Production Notes
For centuries, two races have evolved hidden deeply within human culture – the aristocratic, sophisticated Vampires, and the brutal, feral Lycans (werewolves). To humanity, their existence is no more than a whisper of a myth. But to each other, they are lifelong mortal rivals, sworn to wage a secret war until only one race is left standing.
In the midst of this ongoing struggle, a Vampire warrior, Selene (Kate Beckinsale), discovers a Lycan plot to kidnap a young human doctor. After shadowing Michael (Scott Speedman) through the city, she forms an unprecedented bond with him, and when the Lycans make their next move, Selene is there to fend off their vicious assault.
As she races to save Michael and unravel the Lycan intrigue surrounding him, Selene discovers a secret that has terrifying repercussions for both tribes – a nefarious plan to awaken a new invincible species of predator that combines the strengths of both creatures and the weaknesses of neither, which threatens to tip the balance of power in favor of the werewolves, who have been on the losing end of the struggle for centuries.
Kate Beckinsale (Serendipity, Pearl Harbor) and Scott Speedman (Dark Blue, TV’s Felicity) star in a sweeping tale of deadly action, ruthless intrigue and forbidden love, all set against the backdrop of an ancient feud between the two tribes in a timeless, Gothic metropolis.
Screen Gems and Lakeshore Entertainment present UNDERWORLD, produced by Lakeshore Chairman Tom Rosenberg, President Gary Lucchesi and Head of Production Richard Wright. The screenplay is by Danny McBride from a story by Kevin Grevioux and Len Wiseman & Danny McBride. The Director of Photography is Tony Pierce-Roberts, BSC (Disclosure, Howards End). The cutting edge werewolf creatures are designed and supervised by acclaimed
special effects artist Patrick Tatopoulos, whose credits include Godzilla, Independence Day and Stuart Little. Academy Award® winner Trefor Proud is key make-up artist (Topsy-Turvy).
The tradition of vampires and werewolves in Hollywood goes back to the beginning of film, but UNDERWORLD takes the myths deeper. Unbeknownst to the humanity around them, Vampires and Lycans (werewolves) have been engaged in a centuries-long battle for dominance within hidden sectors of the city. "This isn’t drawn off a comic book or a novel," explains screenwriter Danny McBride. "This is from genre guys
sitting together in a living room, wanting to create a universe, base it on science and bring vampires and werewolves into a new light."
One night while riding the subway, medical student Michael Corvin is caught in a fierce firefight between the two mysterious "gangs." He catches the eye of a striking and sophisticated woman, the Vampire warrior Selene.
Disobeying orders to leave the human alone, she steals away from Kraven’s estate to shadow Michael through the city. In spite of her centuries of paramilitary training, she finds herself becoming curiously interested in Michael – who, like all other humans, has no idea that Vampires or Lycans even exist. "Her personal crusade gets undermined when she meets Michael," says Beckinsale. "It's interesting
to play a character who is off her feet a little bit, who suddenly has to think differently about things."
Scott Speedman, who recently starred in the film Dark Blue after a long-running role in the television drama Felicity, stars as Michael Corvin. Speedman describes him as a loner who is new to the city. "Michael’s a guy who has suffered a great tragedy in his life," says Speedman. "His girlfriend has been killed in an accident. He’s decided to take off to a different world where nobody knows him."
When the Lycans attack again, Selene takes on their most skilled fighters but is powerless to stop Michael from being bitten by the ruthless Lycan leader, Lucian (Michael Sheen). Sheen notes that Lucian is an ancient being who should not be underestimated. "He’s centuries old," says the actor. "He has a very long history and a whole mythology tied to his connection with the Vampires from many, many centuries
before when werewolves were slaves to the Vampires. Lucian has a huge hatred of Viktor, the Vampire overlord, especially."
Selene believes that Lucian is organizing a werewolf army intent on revenge after years of persecution at the hands of the arrogant Vampires. In her desperation for an ally, Selene awakens the Vampire leader Viktor (Bill Nighy) from his five-hundred-years sleep. "He's reawakened a century too soon and is not too pleased about that," comments Bill Nighy. "He thought they’d cleared up the werewolf trouble
hundreds of years ago by killing everybody. But, in fact, that wasn't the case, and now the werewolves have regrouped and are threatening the vampire world."
Nighy describes Viktor as "bigger, better, stronger, quicker, faster, more powerful than anyone else, so it should be a breeze. Selene awakens him because she believes he is not only all-powerful, but the force of good in the story."
But neither of the warring clans is fully prepared for the next revelation – Michael has not stumbled into their secret war by pure accident. He has a secret connection to both the Lycans and Vampires.
The genesis for UNDERWORLD began during a conversation about werewolf movies between director Len Wiseman and his friend Kevin Grevioux, who is a co-writer and plays the role of Raze in the film. "If it’s the new werewolf film of the millennium, I want to see something different," says Wiseman.
Grevioux suggested creating a type of Romeo/Juliet story and instead of Montagues and Capulets, it would be werewolves and vampires. Further, his background in genetic engineering proved vital to the filmmakers’ new take on these age-old legends. "We wanted to use science as a base rather than mysticism, so I created a virus which was the reason that vampires and werewolves became what they had finally become."
