JACK THE GIANT SLAYER
An ancient war is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants.
Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack (Nicholas Hoult), into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom and its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend… and gets the chance to become a legend himself.
Acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer directs the 3D epic action adventure “Jack the Giant Slayer,” starring Nicholas Hoult (“X-Men: First Class”) in the title role. The film also stars Eleanor Tomlinson as Princess Isabelle; Stanley Tucci (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) as the deceitful Lord Roderick; Ian McShane (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” HBO’s “Deadwood”) as the besieged King Brahmwell; Bill Nighy (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) as the giants’ leader, General Fallon; and Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars,” “The Ghost Writer”) as palace guard Elmont.
Singer directs from a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, story by Darren Lemke & David Dobkin. The film is produced by Neal Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer, Patrick McCormick and Ori Marmur, with Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia, Toby Emmerich, Richard Brenner, Michael Disco and John Rickard serving as executive producers.
The creative filmmaking team includes Singer’s longtime collaborators, director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel (“X-Men,” “Superman Returns”) and editor John Ottman (“X2,” “Superman Returns”). The production designer is Gavin Bocquet (“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”).
A New Line Cinema presentation, in association with Legendary Pictures, “Jack the Giant Slayer” opens worldwide beginning March 1, 2013 and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
CAST
NICHOLAS HOULT ( Jack) has quickly established himself as a versatile, talented young actor in both film and television. He received a BAFTA Award nomination in 2010 for the ‘Rising Star Award,’ which recognizes five international actors and actresses who have demonstrated exceptional talent and have begun to capture the imagination of the public as a star in the making.
Hoult is currently in production on Bryan Singer’s “Jack the Giant Slayer,” in which he stars as the title character in a re-imagined modern day fairy tale loosely based on the classic tale “Jack and the Beanstalk.” The film, which also stars Ewan McGregor, Ian McShane and Stanley Tucci, is scheduled for release by Warner Bros. Pictures on June 15, 2012.
Most recently, Hoult starred in “X-Men: First Class” as ‘Hank McCoy,’ who becomes the mutant ‘Beast.’ The film, a reboot of the “X-Men” franchise, features an all-new cast, which includes James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Kevin Bacon, and was released on June 3, 2011 by Twentieth Century Fox.
Hoult will star as ‘Nux’ in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the fourth installment in writer-director George Miller’s “Mad Max” franchise. The film, which stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, will be set a short while after the story detailed in 1985’s “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.”
Hoult has also signed on to star in Summit Entertainment’s “Warm Bodies,” as the lead character, ‘R,’ an existentially tormented zombie that begins an unlikely friendship with the human girlfriend of one of his victims. The film, which will be directed by Jonathan Levin, is based on a book of the same title by Isaac Marion.
In 2010, Hoult appeared as ‘Eusebios’ in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Clash of the Titans” in a cast that included Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Sam Worthington. Hoult received critical acclaim for his riveting performance as ‘Kenny’ opposite Colin Firth in Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” in 2009. The film is based on Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel.
In 2002, Hoult received his breakout role at the age of 12 in Universal Pictures’ “About a Boy,” opposite Hugh Grant. Based on Nick Hornby’s bestselling novel, the film, written and directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, tells the story of a cynical, immature young man, ‘Will’ (Grant) who is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy named ‘Marcus’ (Hoult).
Hoult’s additional feature film credits include Paramount Pictures’ “The Weather Man” opposite Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine and Hope Davis in 2005, as well as “Kidulthood,” “Wah-Wah” and “Intimate Relations.”
In 2007-2008, Hoult starred in the UK’s BAFTA Award-winning teen drama television series “Skins.” The series follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, England in their last two pre-college years. The show premiered on E4 in January 2007.
Hoult’s additional UK television credits include “Wallander” with Kenneth Branagh, “Coming Down the Mountain,” “Keen Eddie,” “Star,” BBC’s “Murder in Mind,” “World of Pub,” “The Bill,” “Ruth Rendell Mysteries,” “Mr. White Goes to Westminster,” and guest-starring roles in long-running BBC series “Judge John Deed,” “Waking the Dead,” “Doctors,” “Holby City,” “Magic Grandad,” “Silent Witness” and “Casualty.”
Hoult currently resides in London.
