In between film directing and screenwriting projects, Cohen continued to revisit the idea before finally cracking it just over three years ago. "It just came to me one day," Cohen remembers. "I thought to put a sniper up in a window, put the guy in the booth, bring his wife and girlfriend to the scene, have a murder, add the police. All these ideas just cascaded, and I ended up writing the screenplay in less than a week."

After Fox 2000 Pictures acquired the rights to Cohen’s screenplay, several of the industry’s top filmmakers vied for the opportunity to tackle its novel concept. Fox initially approached director Joel Schumacher, but a previous commitment precluded the "Tigerland" helmer’s involvement at that time. However, when Schumacher finally did become available, he and the studio eagerly joined forces. "PHONE BOOTH had a fresh and unique story," he notes. "I was particularly interested in its exploration of a fundamental fear – that someone is watching you – and the loss of privacy in today’s world. The most frightening part of the story is that it could happen to anyone. It’s a strong tale of urban paranoia."

"Joel is the perfect director for this film," says Cohen. "He has a great camera eye – a great eye for design. And he is an actor’s director, which is critical because the role of Stu Shepard is a great acting challenge for any actor because he must sustain our interest and the action for the entire movie."

Schumacher hand-picked Colin Farrell to portray Stu Sheperd, the low-rent publicist who becomes the final occupant of one of New York City’s last working phone booths. PHONE BOOTH would mark their second collaboration, following Schumacher’s critically hailed Vietnam-era drama "Tigerland," which propelled Farrell to worldwide acclaim and stardom. "In ‘Tigerland’, Colin played a very reluctant hero," Schumacher points out. "In PHONE BOOTH, he plays a very reluctant victim.

"Colin, who’s Irish, can do anything, including any accent – Southern in ‘Tigerland’, a neutral American inflection in ‘Minority Report’ and a Bronx accent as Stu" – adds Schumacher. "And PHONE BOOTH is a tour de force for him; he’s in every second of the movie.

"Farrell was pleased to reunite with Schumacher, while tackling such a meaty script and role. "The story really moved, it was a real page-turner," says the actor. "But it’s more than a big thriller; it explores a complex character’s life-and-death struggle for redemption while undergoing this terrifying ordeal."

Stu is introduced as a man at the top of his game – or so he thinks. In his late twenties, Stu sports styled hair, manicured nails, an expensive suit and a great gift of gab. Juggling calls on two cell phones as he strides confidently down Broadway, his hapless assistant futilely trying to keep up, Stu cuts an impressive figure. "He has a great ability to con people," says Farrell. "But underneath the shiny exterior he’s pretty superficial. He spins lies constantly, not realizing the effects those lies have on people. And he’s so used to spinning, he doesn’t see the truth anymore.

"Stu’s placed too much importance on things that have little value," Farrell continues. "He’s full of himself and wears blinkers, living in a life of his own. He thinks the world revolves around him."

But on one fateful day, as Stu instinctively picks up a ringing phone, his attitude is about to be "adjusted" by an unseen caller who somehow knows everything about Stu and is ready to pass a final judgment on his various transgressions. The caller’s first, chilling words to Stu – "Isn’t it funny – you hear a phone ringing and it could be anybody. A ringing phone has to be answered, doesn’t it?" – hurtle Stu into a life-and-death struggle while forcing him to reexamine his life and priorities.

For the role of the caller, Schumacher turned to Kiefer Sutherland, with whom he had worked three times previously (on "Lost Boys," "Flatliners" and "A Time to Kill"). "Kiefer’s a superb actor, with a staggeringly compelling voice necessary for the character of the caller," notes Schumacher.

Schumacher terms the character a "moral adjuster," dispensing his own brand of urban justice with the help of a high-powered rifle. "The caller sees himself as invincible," explains Schumacher. "He has decided he has the right to decide who is ethical and moral, and who is not. And he decides the appropriate punishment. The caller is an observer, a voyeur, and extremely intelligent person with a dark sense of humor and strong touch of sadism."

The caller has more than just terror in mind for Stu. "He has a master plan, and he’s chosen Stu for many reasons," says Schumacher. Adds Colin Farrell: "Stu’s the puppet, and the caller is the puppeteer. He’s pulling the strings. He strips Stu of everything, for reasons that Stu cannot initially comprehend."

