producer PAULA WAGNER and her partner Tom Cruise have been based at Paramount since forming Cruise| Wagner Productions in 1993. Since that time, she and Tom Cruise have enjoyed unparalleled success, producing a range of pictures that have earned multiple awards, widespread critical praise, and global box office success. In addition to the success of "Mission: Impossible" and "Mission: Impossible: II" and their involvement with last summer's box office phenomenon "War of the Worlds," they have produced the chilling supernatural thriller "The Others," "Vanilla Sky," "Elizabethtown," the critically acclaimed "Shattered Glass," and "The Last Samurai," and the recently released "Ask the Dust."

Prior to producing, Wagner spent nearly 15 years at CAA as one of the industry's top talent agents. Before becoming an agent, Wagner was an accomplished stage actress, appearing at the Yale Repertory Theater as well as on and off-Broadway. Also a published playwright, she co-authored "Out of Our Father's House."

In 2001, Wagner was honored by Premiere magazine with the Women in Hollywood Icon Award, and was featured the following year in Bravo's "Women on Top," a documentary profiling top women in entertainment. Wagner and Cruise were recipients of two awards from the Producers Guild: the Nova Award in 1997 and the Vision Award in 2004. Also in 2004, Daily Variety honored the producing team as "Billion-Dollar Producers." In 2005, she returned as co-chair to the Hollywood Film Festival for the third year in a row. She is a member of the American Cinematheque's Board of Directors on the Board of Trustees of Carnegie Mellon University. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and is a member of the board of the National Film Preservation Foundation through the Library of Congress.

ALEX KURTZMAN & ROBERTO ORCI (co-writers) have been partners-in-imagination since high school. Writers and executive producers on the acclaimed, award-winning television spy thriller "Alias," Kurtzman and Orci have a string of forthcoming films on the horizon that demonstrate their love of storytelling. Their feature film writing credits include "The Legend of Zorro," starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas, and Michael Bay's sci-fi thriller "The Island," starring Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor.

On July 4th, 2007, the writers reunite with Bay for DreamWorks's and Paramount's "Transformers," based on the 1980s classic cartoon and toy series. In addition to their writing projects, Kurtzman and Orci are producing a continually growing slate of movies for DreamWorks and other Hollywood studios.

This powerful Hollywood pairing began during childhood. Kurtzman and Orci met in high school and became prolific co-writers of numerous adolescent screenplays. Penning adventure stories and making ambitious home movies prior to meeting each other, they soon realized the magic of their combined creativity - and began to dream of one day making Hollywood movies together. After high school as each traveled to different corners of the U.S. for college - Kurtzman to NYU, then Wesleyan and Orci to the University of Texas - they continued to write scripts in tandem over the phone lines. After graduation, Kurtzman began working as a production assistant on the popular adventure television shows "Hercules" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" - which inspired the duo to try their hand at a sample script. This in turn led quickly to their first writing job, and within months, they ascended to become the 23-year-old head writers on the hit series, "Hercules." For their next project, they collaborated with J.J. Abrams on the television series "Alias," which became an instant addiction for millions of Americans - as well as a critically acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning hit. "Alias" was followed by "The Legend of Zorro"; their work on the feature film won the team new respect in the feature world. Within the industry, the writers became known for their collaborative style, great writing chops, and lighting turnaround, which earned them a coveted writing/producing/directing deal at DreamWorks SKG.

STRATTON LEOPOLD (executive producer) has filmed in much of the USA and the world, including England, Spain, Italy, Central America, the Philippines, Australia, Canada, and China. As executive producer, co-producer, or production manager, he has overseen the production of more than 15 films, including "Paycheck," "The Sum of All Fears," "Bless the Child," "The General's Daughter," "Born Yesterday," "Bound by Honor," "The Big One," "The Rose and the Jackal," "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," "Tango and Cash," and "The Mosquito Coast," among others.

Leopold has also served as a location manager ("The Big Chill," ABC's "East of Eden," and other telefilms) and a casting director for television ("Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys," "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry," "The Dukes of Hazzard," "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings") and film ("Greased Lightning," "Our Winning Season," "Stroker Ace").