ELEANOR TOMLINSON (Princess Isabelle) is from the small rural market town of Beverley in East Yorkshire, England. Her dad, Malcolm, is an actor and horse racing commentator and her mum, Judith, is a professional singer. She made her professional acting debut at the age of 12, playing Little Daphne in the Yorkshire TV adaptation of “Falling,” which starred Michael Kitchen and Penelope Wilton.
On her 13th birthday, she was in Prague filming the role of Young Sophie Von Teschen (Jessica Biel’s character as a child/teenager) in “The Illusionist,” with Aaron Johnson, Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti.
She then went on to play Agnes Muller alongside David Tennant, Andy Serkis and Jim Broadbent, in the acclaimed BBC drama “Einstein and Eddington,” before landing the role of Jas in the teenage coming-of-age movie “Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging,” directed by Gurinder Chadha. She then went on to play Fiona Chattaway in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” with a star-studded cast, before filming the role of Eve in the “Dr. Who” spin-off “The Sarah Jane Adventures.”
Leading roles in two thriller/horror movies followed – Eleanor played Kirsten Schwarz in “The Village” and Lara in “Styria.” She also played Miru in the made-for-TV movie “The Lost Future,” alongside Sean Bean and Sam Claflin.
In 2009, Tomlinson had the great honor of being asked to become teenage ambassador for World Vision and made a life-changing trip to Jaipur in India to help highlight the problems experienced by teenage girls being forced into the sex trade. She is also patron of a local charity in East Yorkshire called Wheelchairs for Kids.
An accomplished horse rider, she also loves skiing and swimming. She has a younger brother, Ross, who is also in the acting business and a very old sheepdog called Ben.
STANLEY TUCCI (Lord Roderick) has appeared in over 50 films and countless television shows. In the past few years he has appeared in films such as “The Devil Wears Prada,” “The Terminal” and “Road to Perdition.” He is no stranger to the theater; and has appeared in over a dozen plays, on and off Broadway.
The year of 2008 was an extremely busy year. Tucci appeared in the soon to be classic “Julie & Julia,” opposite Meryl Streep and directed by Nora Ephron, and “The Lovely Bones,” for which he earned his first Academy Award® nomination, along with Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG® and Broadcast Film Critics nominations.
Tucci most recently starred in “Captain America, The First Avenger.”
In 2008, Tucci partnered with his friend for more than 20 years, Steve Buscemi, and Wren Arthur to form Olive Productions, a New York-based film and television company. One of Olive’s mandates is to cast a wide net when developing film and television material, with a portion of the projects to be earmarked for Tucci and Buscemi to direct. Olive is a co-producer of “Vine Talk” and additionally has other TV shows in development at HBO and AMC. It also has film projects currently in development at HBO, SONY and Fox Searchlight.
Earlier this year, Tucci made his Broadway directorial debut with a revival of Ken Ludwig’s “Lend Me a Tenor,” starring Tony Shalhoub. The production received a Tony Award nomination for Best Revival of a Play.
In addition to his accomplishments in films and on stage, Tucci was also nominated for an Emmy for his guest role as Dr. Moretti on “ER.” In 2007, his appearance on “Monk,” received critical attention as well as an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
In 2002, Tucci received critical acclaim for his work in “Road to Perdition,” co-starring Tom Hanks, Jude Law and Paul Newman. The film, directed by Sam Mendes, was about a hit man who takes things personally after his wife and son are murdered. Tucci was also seen in the ever-popular comedy “Big Trouble,” co-starring Tim Allen and Rene Russo and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Tucci graced screens in “Sidewalks of New York,” written and directed by Edward Burns and “America’s Sweethearts,” opposite Julia Roberts and Billy Crystal. He also appeared alongside Kenneth Branagh and Colin Firth in the highly acclaimed HBO drama “Conspiracy,” a film for which Tucci earned both an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Made-for-TV-Movie or Miniseries.
Tucci’s multiple talents have led to a very diverse career. Not only an accomplished and gifted actor, he is also a writer, director and producer. At the Sundance Film Festival in 2008, Tucci premiered the film “Blind Date,” which after seven years, brought him once again behind the camera, as he has directed and co-wrote, as well as starred in the Van Gogh remake of this film.
Another directorial effort was “Joe Gould’s Secret,” which starred Ian Holm as bohemian writer Joe Gould and Tucci as Joseph Mitchell, the famed writer for The New Yorker.
The film, set in New York’s Greenwich Village in the 1940s, tells the story of the strange meeting and long lasting friendship between Gould and Mitchell, as well as the stories Mitchell wrote about Gould and his life.