Stu and his journey form the vortex of the story, but PHONE BOOTH also is an ensemble piece. Dozens of characters, both major and background, populate the story, and action is always swirling on the periphery of Stu’s immediate universe: the phone booth. Schumacher fills the frame with police, strippers, panhandlers, vehicles and the expected sound and fury of a big city street.

Chief among the characters who become enmeshed in Stu’s ordeal are Capt. Ramey, the tough but sympathetic police officer who takes full command of the scene and in the process reveals his own back story; Pamela McFadden, a naïve, aspiring actress whom Stu wants to bed; and Kelly, Stu’s loyal wife who is unaware of the circumstances that brought her husband to this phone booth.

The actors taking on these roles all were attracted to the story’s freshness and drama. "It is very intense," says Katie Holmes, who portrays Pamela. "I loved its psychological aspects and twisted humor. It kind of makes you enjoy seeing Stu’s life fall apart." Adds Radha Mitchell, who plays Kelly: "I liked the fact that while the caller is changing Stu’s life, he’s also changing hers. She’s in the middle of this crisis – but she doesn’t even realize how or why."

Forest Whitaker, who plays Capt. Ramey, notes that in addition to the humor and action, there’s a universality to the story’s themes. "What Stu comes to realize in the film is something I think everyone, at some point in their lives, comes to understand: that they have to take a look in the mirror from time to time … and re-examine their lives."

PHONE BOOTH is set in New York City, and much of the action, characters and surroundings are intrinsic to the Big Apple. "It’s very much a New York story," claims Larry Cohen, himself a Gotham native. "I set the story in Manhattan because there is so much activity there. I wanted the setting to be a walking-around city, the more congested, the better, so that you’re only a pane of glass away from help –yet help is not to be found."

While Schumacher and a small crew filmed Colin Farrell for one day in the middle of Times Square, logistical complexities led to most of PHONE BOOTH being shot in an historic section of downtown Los Angeles. The area’s architecture was similar to Manhattan’s buildings, but Schumacher relied heavily on the formidable talents of director of photography Matthew Libatique and production designer Andrew Laws to transform an L.A. block into Manhattan’s 53rd Street. Libatique and Laws previously teamed with Schumacher to give a stark, documentary feel to "Tigerland."

For PHONE BOOTH, Libatique created a remarkable balance of positioned lights and buildings draped with reflective curtains to protect the consistency of light established during the one-day New York shoot. He elaborates: "In New York, there’s a lot of light bouncing off of the tops of buildings, so the streets have a dark, cavernous feel, which we had to recreate with Los Angeles’ smaller skyline."

Production designer Laws similarly worked to recreate the unique look and feel of Times Square. "We wanted an intense, consumer-oriented environment," he explains. "Everywhere you look there’s something that catches the eye, that’s recognizable as being part of New York." The acid-electric color palette adds to the dynamic New York feel, as do the billboards, marquees and other signage brought in by the production.

To simultaneously capture disparate action, Libatique choreographed a "camera ballet," utilizing up to four thirty-five millimeter cameras at a time. The multiple cameras also provided Schumacher with editorial options not possible with traditional single-camera lensing. One camera might be on Farrell, another on Whitaker, and a third and fourth on Mitchell and Holmes. With so much on-camera(s) activity, Schumacher had the actors wear earpieces so they could hear each other’s cues. "Everybody was on all the time," he says.

To maintain a uniform look captured by the four cameras, Libatique had to make his lighting as accommodating as possible. "To choreograph one or two cameras is difficult," Schumacher notes. "To do three or four is nearly impossible, yet Matty did it. It is very challenging to maintain the quality control of the lighting when you have multiple cameras going." Libatique also employs varying camera angles and points of view to ratchet up the tension.

Choreographing multiple cameras, recreating a New York City block on the other side of the country, and shooting ten or more pages of dialogue a day, were all in a day’s work for Schumacher and the PHONE BOOTH cast and crew. As he puts the finishing touches on one of the most challenging films of his distinguished career, Schumacher comments, "I really see PHONE BOOTH as a total entertainment, a big movie in scale and ambition. I think audiences will experience a real roller-coaster ride." Adds screenwriter Larry Cohen. "This is one of those movies where you can’t get up for popcorn and soda. Joel really makes you feel that you’re trapped right there with Colin, that you’re right there with him for the entire ride. There just aren’t too many movies like it."<

ABOUT THE CAST

COLIN FARRELL (Stu Shepard) received critical and audience raves for his performance in Regency Enterprises’ "Tigerland," directed by Joel Schumacher and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox. The film follows American soldiers who are taken to the backwoods of Louisiana in 1971 to play war games in preparation for their first tour of duty in Vietnam combat. "Tigerland" was shot entirely on location on a shuttered army base in Florida. Farrell next starred as Jesse James in Warner Brothers "American Outlaws."