Leopold studied biology at Vanderbilt University. He has officiated football on prep and college levels and is a member of the Explorers Club.

DAN MINDEL (director of photography) was born in South Africa and educated in Australia and Britain. He began his career as a cinematographer shooting commercials, working with some of the most successful directors, including Ridley Scott, Barry Kinsman, Hugh Johnson and Mike Seresin. His ads for Tony Scott include memorable commercials for such clients as Coke, Pepsi, Miller Brewing, and Marlborough.

He acted as director of photography on "Domino" for Tony Scott, "Skeleton Key" for Iain Softly, "Tooth Fairy," "Stuck on You," and "Shanghai Noon," among many others.

Mindel was responsible for the photography on the West Coast unit of "G.I. Jane," as well as for additional photography on "The Bourne Identity'" and Tony Scott's "The Fan." "Enemy of the State" marked his debut as the sole director of cinematography on a major motion picture.

SCOTT CHAMBLISS (production designer) reunites with director J.J. Abrams after collaborating on the hit television series "Felicity" and "Alias."

Chambliss has designed for motion pictures, television and theater productions in both New York and Los Angeles. His feature credits include "Krippendorf's Tribe," "13 Bourbon Street," "I Like It Like That," "The Celluloid Closet," "Bank Robber" and "Chain of Desire." He also provided art direction for "Malcolm X," "Leap of Faith," "Billy Bathgate," and "The Mambo Kings."

Chambliss started his career as an associate designer with Tony Walton on a number of Broadway productions, including "Anything Goes," "Macbeth" and "Grand Hotel."

MARYANN BRANDON, A.C.E. (editor) previously collaborated with director J.J. Abrams on "Alias", for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series.

Her other television credits include "Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story," "The Miracle Worker," and "Grapevine."

Her previous feature credits include "Grumpier Old Men," "Born To Be Wild," and "Race For Glory."

As an assistant editor she worked on "Bright Lights, Big City," and "Black Widow."

MARY JO MARKEY, A.C.E. (editor) previously collaborated with director J.J. Abrams on "Felicity," "Lost" and "Alias," for which she was nominated for an Emmy.

Her feature credits include "Rhapsody in Bloom," "Bad Boy," and "Medicine Man."

COLLEEN ATWOOD (costume designer) won her first Academy AwardR for her work on "Chicago" and recently received her second OscarR for her work on "Memoirs of a Geisha." Her other OscarR nominations were for her work on "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," "Sleepy Hollow," "Beloved," and "Little Women."

A frequent collaborator of director Tim Burton, Atwood began their association on "Edward Scissorhands" and has since worked with him on "Big Fish," " "Ed Wood," "Sleepy Hollow," "Mars Attacks," and "Planet of the Apes."

She has also worked regularly with director Jonathan Demme, beginning with "Married to the Mob" and continuing their association on "The Silence of the Lambs," "Philadelphia," and "Beloved."

Atwood began her career as a wardrobe assistant in 1982 on the romantic comedy "A Little Sex" and became a designer only two years later on the Michael Apted drama "First Born." She gained notice on Michael Mann's highly praised "Manhunter" and followed that with features such as Ridley Scott's "Someone to Watch Over Me" and Apted's "Critical Condition."

Among Atwood's other credits are "The Mexican," "Gattaca," Buddy," "That Thing You Do," "The Juror," "Wyatt Earp," "Philadelphia," "Lorenzo's Oil," "Born Yesterday," "Joe Versus the Volcano," The Handmaid's Tale," and "The Torch Song Trilogy."

MICHAEL GIACCHINO (composer) previously collaborated with director J.J. Abrams on "Lost" and "Alias."

Giacchino got his start in 1997 when he was approached by DreamWorks to score their flagship PlayStation video game based on Steven Spielberg's summer box office hit "The Lost World."

Giacchino went on to compose many orchestral scores for DreamWorks Interactive, included the highly successful "Medal of Honor" series, a World War II simulation game created by Steven Spielberg. It was his work on such games that led to his involvement with "Alias," where he met Abrams, which in turn became a gateway of sorts for his work with Pixar on "The Incredibles."