“Big Night,” Tucci’s first effort as co-director, co-screenwriter and actor on the same film, earned him numerous accolades, including the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival, a recognition of Excellence by the National Board of Review, an Independent Spirit Award, The Critics Prize at the 1996 Deauville Film Festival and honors from the New York Film Critics and the Boston Society of Film Critics.
Tucci’s second project, “The Imposters,” a film which he wrote, directed, co-produced and starred in, was an Official Selection at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival and was acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures later that year. The 1930’s farce starred Tucci and Oliver Platt as a pair of out-of-work actors who find themselves aboard a cruise ship passengered by Steve Buscemi, Alfred Molina, Lili Taylor and Hope Davis.
Tucci’s film credits include “Easy A,” “Burlesque,” “Swing Vote,” Kit Kittredge: An American Girl,” “Robots,” “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers,” “Shall We Dance,” “Spin,” “The Terminal,” “The Tale of Despereaux,” “Deconstructing Harry,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Alarmist,” “A Life Less Ordinary,” “The Daytrippers,” “Kiss of Death,” “Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle,” “It Could Happen To You,” “The Pelican Brief,” “Prelude to a Kiss,” “Billy Bathgate,” “In the Soup” and “Slaves of New York.”
In 2002, Tucci won a Golden Globe Award for his brilliant portrayal of Lt. Colonel Adolf Eichmann in the television film entitled “Conspiracy.” This was the dramatic recreation of the Wannasee Conference where the Nazi Final Solution phase of the Holocaust was devised. He also received a Golden Globe, as well as an Emmy Award, for his portrayal of Walter Winchell, a founder of American gossip, in the HBO original film “Winchell.” His performance as the fast-talking tattler, whose exposure of secrets and scandals turned politically-left audiences and critics alike singing his praises. “Winchell,” directed by Paul Mazursky, provided Tucci with one of the juiciest roles of his diverse career.
His work on television includes his appearance as a recurring guest star on TNT’s “Bull.” He played ‘Hunter Lasky,’ a charming, conniving, power-player, one of Wall Street’s best negotiation ‘sharks.’ His other television credits include appearances on “Equal Justice,” “Wiseguy,” “The Equalizer,” “Thirtysomething” and “The Street.” Tucci also starred as ‘Richard Cross’ in the Steven Bochco drama “Murder One,” a performance for which he earned an Emmy Nomination.
Tucci, no stranger to the theater, has appeared in many plays including “Frankie & Johnny in the Claire de Lune,” “Execution of Hope,” “The Iceman Cometh,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “The Misanthrope.” He has also performed in a number of off-Broadway plays, at Yale Repertory Theater and SUNY Purchase, where he first studied acting.
Tucci serves on the Board of Directors of The Food Bank for New York City and has served as a Creative Advisor at the Sundance Institute Screenwriters and Directors Labs.
IAN MCSHANE (King Brahmwell) starred this summer in the blockbuster franchise “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” as the fearsome pirate Blackbeard, opposite Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush and Penelope Cruz. The film is directed by Rob Marshall. Last summer, McShane starred in the television event of the year as Waleran Bigod in “The Pillars of the Earth,” based on Ken Follet’s best selling novel. For this role he’s received the Golden Globe Nomination, Best Actor in a Mini Series.
Last year, McShane starred in the motion picture “44 Inch Chest.” It was a drama created by the same team as “Sexy Beast” and co-starred Ray Winstone, who executive produced along with McShane. In early 2009, he voiced the role of Mr. Bobinksy in Laika Entertainment’s first animated feature, “Coraline,” an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s international best-selling book, directed by Henry Selick.
In the past several years, McShane’s unique voice could be heard as Captain Hook in “Shrek the Third,” as well as the voice of the villainous snow leopard Tai Lung in “Kung Fu Panda.” In 2007, McShane was in “Hot Rod,” a comedy directed by Saturday Night Live’s Akiva Schaffer. He played the macho, athletic step-father to accident-prone daredevil Andy Sandberg. He also voiced the role of Ragnar Sturlusson in “The Golden Compass,” alongside Nicole Kidman, directed by Chris Weitz. In 2006, McShane was seen in Woody Allen’s film “Scoop,” alongside Scarlett Johanssen and Hugh Jackman. That same year he starred opposite Matthew McConaughey in the true-life drama “We Are Marshall,” directed by McG.