Earlier this year, he starred opposite Bruce Willis in "Harts War" for MGM. Directed by Gregory Hoblit ("Frequency"), the big budget World War II drama featured Farrell as a POW with a law degree who defends a black soldier falsely accused of murder in a German Prison camp.

This summer, Farrell starred opposite Tom Cruise in the Steven Spielberg feature "Minority Report," released by Twentieth Century Fox and DreamWorks Pictures. He recently completed shooting "Daredevil" for Regency Enterprises and Twentieth Century Fox, based on the comic book and starring opposite Ben Affleck. Farrell plays "Bullseye," the assassin with perfect aim. He recently began shooting the action thriller "SWAT."

Also upcoming is "The Farm," opposite Al Pacino, which follows CIA agent James Clayton (Farrell) through training camp where veteran Walter Burke (Pacino) teaches him the ropes and rules of the game. When James starts to question his role, and decides to "wash out," he is tapped for a special assignment to root out a mole.

Born and raised in Castleknock in the Republic of Ireland, Farrell is the son of former football player, Eamonn Farrell and nephew of Tommy Farrell. Both Tommy and Eamonn Farrell played for the Irish Football Club, Shamrock Rovers in the 1960's.

It was Farrell's early teenage ambition to follow in his father and uncle's footsteps. However, his interest soon turned towards acting, and he joined the Gaity School of Drama in Dublin. Before completing his course, Farrell landed a starring role in Dierde Purcell's miniseries "Falling for a Dancer." A starring role in the BBC series "Ballykissangel," in addition to a featured role in Tim Roth's directorial debut, "The War Zone," followed soon after.

He was recently seen in Thaddeus O' Sullivan's Dublin gangster movie, "Ordinary Decent Criminal," co-starring Kevin Spacey. In the film, he plays the youngest member of Spacey's gang of hoodlums. It was Spacey who suggested him for the part after catching Colin performing in "In a Little World Of Our Own" at the Donmar Warehouse in London.

FOREST WHITAKER (Captain Ramey) is one of Hollywood’s most accomplished actors/directors/producers who has showcased his talents in a multitude of demanding and diverse roles. This year he will be starring in and producing several highly anticipated films.

He recently completed work on "Fourth Angel," an action thriller set in London, opposite Jeremy Irons, which will premiere on Showtime in early 2003.

He most recently starred in, and executive produced "Green Dragon," the first feature film production of his multimedia company, Spirit Dance Entertainment. Prior to that, Whitaker starred in director David Fincher’s "The Panic Room" for Columbia Pictures opposite Jodie Foster and Dwight Yoakam. Whitaker’s short film, "John Henry," was release this past February for Black History Month in connection with Disney’s release of Peter Pan’s "Never Neverland." He also produced "Door to Door" starring William H. Macy for TNT under the Spirit Dance Banner.<

In 2000, Whitaker played the title role of a spiritual gangster in "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai," directed by Jim Jarmusch. The film premiered at the 1999 Cannes Festival and screened at The 1999 Toronto Film Festival to critical acclaim. "Ghost Dog" was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature.

In 1988, Whitaker was named Best Actor at The Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of jazz legend Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood’s "Bird," a role for which he also received a Golden Globe nomination.

Whitaker earned widespread recognition for his performance as ‘Judy,’ the hostage British soldier in Neil Jordan’s Academy Award® winning film "The Crying Game." On television, Whitaker garnered a CableAce Award nomination for his performance in the Showtime original film "Last Light," directed by Kiefer Sutherland. He also starred in the HBO presentation "Criminal Justice," for which he earned a CableAce Award nomination, and "The Enemy Within," for which Whitaker received a Screen Actor’s Guild Award® nomination.