Giacchino's boyhood fascination with films led him to study at the School of Visual Arts in New York City where he majored in film production. After graduating from SVA, he began composition studies at the Juilliard School at Lincoln Centre while working day jobs in both Universal and Disney's New York publicity offices. Two years later, he was transferred to Disney Studios in Los Angeles where he also enrolled in the UCLA film-scoring program.

In 2000, the Haddonfield Symphony premiered Giacchino's first Symphony, "Camden 2000." In 2001, his score for the DreamWorks Interactive game "Medal of Honor Underground" won the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences award for Best Original Score. Soon afterwards, he wrote two new scores for both "Medal of Honor Frontline" (which was also a winner of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences award for the Best Original Score) and "Medal of Honor Allied Assault," also recorded by the Seattle Symphony.

VIC ARMSTRONG (second unit director) was one of the cinema world's top stuntmen and was much in demand by moviemakers on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the '60s, '70s and '80s.

He traveled the world as a stunt designer, working on such major successes as "A Bridge Too Far" (Holland), "Mayerling" (Austria), "Ryan's Daughter" (Eire), "Billy Two Hats" (Israel), "The Zoo Gang" (France), "Trick or Treat" (Italy), "Curse of King Tut's Tomb" (Egypt), "The Desert King" (Morocco), "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (Tunisia and Hawaii), and "Superman: The Movie" and "Superman II" (USA and UK), among others.

It wasn't long before he was asked to combine his expertise as a stunt coordinator with the added responsibility of directing second unit in the United States and Europe. These major productions include "Bear Island," "Escape to Athena," "Watcher in the Woods," "Green Ice," "The Final Conflict," "Dune," "Conan The Barbarian," "Red Sonja," "The Mission," "Rambo III," "Air America," "Robin Hood," "Total Recall," "Terminator 2: Judgement Day," "Universal Soldier," "Last Action Hero," "Rob Roy," "Cutthroat Island," "The Phantom," "Shadow Conspiracy," and "Starship Troopers."

In his capacity as second unit director on "Tomorrow Never Dies," he was responsible for the many spectacular action sequences that played such an important role in the film's international success. His work on the exciting River Thames boat chase for the pre-title sequence of "The World Is Not Enough" was equally spectacular. He was the second unit director for "Entrapment" and also directed the car chase sequence for "The Avengers."

His most recent credits include "Quills," "Charlie's Angels," "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," "The Four Feathers," "Gangs of New York," and "War of the Worlds."

Also a director in his own right, his credits include "Double Impact" and "Joshua Tree," as well as the television series "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," all of which were memorable for their exciting action sequences.

His awards include a Scientific and Technical Academy AwardR presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2001), and BAFTA's Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema (2002).

ROGER GUYETT (Visual Effects Supervisor) has been with Industrial Light & Magic since 1994, when he joined the team that created the groundbreaking title character for "Casper." Guyett was a principal member of the crew that produced over forty minutes of 3D character animation, marking the first time in cinematic history that a leading role was played by an entirely synthetic actor.

Guyett is now one of ILM's leading visual effects supervisors. Most recently, he was the visual effects supervisor on "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." His credits include "Saving Private Ryan," for which he was honored with a BAFTA Award for best special visual effects; "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"; and, most recently, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." For this most recent film in the "Harry Potter" series, Guyett earned both Academy AwardR and BAFTA nominations, and won the award from the Visual Effects Society. Guyett was born and raised in Great Britain.

DAN SUDICK (Special Effects Coordinator) was nominated for an Academy AwardR for Best Visual Effects and for a BAFTA Award for Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects for his work on "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."

Most recently, he was the Special Effects Coordinator on the box office smash "War of the Worlds," which garnered him another Academy AwardR nomination.

His other feature credits include "Serenity," "Cellular," "The Haunted Mansion," "National Security," "Dragonfly," "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps," "The Negotiator," and "Executive Decision."

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