McShane earned the coveted Golden Globe Award, Best Actor in a Television Drama, for his versatile performance as Al Swearengen on HBO’s hit series “Deadwood.” His charismatic and alluring performance also led him to a 2005 Emmy and SAG® nomination for Lead Actor, as well as being voted by People Magazine in 2005, “TV’s Sexiest Villain.” Following a wave of critical acclaim for the first season of “Deadwood,” which also included receiving the Television Critics Association’s annual award for “Individual Achievement in Drama,” McShane was named as one of GQ’s “Men of the Year.”
Having starred in over thirty films including the indie film “Nine Lives,” written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, it was his film debut in 1962′s “The Wild and the Willing” that led to other leading roles in “The Battle of Britain,” “The Last of Sheila,” “Villain,” co-starring Richard Burton, “Exposed,” and “Agent Cody Banks.” In the critically acclaimed indie “Sexy Beast,” McShane gave another riveting performance by transforming himself into the dark, sinister and very handsome character Teddy Bass.
McShane has enjoyed a long and creatively diverse career in both British and American television, including a role in David Wolper’s seminal 1970′s mini-series “Roots,” as well as BBC and BBC America’s “Trust,” playing the eccentric megalomaniacal head of the firm, Alan Cooper-Fozzard. Starring turns in “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” for Granada TV; the role of Heathcliff in “Wuthering Heights,” for the BBC; Harold Pinter’s Emmy-Award-Winning “The Caretaker”; and NBC’s drama, “Kings” are among his other television highlights. McShane has also stepped into roles as well known figures, taking on parts as Judas in NBC’s “Jesus of Nazareth,” directed by Franco Zeffirelli; Prince Rainer in the network’s “The Grace Kelly Story”; and the title role in Masterpiece Theatre’s “Disraeli.” Additional mini-series credits include “Charlie the Kid, A.D.,” “The Great Escape II,” “Marco Polo,” “Evergreen” and “War and Remembrance.”
In the late ‘80s, the actor formed McShane Productions, which produced the much-adored “Lovejoy” for the BBC and A&E. Lovejoy gave McShane a vehicle to star in as well as produce and direct. He followed his lovable rogue character Lovejoy by producing and starring in the darker and more serious lead role in “Madson” and the comedy drama “Soul Survivors” for BBC. “Lovejoy” is currently enjoying a revival with audiences worldwide.
In 2000, McShane returned to the West End in London to make his musical debut starring in Cameron Mackintosh’s successful musical “The Witches of Eastwick” as Darryl Van Horne. His varied stage career has included roles as Hal in the original cast of “Loot”; the title role of “The Admirable Crichton” at the Chichester Festival; Tom in “The Glass Menagerie”; and Charlie in “The Big Knife.” He co-starred with Judi Dench and Ian McKellen in “Promise,” which successfully played London and debuted on Broadway. In Los Angeles, he starred in three productions at The Matrix Theatre, including the world premiere of Larry Atlas’ “Yield of the Long Bond” and two others for which he received the Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Award, “Inadmissible Evidence” and “Betrayal.” In 2008, McShane returned to Broadway to star in a revival of Harold Pinter’s “The Homecoming,” It was the 40th Anniversary of the play and of McShane’s Broadway debut.
Born in Blackburn, England, McShane is the son of professional soccer player Harry McShane, who played for Manchester United, and Irene McShane. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
BILL NIGHY’s (General Fallon) film credits include “Valkyrie,” “Underworld,” “Love Actually,” “The Girl in the Café,” “Notes on a Scandal,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Constant Gardener,” “The Boat that Rocked,” “1939,” “Wild Target” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” “Chalet Girl” and “Page 8.”
His television credits include “Absolute Hell,” “The Men’s Room,” “State of Play,” “The Lost Prince” and “Gideon’s Daughter.”
His theatre credits include Map of the World,” “Pravda,” “King Lear,” “Skylight,” “Arcadea,” “Blue/Orange,” “Betrayal,” “A Kind of Alaska” and “The Vertical Hour.”
Among his upcoming projects are “Wrath of the Titans” and “Total Recall.”
Nighy was nominated as British Independent Film Award Best Actor for his performance in “The Lawless Heart” in 2002.
EWAN MCGREGOR (Elmont) has proven himself as a true actor time and again, from his breakthrough role as his the heroin-addicted Mark Renton in Irvine Welsh’s “Trainspotting,” to the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars Episode 1,” to starring as Christian, opposite Nicole Kidman, in the Oscar® and BAFTA award winning musical “Moulin Rouge,” directed by Baz Luhrmann, McGregor can currently be seen in the slice-of-life film “Beginners,” based on director Mike Mills personal story. He was last seen in the comedy “I Love You Phillip Morris,” with Jim Carey.