Whitaker also executive produced Anne Rice’s "Feast of All Saints" for Showtime. His other credits include "Witness Protection" for HBO, "Light It Up," "Phenomenon," opposite John Travolta, "Species," "Smoke," Robert Altman’s "Ready to Wear, "Jason’s Lyric," "Platoon," "Good Morning Vietnam," "Consenting Adults," "Stakeout," "The Color of Money," "Johnny Handsome," "Downtown," "Diary of a Hit Man," "Body Snatchers," "Vision Quest" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Whitaker made his feature film directing debut with the critically acclaimed, box-office hit "Waiting to Exhale" for Twentieth Century Fox, starring Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine. He first gained recognition as a director for his debut film, the 1993 HBO original "Strapped," for which he received "Best New Director" honors at the Toronto Film Festival. His last film was the Twentieth Century Fox film "Hope Floats," starring Sandra Bullock.

Whitaker’s multimedia company, Spirit Dance Entertainment, includes film, television and music production. Spirit Dance Entertainment is both US based and UK based. Spirit Dance in London, SD4UK, works with FilmFour mentoring black and Asian filmmakers. Whitaker will direct and produce feature films under the company’s first-look deal with Twentieth Century Fox. They also have a first look deal with HBO for television films.

Whitaker works closely with a number of charitable organizations. He serves as an Honorary Board Member for Penny Lane, an organization that provides assistance to abused teenagers. He is also involved with 4-D All-Stars, a motivational mentor program for teenagers as well as The Watts Cinema Project.

KATIE HOLMES ( Pamela McFadden) was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. She began acting in high school theater productions but didn't believe she had a chance at a professional acting career living in the Midwest. Fate intervened, and while attending a national modeling and talent convention in New York City, she met a manager who encouraged her to come to Los Angeles for television's pilot season.

Holmes landed the part of "Joey" on the current WB hit "Dawson's Creek." Co- starring with James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams, the show gained much attention in its first season and was the highest rated show on the network. Shot on location in Wilmington, North Carolina, the show just began production on its fifth season.

Holmes recently wrapped production for the independent film "Pieces of April" starring opposite Sean Patrick Thomas, and on the film "Singing Detectives" opposite Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. She was recently seen in Sam Raimi’s "The Gift" opposite Cate Blanchet, Keanu Reeves, Greg Kinnear and Hillary Swank, and in Curtis Hanson’s "Wonder Boys" opposite Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr. and Tobey Maguire. Holmes’ other feature films include Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm," Doug Liman's "Go," Kevin Williamson's "Teaching Miss Tingle" and the thriller "Disturbing Behavior." Holmes will next be seen in the thriller "Abandon" in which she stars opposite Benjamin Bratt.

RADHA MITCHELL ( Kelly Shepard) is best known for her performances in "Pitch Black," "High Art," "Love & Other Catastrophes" as well as the Independent Spirit Award-winning film "Everything Put Together."

Mitchell is currently filming Miramax's "Neverland," directed by Marc Forster ("Monster's Ball"), in which she plays Johnny Depp's wife. The film is the true story of author James M. Barrie's creation of "Peter Pan." FilmColony and Key Light Entertainment will produce. Mitchell recently completed production in Australia on director Richard Franklin's ("Brilliant Lies") "Visitors." In that film, Mitchell stars as

Georgia Perry, the first woman to sail around the world by herself and due to her solitude, slowly lost her mind and believed she encountered "visitors" during her voyage. The film is being made by Bayside Pictures.

Her additional upcoming films include: Screen Gems' "Shearer's Breakfast" with Barry Watson, Josh Lukas and Kevin Anderson; the independent feature "I Fought the Law" opposite Kiefer Sutherland and Anthony LaPaglia; and "Nobody's Baby" with Gary Oldman and Skeet Ulrich, which premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.

Last year, Mitchell had a starring role alongside Hank Azaria, Leelee Sobieski and Donald Sutherland in director Jon Avnet's four-hour miniseries about Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto, "Uprising."

Mitchell starred in the box-office hit "Pitch Black," opposite Vin Diesel and Cole Hauser. Her performance in "Everything Put Together," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000, garnered her rave reviews. The film, which, Mitchell also produced along with Sean Furst for director Marc Forster, was nominated for a 2001 Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature Under $500,000.

Mitchell gave a memorable performance as Syd, the young editorial assistant who falls in love with Ally Sheedy's heroine addicted photographer character, in Lisa Choldenko's critically acclaimed drama "High Art." Her role in Emma-Kate Croghan's romantic comedy "Love and Other Catastrophes" was highly praised at both Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals. She can also be seen in "Cowboys and Angels," which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, opposite Mia Kirshner and Adam Trese.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Mitchell began her acting career while still in high school. She began her career working in Australian television, then films. Her first film to appear at the Sundance Film Festival was "The Sleeping Beauties." She currently resides in Los Angeles.