Recently he wrapped production on “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” alongside Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas. The film, directed by Lasse Hallstrom, is a satirical comedy adaptation of the Paul Torday novel about British Society. In addition, he completed production on “The Impossible,” with Naomi Watts, a drama based around a true story set during and after the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004.
McGregor ‘s other film credits include a turn at a reputable author hired to write the memoirs of controversial former British Prime Minister Adam Lang in Roman Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer,” opposite Pierce Brosnan; Marc Forster’s supernatural thriller “Stay,” alongside Naomi Watts and Ryan Gosling; Michael Bay’s 2005 “The Island,” alongside Scarlett Johanssen, Djimon Hounsou and Steve Buscemi; the animated films “Robots,” directed by Chris Wedge; and “Valiant,” directed by Gary Chapman; “Scenes of a Sexual Nature,” directed by Edward Blum; “Miss Potter,” directed by Chris Noonan; Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream (2008); “Incendiary”; “The Tourist”; “Angels and Demons”; and “Amelia.” He also starred in Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down” and went on to film “Young Adam,” with Peter Mullan and Tilda Swinton, for which he received a London Film Critics Circle Awards nomination.
McGregor starred in the BAFTA award winning “Shallow Grave” as the romantic lead and as French adventurer Julien Sorel in the BBC’s production of “Scarlet and Black.” “Shallow Grave” was named Best Film at the 1994 Dinard Film Festival and the film won the 1994 BAFTA Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year and the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Feature Film. McGregor’s portrayal of Alex Law earned him the Hitchcock D’Argent Best Actor Award and a nomination for Best Actor at the BAFTA Scotland Awards, as well as laying the roots for a highly successful partnership with the director, Danny Boyle. McGregor then went on to portray the shifty London drug-dealer Dean Raymond opposite an up-and-coming Catherine Zeta-Jones, followed by his first solo male lead in Peter Greenaway’s erotic art-house film “The Pillow Book.”
He was reunited with director Danny Boyle in “A Life Less Ordinary,” with Cameron Diaz, a role which won him the Best British Actor award (for the third time running) in the 1997 Empire Movie Awards. Also in 1997, McGregor received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor for his role in the “ER” episode “The Long Way Round.” He also played opposite Michael Stipe in the glam rock film “Velvet Goldmine,” followed by a portrayal of the infamous trader Nick Leeson and his spectacular fall from grace in “Rogue Trader,” opposite Anna Friel. He teamed up again with “Brassed Off” director Mark Herman in the Golden Globe-winning “Little Voice,” alongside Jane Horrocks and Michael Caine.
McGregor landed part of Obi-Wan Kenobi in ‘Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace,’ the legendary role once played by Sir Alec Guinness. Director George Lucas then invited him back to star in the sequels ‘Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones’ (2002) and ‘Star Wars: Episode III (2005).”
In 2002, McGregor filmed “Down With Love,” opposite Renee Zellweger and then Tim Burton’s “Big Fish” (2003), alongside Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Alison Lohman, Jessica Lange and Danny DeVito.
McGregor was born in Perth, Scotland and lives in Los Angeles.
EDDIE MARSAN (Crawe) has been seen in a wide variety of films, from blockbuster hits to quirky independents. He has also been honored for his collaborations with acclaimed filmmaker Mike Leigh. His performance in Leigh’s 2004 drama “Vera Drake” brought Marsan his first British Independent Film Award, for Best Supporting Actor, as well as a nomination for a London Film Critics Circle Award. Marsan more recently won a British Independent Film Award, a London Film Critics Circle Award, and a National Society of Film Critics Award, for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as the troubled driving teacher in Leigh’s slice-of-life comedy “Happy-Go-Lucky.”
He recently finished shooting several UK films: Tinge Krishnan’s drama “Junkhearts,” with Tom Sturridge; Barnaby Southcombe’s noir thriller “I, Anna,” opposite Charlotte Rampling and Gabriel Byrne; and Paddy Considine’s drama “Tyrannosaur,” which premiered at the Sundance film festival in January and will be released in the UK in October. In December, he will be seen alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” the sequel to the 2009 international box office success “Sherlock Holmes” and Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse, both in theatres this December.