KIEFER SUTHERLAND (The Caller) currently stars in the critically acclaimed Fox drama, "24," for which he won a Golden Globe® Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series and garnered an Emmy® nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series. The show will premiere its second season in October.

Last year, Sutherland completed production on the Showtime film "Red Door,"

directed by Matia Karrell, and "Paradise Found," directed by Mario Andreazcchio, in which he portrays the world famous post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin.

Upcoming, Sutherland appears in the World War II drama "To End All Wars," based on the best-selling book, Through the Valley of the Kwai, which is an account of life as a POW in a Southeast Asian prison camp. The film also stars Robert Carlyle, Ciaran McMenarrin and Mark Strong and successfully screened at both the Toronto and Telluride Film Festivals this year. He will also be seen in "Dead Heat," directed by Mark Malone.

In 1998, Sutherland starred in Showtime’s critically-acclaimed original picture, "A Soldier's Sweetheart" with Skeet Ulrich and Georgina Cates, which premiered at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival’s Gala Screening.

In 1997, Sutherland co-starred with William Hurt and Rufus Sewell in "Dark City." Directed by Alex Proyas, "Dark City" was a special presentation at the Cannes Film Festival. Sutherland also added his second directorial credit and starred in "Truth or Consequences" alongside Kevin Pollak, Mykelti Williamson, Rod Steiger and Martin Sheen.

In the 1996 thriller "Eye for an Eye," directed by John Schlesinger, Sutherland portrayed an unremorseful, brutal murderer opposite Sally Field and Ed Harris. Later that summer, he co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey in the screen adaptation of John Grisham's novel, "A Time to Kill."

In 1993, Sutherland starred in "The Three Musketeers," based on the classic tale by Alexandre Dumas. The same year, he made his directorial debut in the critically acclaimed Showtime film "Last Light," in which he also starred opposite Forest Whitaker. "Last Light" garnered some of the most glowing reviews that any cable production has received in a long time, especially for Sutherland's directing.

Sutherland's first major role was in the Canadian drama "The Bad Boy," which earned Sutherland and director Daniel Petrie, Genie award nominations for best actor and best director, respectively. Following his success in "The Bad Boy," Sutherland eventually moved to Los Angeles and landed television appearances in "The Mission," an episode of "Amazing Stories" and in the telefilm "Trapped in Silence" with Marsha Mason.

In 1992, Sutherland starred opposite Ray Liotta and Forest Whitaker in "Article 99," and in the military drama "A Few Good Men," also starring Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise. Later, in 1994, he starred with Jeff Bridges and Nancy Travis in the American version of "The Vanishing" for Twentieth Century Fox.

Sutherland's other film credits include "Flatliners," "Chicago Joe and the Showgirl," "1969," "Flashback," "Young Guns," "Young Guns 2," "Bright Lights, Big City," "The Lost Boys," "Promised Land," "At Close Range," and "Stand By Me."

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Director JOEL SCHUMACHER’s most recent feature was the critically acclaimed "Tigerland," the story of an army boot camp where young men were systematically turned into killers and shipped off to the Vietnam conflict. The film starred "Phone Booth’s" Colin Farrell, who received best actor honors from the Boston Film Critics for his portrayal of a rebellious soldier who struggled against the system in an attempt to hold on to his humanity.

Schumacher’s features have displayed the filmmaker’s versatility and close attention to performance, nuance and atmosphere. "St. Elmo’s Fire" was an ensemble drama that made stars of such young players as Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy, Andrew McCarthy and Demi Moore; "Lost Boys," starring Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland, successfully combined fantastical imagery, comedy and very contemporary horror; "Cousins" was a tender romantic comedy starring Ted Danson, Isabella Rossellini and Sean Young; "Flatliners," toplining Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon and Oliver Platt, was a stylish, surrealistic story of science and spirituality; "Dying Young" reunited Schumacher and Julia Roberts in an unflinching love story; and "Falling Down," starring Michael Douglas, was a gritty controversial and timely story of social disorder.

Schumacher’s two hit adaptations of John Grisham’s best-sellers have been hailed as the best of the authors work to be translated to film: "The Client," starring Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones, and 1996’s summer smash, "A Time to Kill," which introduced Matthew McConaughey in a star-making role alongside such accomplished players as Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Oliver Platt, Kiefer Sutherland, Brenda Fricker, Charles S. Dutton, Ashley Judd, Patrick McGoohan and Donald Sutherland.

Schumacher’s four films – "The Client," "A Time to Kill," "Batman Forever," and "Batman and Robin" – each grossed in excess of $100 million with domestic audiences alone, and "Batman Forever" achieved the distinction of being the highest grossing film of 1995.

Schumacher was born and raised in New York City, where he studied design and display at the Parsons School of Design. He began his career in the entertainment industry as an art director for television commercials before becoming costume designer for such notable films as Woody Allen’s "Sleepers" and "Interiors," Herbert Ross’ "The Last of Sheila" and Paul Mazursky’s "Blume in Love." He then wrote the screenplays for the Motown-inflected musical "Sparkle" and the funk-driven comedy "Car Wash."

Schumacher made his directing debut with the television movie "The Virginia Hill Story," followed by his award-winning telefilm "Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill." "The Incredible Shrinking Woman," starring Lily Tomlin, marked his feature-film directing debut, followed by "D.C. Cab," for which he also wrote the screenplay. Schumacher also wrote the script for "St. Elmo’s Fire" with Carl Kurlander. In 1988, Schumacher directed the successful Chicago theatrical run of David Mamet’s scorching Hollywood satire, "Speed-the-Plow."

Schumacher has also directed a number of public service announcements for MTV's Emmy Award-winning "Fight For Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Violence" campaign and two series for their "Protect Yourself" safe-sex campaign with the Kaiser Family Foundation – one urging young people to get tested, the other targeting at-risk minority youth.

LARRY COHEN (Writer) is well known in the motion picture industry in two complementary though diverse categories. He is one of the most accomplished auteurs of the contemporary independent film genre having written, directed and produced twenty movies, and has also had an enormously successful career as a mainstream screenwriter of major motion pictures and television.

A film aficionado since his elementary school days, Cohen rocketed to fame as a television writer while still in his late teens. While attending City College of New York, he wrote a classic episode, "False Face" of the horror anthology, "Way Out," hosted by Roald Dahl. Later his talent was discovered by award winning writer Reginald Rose and he became a regular contributor to the prestigious award winning TV series, "The Defenders," writing 13 episodes for which he was honored twice by the Television Academy.

Cohen went on to write for such television series as "The Fugitive," before creating the series "The Invaders" and "Branded." He then became a sought after screenwriter, penning the sequel to the highly successful "Magnificent Seven." In the early ‘70s, he enjoyed enormous success as a screenwriter of such films as "Return of the Seven", which starred Yul Brynner, "Daddy’s Gone A-Hunting," directed by Mark Robson, and "El Condor," directed by John Guillermin and produced by Andre De Toth.

Cohen began to get restless, wanting to direct his own material, and he made his directorial debut with "Bone." Following that he directed and produced a string of films he had also written, including the controversial political drama "The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover," with an all star cast including Oscar® winners Broderick Crawford, Dan Dailey, and Jose Ferrer, "God Told Me To," "It Lives Again," "The American Success Company" (starring Jeff Bridges), "Full Moon High (starring Alan and Adam Arkin)," the satiric "The Stuff, It’s Alive," "A Return To Salem’s Lot" (which starred cult director Samuel Fuller and introduced a young Tara Reid), "Wicked Stepmother" (starring Bette Davis), and "Ambulance" (starring Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones and Oscar winner Red Buttons). His most recent directorial effort was "Original Gangstas" with Pam Grier.

In the ‘70s and ‘80s, in addition to his film work, he also wrote the Broadway play "Trick," starring Tammy Grimes, produced by Joshua Logan. Other stage plays include the British production of "Motive," (with Honor Blackman) and the off-Broadway play, "Nature of The Crime," with Tony LoBianco. Most recently he wrote and directed the stage play "Fallen Eagle," for The Sandford Meisner Theatre Company in Los Angeles.