Marsan’s other credits include “London Boulevard,” opposite Kiera Knightley and Colin Farrell; Richard Linklater’s drama “Me and Orson Welles,” alongside Zac Efron and Claire Danes, in which he portrays John Houseman, the American actor and producer who ran the Mercury Theatre with Welles in the late 1930s; “The Disappearance of Alice Creed,” which premiered at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival; “Hancock,” “Miami Vice,” “The Illusionist,” “Mission: Impossible III,” “V for Vendetta,” “21 Grams,” and Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York,” to name only a few.
For television, Marsan’s extensive credits include the award-winning BBC miniseries “Criminal Justice” and “Little Dorrit,” as well as the more recent BBC telefilm “Dive,” and the BBC2/PBS drama “God on Trial,” in which he played a traumatized father imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp.
Born and raised in Bethnal Green, East London, Marsan served an apprenticeship as a printer before beginning his acting career. He later attended the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and the Academy of the Science of Acting & Directing.
FILMMAKERS
BRYAN SINGER (Director/Producer) has consistently entertained audiences by directing films that can be characterized by his bold visual style and richly drawn characters since his debut feature film, Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Public Access.”
Bryan first gained widespread attention in 1995 with the mystery/thriller “The Usual Suspects,” starring Chazz Palminteri, Benicio Del Toro, Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollack and Kevin Spacey. The film won two Academy Awards ®, Spacey for Best Supporting Actor and writer Christopher McQuarrie for Best Original Screenplay. His next feature was the critically acclaimed “Apt Pupil,” which was adapted from a Stephen King novella and starred Academy Award® nominee Sir Ian McKellen.
Singer followed with two wildly successful films – the summer 2000 blockbuster “X-Men” and the even more successful 2003 sequel “ X2: X-Men United.” He helmed the adaptations with a keen awareness of the 40-year-old comic franchise’s legion of admirers. Comic fans and new audiences overwhelmingly embraced Singer’s vision, which seamlessly fused the science fiction and action/adventure genres with an all-star cast led by Hugh Jackman, Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian Mckellen, and Halle Berry.
Following the massive success of the first two “X-Men” films, Singer was tapped to helm “Superman Returns.” The first blockbuster shot on the Panavision Genesis digital camera, Singer’s vision excited fans and critics alike while drawing audiences worldwide to traditional and Imax 3-D formats. It was also the first live action film to utilize the post-conversion 3D process with great success.
His most recent film, the World War 2 thriller “Valkyrie” starred Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard, and Bill Nighy. It was well received critically and grossed nearly 200 million worldwide giving the rebooted United Artists its first bona fide commercial hit.
In television, Singer directed the pilot and serves as an executive producer on the Emmy® and Golden Globe® award winning Fox television series “House,” starring Hugh Laurie, which is consistently among the top ten shows on television. He also served as Executive Producer on the ABC Emmy® and Golden Globe® award nominated television series “Dirty Sexy Money,” starring Donald Sutherland.
Singer has directed and/or produced a myriad of other projects through his Bad Hat Harry Productions banner; a motion picture, television and video game production company he formed in 1994. A few of his producing endeavors include the feature length documentary “Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman,” the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries “The Triangle,” the genre film festival favorite “Trick ‘r Treat” and the upcoming sci-fi web series “H+” for Warner Brothers.
Most recently, Singer has returned to the X-Men universe as producer on “X-Men: First Class,” a prequel based on his original story.
Singer’s projects have grossed more than two billion dollars worldwide.
CHRISTOPHER MCQUARRIE (Screenplay) was born and raised in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. He was on his way to the police academy when former schoolmate Singer offered him the opportunity to write their first feature film, “Public Access,” winner of the 1993 Sundance Film Festival’s grand jury prize.Singer and McQuarrie collaborated again on the 1995 film “The Usual Suspects,” for which McQuarrie received best screenplay awards from Premiere magazine, The Texas Board of Review, and the Chicago Critics as well as the Edgar Award, The Independent Spirit Award, and the British and American Academy® Awards. McQuarrie also wrote and directed “The Way of the Gun,” starring Benicio del Toro, Ryan Phillippe, and James Caan. He wrote and produced Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Bryan Singer and most recently “The Tourist,” starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. One Shot, adapted from the bestseller by Lee Child, and co-written and directed by McQuarrie, is currently in production. The film stars Tom Cruise and is releasing in 2013.
DAN STUDNEY (Screenplay) is the co-writer and Emmy Award winning composer of the cult musical “Reefer Madness.” Before being turned into a Showtime Original Picture, “Reefer” was a Los Angeles stage show and swept the Ovation, Drama Critics Circle and Garland Awards. The musical then ran Off-Broadway and continues to play in cities around the world.
Other credits include writing many hours of television shows like “Weird Science,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” “Sabrina: The Animated Series,” the MOW’s “Genius” and “‘Twas the Night” and comic books for “The Simpsons.”
Studney’s music is often featured in movies and TV, most recently in the upcoming film “My Eleventh,” which he co-produced with Bryan Singer.
DARREN LEMKE (Story) is one of the entertainment industry’s most exciting screenwriting voices. He is widely known for his work in the fantasy genre and animation.
Lemke’s passion for film began at an early age. At fifteen, the New Jersey native was already writing screenplays, and he went on to pursue his love of cinema at the School of Visual Arts in New York City where he studied both screenwriting and film.
After years of pushing shopping carts and making long distance cold calls to anyone in Hollywood who would take them, Lemke finally caught a break. A friend introduced him to producer Don Murphy, who after reading his work, flew Lemke out to Hollywood where Lemke quickly landed a two-picture deal at Disney. Soon after, Lemke’s spec television pilot “E.I.S.,” which followed a team of investigators working at the Epidemic Intelligence Service, was picked up by ABC.
Continuing his love of fantasy storytelling, “Jack The Giant Slayer” caught the attention of Dreamworks Animation where Lemke was hired to write the fourth installment of the blockbuster “Shrek” franchise, “Shrek Forever After,” which was released by the studio in spring 2011.
Lemke’s relationship with New Line’s Vice President of Production Michael Disco led him to his next project, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” a re-imagination of the classic tale with Temple Hill attached to produce.
Lemke currently has several projects in development, including “Beasts of Burden,” based on a popular Dark Horse comic book, which follows a pack of dogs that protect their town’s residents from supernatural threats; as well as the big-screen adaptations of “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” and “Wind in the Willows” for Fox 2000.
Recently, Lemke wrote the screenplay “Turbo,” a story of a snail that dreams about racing in the Indy 500. The animated film is currently in production with Ryan Reynolds starring as the voice of the lead snail and is scheduled for 2013 summer release.
Lemke lives in New Jersey.
NEAL H. MORITZ (Producer) is one of the most prolific producers working in Hollywood today, with a wide range of film and television projects to his credit. The founder of Original Film, a feature film and television company, Moritz most recently produced the comedy “The Change Up,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman. Based in Brentwood, California, Moritz saw his first producer’s credit on a major feature film with 1992’s “Juice,” starring Omar Epps and the late Tupac Shakur. After he established Original Film in 1997, the company’s first self-financed feature was the hit “Cruel Intentions,” starring Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
With more than 40 movies to his credit, Moritz’s successes include “Fast Five,” “Battle: Los Angeles,” “The Green Hornet,” “The Bounty Hunter,” “Fast and Furious,” “XXX,” “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “S.W.A.T.” Comfortable in any genre, Moritz is also responsible for “I Am Legend,” starring Will Smith; “Evan Almighty,” starring Steve Carell; “Made of Honor,” starring Patrick Dempsey; the horror remake “Prom Night”; and the thriller “Vantage Point.”
Other films Moritz has produced include the Denzel Washington thriller “Out of Time,” “Saving Silverman,” “Torque,” “Blue Streak” and “Volcano.” Moritz has made a number of teen films including the college comedy “Slackers,” “The Skulls,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Urban Legend,” “The Glass House” and “Not Another Teen Movie,” a spoof of the very teen film genre he helped create.
For television, he was an executive producer on the acclaimed drama series “Prison Break” and “Tru Calling.” He is currently in production on the second season of the Golden Globe nominated Showtime series “The Big C,” starring Laura Linney.
A Los Angeles native and graduate of UCLA with a degree in economics, Moritz went on to get a graduate degree from the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California.
DAVID DOBKIN (Story/Producer) most recently produced and directed the comedy “The Change Up,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman.
Dobkin made his feature directing debut with the 1998 dark comedy “Clay Pigeons,” starring Vince Vaughn. Dobkin then proved his ability to combine action and comedy in the hit film “Shanghai Knights,” the sequel to “Shanghai Noon,” with Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan. He reunited with Vaughn and Wilson in the 2005 summer blockbuster “Wedding Crashers,” which he directed and produced. He then produced and produced the 2007 Christmas comedy “Fred Claus,” marking his third collaboration with Vaughn.