After almost twenty years of writing/directing and producing and becoming a well known "cult figure" in the world of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Cohen returned to his first love of screenwriting for both major television and films. During this period he penned some of the most acclaimed and provocative TV episodes of "Columbo" and more recently "The New Defenders," Ed McBain’s "87th Precinct," "NYPD Blue," the TV miniseries "The Invaders" and a remake of "Body Snatchers." For the big screen, his credits include the acclaimed mystery/thriller "Best Seller," starring Brian Dennehy and James Woods and "Guilty As Sin," starring Rebecca De Mornay and directed by Sidney Lumet, a Touchstone release.

Over the years Cohen has amassed numerous awards and honors and retrospectives of his films throughout the world. He received the coveted Avoriaz Film Festival Jury Prize twice from juries headed by Polanski and Spielberg and last year was honored with a showing of ten films at the Stockholm Film Festival and with a similar tribute held at the Brisbane Film Festival in Australia. Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival, billed its tribute to Cohen, "Gods And Demons – A Tribute To The Maverick Independent Filmmaker," honoring his films with a month-long retrospective, which followed a previous month-long tribute at the Chicago Art Institute entitled "It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Larry Cohen!"

DAVID ZUCKER (Producer) is a prominent filmmaker whose credits include such hits as "Airplane," "Ruthless People," "Top Secret," and the "Naked Gun" movies, acting as writer/director/producer on some of the most successful and memorable films of recent years.

After graduation form the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Zucker, his brother Jerry and school friend Jim Abrahams rented the back of a Madison bookstore and created their own comedy troupe, Kentucky Fried Theater, a multi-media show that combined live improvisations with videotaped and filmed sketches. In 1972, they moved to Los Angeles and opened a new Kentucky Fried Theater, which soon attracted critical acclaim and a devoted following. In five years, they performed to more than 150,000 patrons and became the most successful small theater group in Los Angeles history.

In 1977, the team of "ZAZ" released their first movie. Inspired by their stage show, "Kentucky Fried Movie" soon became a hit independent release. Their next project, "Airplane!" became the surprise hit of 1980, and launched the trio on a streak of successful movies and TV shows, including the Emmy-nominated "Police Squad" (1982), "Top Secret" (1984), and "Ruthless People," one of the top grossing films of 1986.

Zucker ventured out on his own with "The Naked Gun" (1988), his first directorial solo. Based on the "ZAZ" television series, "Police Squad," with Leslie Nielsen reprising his role as Lt. Frank Drebin, "The Naked Gun" was a runaway hit. The l991 follow-up, "The Naked Gun 2 ½ : The Smell of Fear," contained an environmental storyline and surpassed the original at the box office. "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" remains one of the top ten box office hits of 1994. Zucker also found time to co-produce "A Walk in the Clouds" in 1995 starring Keanu Reeves, and "High School High" in 1997.

After the completion of "Phone Booth," Zucker is set to direct Ashton ("Dude, Where’s My Car?") Kutcher in "The Guest" for Dimension and his recently completed script, "F.B.I. Man 2001," for Fox 2000. He is preparing a feature film biography on Davy Crockett, a subject he’s held an avid interest in for many years, and which has spawned one of the largest collections of Davy Crockett memorabilia in the country.

GIL NETTER (Producer) is partnered with filmmaker David Zucker in Zucker-Netter Productions on "Phone Booth." In a partnership with Wayne Rice, Netter produced the recently released Twentieth Century Fox comedy "Dude, Where’s My Car?" Directed by Danny Leiner, the film starred Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott.

Netter was president of Zucker Brothers Productions for seven years, where he executive produced such films as "My Best Friend’s Wedding," "First Knight," "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult," "Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear," and Fox’s "A Walk in the Clouds." Netter began his career as a talent/literary agent for The Agency and later vice president of Imagine Entertainment.

TED KURDYLA (Executive Producer) also served in this capacity on Joel Schumacher’s "Tigerland," starring Colin Farrell. His credits as producer include "Fallen," starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman and Donald Sutherland, and directed by Gregory Hoblit; "The Confession," starring Alec Baldwin, Ben Kingsely and Amy Irving, directed by David Jones; "Final Analysis" starring Richard Gere and Kim Basinger, directed by Phil Joanou; "Cadillac Man" starring Robin Williams and Tim Robbins, directed by Roger Donaldson; and "Johnny Handsome" starring Mickey Rourke and Ellen Barkin, directed by Walter Hill.

For television, Kurdyla co-produced "The Cosby Mysteries," and produced the telefilm "Trapped" starring Kris Kristofferson, "Birds II: Land’s End" and "Twilight Man" starring Tim Matheson and Dean Stockwell.

He also has worked as a production manager on films such as "Once Upon a Time in America," "Blow Out," "Year of the Dragon" and "Batteries Not Included."

MATTHEW LIBATIQUE, ASC (Director of Photography) previously collaborated with director Joel Schumacher on the acclaimed New Regency drama "Tigerland," released by Twentieth Century Fox.

Libatique worked with independent filmmaker Darren Aronofsky on four shorts and two feature films. Their most recent effort is the provocative drama "Requiem for a Dream," based on the novel by Hubert Selby, Jr. Their award-winning feature debut, "Pi," was noted for, among other things, Libatique’s severe black-and-white imagery. Libatique also shot Rob Schmidt’s dark, elegiac drama "Saturn," as well as numerous music videos for artists such as Incubus, Snoop Dog, Moby and Barenaked Ladies.

He most recently served as director of photography on "Josie and the Pussycats" for Universal Studios and directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan.

ANDREW LAWS (Production Designer) has worked as a production designer and art director since leaving the field of architecture in 1995.

"Phone Booth" is Laws’ third film and his second with director Joel Schumacher. Their last collaboration was New Regency Films’ "Tigerland," released by Twentieth Century Fox. Previously, Laws designed the production for director Hampton Fancher’s noir thriller "The Minus Man."

Laws’ credits as art director include "Gone in 60 Seconds," directed by Dominic Sena and production designed by Jeff Mann; "Simpatico," directed by Matthew Warchus and production designed by Amy B. Ancona; and "Rushmore," directed by Wes Anderson and production designed by David Wasco.

As assistant art director, Laws collaborated with production designer David Wasco on "Jackie Brown," "She’s So Lovely" and "Touch," directed by Paul Schrader.

MARK STEVENS (Editor) previously worked with director Joel Schumacher as the editor of "Tigerland," "8mm" and "Flawless," and working alongside Dennis Virkler on both "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin." Stevens also had a shared credit as editor on the thriller "Chain Reaction."

Stevens served as first assistant editor on such feature films as "Hard to Kill," "If Looks Could Kill," "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," "Under Siege," "The Fugitive," and "On Deadly Ground."

His television credits include the movies-of-the-week "My Wicked, Wicked Ways," "First Steps," "Picking Up the Pieces," "One Police Plaza," "Secret Witness," and "Who Will Get the Friends?" as well as the mini-series "If Tomorrow Comes."

HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS (Composer) began his motion picture career as an orchestrator, arranger, and writer on many of composer Stanley Myers' films, with whom he rapidly learned the techniques of film scoring and formed relationships with other top composers, including Hans Zimmer.

It was through his association with Myers that Gregson-Williams became friends with legendary filmmaker Nicolas Roeg, composing his first major scores for Roeg's "Full Body Massage" and "Hotel Paradise."

In 1995 Gregson-Williams moved to Los Angeles and quickly launched his career as a Hollywood composer by composing the score for Billie August’s "Smilla’s Sense of Snow." Gregson-Williams next took on "The Whole Wide World," and in 1996, he composed music for "The Rock," forming a relationship with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, which has continued to this day. The following year found Gregson-Williams busy with a total of eight feature film projects, including "Deceiver," "The Replacement Killers" and "The Borrowers."

Gregson-Williams went on to team up with legendary rock guitarist Trevor Rabin for the scores to "Armageddon" and "Enemy of the State" for Jerry Bruckheimer, followed by "Antz," a computer animated movie.

Gregson-Williams work continued to be diverse as he continued to score big studio films interspersed with smaller independent movies. In 1999 after completing the score for "King of the Jungle", Gregson-Williams scored the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced TV movie "Swing Vote," as well as Fox’s urban drama "Light it Up."

In 2000, Gregson-Williams scored two of the year’s most successful family films: "The Tigger Movie" and "Chicken Run." He also composed the music for a British independent film "Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?"

Gregson-Williams scored the Oscar winning blockbuster animated feature "Shrek" for which he received a BAFTA nomination and won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Score. In 2001, he scored the Tony Scott feature "Spy Game," starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt and received a Golden Satellite Award nomination for his score. He also completed an album that was co-written with guitarist Peter Distefano (Porno for Pyros). His upcoming projects include "Veronica Guerin" starring Cate Blanchett from director Joel Schumacher, and an animated feature "Sinbad."

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