In addition to his feature film success, Dobkin is an award-winning commercial and music video director. He was awarded a Bronze Lion at Cannes for directing a Sony PlayStation spot, and his commercial for the Utah Symphony was named “Spot of the Month” by Adweek magazine and was featured in Communication Arts as one of the year’s best. His other commercial directing work includes ads for such clients as Heineken, which earned him honors from SHOOT! magazine; ESPN; Carl’s Jr.; Coke; Honda; and Coors Light.
Dobkin has directed music videos for such recording artists as Tupac Shakur, Elton John, Extreme, Robin Zander, John Lee Hooker, Sonic Youth, Dada and Blues Traveler, to name a few. Dobkin won an MTV Music Video Award for Best Dance Video for Coolio’s “1, 2, 3, 4.”
A native of Washington, DC, Dobkin graduated with honors from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1991 with a BFA degree in Film & Television. He had begun his career six years earlier as an assistant to the production manager on John Schlesinger’s “The Believers.” While pursuing his film studies at NYU, he worked for Warner Bros. in development. His NYU thesis film, “57th Street Serenade,” won several national and international awards including a 1992 CINE Golden Eagle and a Gold Award at the Edinburgh Festival. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career as a director.
PATRICK MCCORMICK (Producer) most recently served as executive producer on “The Rum Diary,” starring Johnny Depp, in theatres October 2011.
Prior to that he was executive producer with director Mike Newell on “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” marking his second collaboration with Newell, the two having worked together on “Donnie Brasco,” starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. Previously, McCormick was also executive producer with director Tim Burton on “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” starring Depp, Helen Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Sacha Baron Cohen as well as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” also starring Depp.
His recent producer credits include “Peter Pan,” directed by P.J. Hogan and starring Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Sumpter, Rachel Hurd-Wood and Lynn Redgrave; “Angie,” starring Geena Davis and James Gandolfini; and “A Shock to the System,” starring Michael Caine.
His many other credits as executive producer include three films directed by Barry Levinson: “Bandits,” the comic caper starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett; “An Everlasting Piece,” a comedy set in 1980s Belfast starring Barry McEvoy, Brian F. O’Byrne, Anna Friel and Billy Connolly; and “Liberty Heights,” the fourth in the director’s Baltimore series, starring Adrien Brody, Bebe Neuwirth and Joe Mantegna; “Stepmom,” directed by Chris Columbus and starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris; “The Juror,” starring Demi Moore, Alec Baldwin and James Gandolfini; and “Boys on the Side,” starring Drew Barrymore, Whoopi Goldberg, Mary-Louise Parker and Matthew McConaughey.
GAVIN BOCQUET (Production Designer) is a graduate of Newcastle Polytechnic, where he studied Product Design, and the Royal College of Art in London, receiving a Master of Design degree in 1979.
He started his motion picture career as a Space Equipment Designer on “Saturn 3.” He followed this by working as a Draughtsman and Asst Art Director on “The Elephant Man,” “Return of the Jedi,” “Cry Freedom” and “Empire of the Sun.”
By the time Bocquet began work on “Dangerous Liaisons,” he was a full-fledged Art Director. He had the pleasure of working many times with Production Designers Stuart Craig and Norman Reynolds, who are the men he considers to be his mentors.
Bocquet graduated to his first Production Designer role on a feature film, with Stephen Soderbergh’s “Kafka,” followed by the U.S. TV series “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,” for which he received one Emmy award and two nominations.
This led in turn to working as Production Designer on George Lucas’ “Radioland Murders,” followed soon after by “Star Wars – The Phantom Menace,” and subsequently “Star Wars – Attack of the Clones,” and “Star Wars – Return of the Sith,” again with George Lucas. In between the “Star Wars” films, he also worked on the Robert De Niro produced “Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle” and the Rob Cohen directed “XXX 1.”
In recent years he has worked as Production Designer on Lee Tamahori’s “XXX-The Next Level,” Matthew Vaughn’s “Stardust,” Roger Donaldson’s “Bank Job,” and Rob Letterman’s ‘”Gulliver’s Travels,”’ with Jack Black.
Bocquet has also Production Designed many TV commercials, and in 2004 won the BTAA UK Commercial Art Director of the Year Award. He has also been inducted as a Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Art in London.