Wiseman adds that they eschewed the classic mystical associations of vampires with garlic and crosses. "I think if you take it down to a genetic state then you can really explain things," he says. "If it’s about a genetic anomaly that creates these species or you’re just dealing with a blood type that through the years has somehow been able to develop these species, then you can find ways to kill
it. You can explore why silver affects this type of blood. Our vampires and werewolves are a little more grounded."
The filmmakers next enlisted screenwriter Danny McBride, who shares their love for the genre, to flesh out their ideas. "Danny really facilitated the process and got our ideas straight," says Grevioux.
From the outset, they were determined to have a gritty female central character whose arc would involve internal conflict. "To Danny and I, it was refreshing to see a female in this role rather than a male," says Wiseman.
The project came to Lakeshore and was put together very quickly. As producer Gary Lucchesi points out, "Most of the time it takes two to three years to put a movie together, and this movie we put together in two to three months."
Wiseman’s ability to articulate exactly how he wanted to make this film impressed everyone at Lakeshore Entertainment. As Lucchesi explains, "Len is a very eloquent guy. He comes from the world of production design, which I found rather interesting. He had apprenticed with Roland Emmerich and had worked at ILM. He was very committed to the atmosphere of the movie and felt that in a movie like UNDERWORLD, atmosphere
was going to be a top priority in achieving what he wanted on screen." Producer Richard Wright adds, "Len is a very focused and hardworking guy. He has a bright new sensibility as a director."
With Lakeshore’s history of working with first time directors, the support network was already in place for UNDERWORLD. As producer Tom Rosenberg points out, "One of the things we at Lakeshore are most proud of is that we’ve given a number of first time feature directors a chance. We had a very successful relationship with Mark Pellington (The Mothman Prophecies) and have gone on to make three films with him;
we have also recently worked with Paul McGuigan on Obsessed, so Len was a perfect fit." The next step was to find a cast that could give life to the characters the filmmakers created.
Kate Beckinsale had carved out a name in theatre and film but had not yet entered the genre. "Before UNDERWORLD, Kate was not somebody that you would expect to see running around toting a gun, wearing vampire teeth," says producer Wright.
"Kate didn’t want to take a look at this script based simply on the fact that it was a werewolf movie and she told us that she wasn’t interested," Wiseman says. "But her agent sent her the script anyway with all my drawings."
"Len had done these really fantastic drawings of Selene and the werewolves," Beckinsale remembers. "They were so cool and interesting and not old-fashioned gothic. They were really fresh and I thought ‘Wow! That’s interesting’ and I read the script. It’s not like a comic book where she does somersaults and isn’t a real character. She’s flesh and blood."
Beckinsale’s involvement helped paved the way for assembling a diverse cast of professionals. "Kate Beckinsale’s fantastic. We were very fortunate that she agreed to star in this movie," says Lucchesi. Wright agrees, "Kate coming on board really legitimized the film and elevated its perceived status. We have a phenomenal cast of very talented actors and I think we owe that in large part to Kate coming
aboard first."
The filmmakers also welcomed her collaboration, particularly with the character of Selene. "She was very passionate about the project," says Wiseman. "All of her ideas really gelled with our ideas and some of the things just made it so much better. We all wanted to make the best movie possible, regardless of genre." Comments McBride, "Kate is razor-sharp in this movie and I think she’s going to
blow people’s socks off. Her acting is astounding, she looks amazing and she’s doing a lot of these stunts herself. It is so out of the box from anything she’s ever done. She has just breathed life into Selene and yanked her off the page - played with her like putty and created a slick, cool, complicated character."
Wright goes on to explain what an arduous task the cast had in front of them. "This is not an easy movie to shoot, leastwise for Kate," he comments. "We have done all sorts of horrible things to her. We got her soaking wet, kept her outside in freezing cold weather and had her standing on top of an eight story building. But she’s been a trooper and she’s really soldiered through."
Beckinsale has nothing but praise for her experience making UNDERWORLD. "It’s been an incredibly passionate, fantastic experience making the film," she says. Adding "I think it’s been my favorite job so far, which is funny for me because I wasn’t expecting to feel safe and secure on this film - because I’m slightly off my game, you know? But the fact that I do is a real achievement of
Len’s."
The next critical cast member was Michael Corvin. Wiseman had seen Scott Speedman on Felicity, and although he didn’t put that together with this film, it was the actor’s attitude toward the material that convinced the director. "Scott takes everything in this film seriously and wants it to be as real as possible," says Wiseman. Beckinsale concurs, "I think Len attracts people who are in it for the
right reasons and Scott’s another one who really just wants to work and do a great job."
Working on UNDERWORLD was a great new experience for Speedman – not only a first with Wiseman but also the genre. "It’s exciting to work with first time directors because they’re not so set in their ways," he says. "Len seems very excited about what he’s doing and has a lot of passion for this project. I think that will be evident in the movie. No matter what’s going on and what
pressures he’s under he seems like he’s really enjoying himself. He’s a great talent and has got a real sense of style and a vision of his own."
As Michael transforms from human to werewolf, Speedman underwent arduous hours of prosthetic makeup application. "It took five hours to put it on and one night it took seven people an hour and a half to get it off," he recalls. "They were all preparing me to be bored and antsy, but it was actually a really interesting process to sit there and watch five people do this amazing work on your body."
Speedman wasn’t the only actor to undergo hours of makeup. British veteran actor Bill Nighy, who plays Vampire overlord Viktor, had a similar experience being transformed from a mummified state to fleshed out ‘human’ Vampire. "I had no idea what ‘prosthetic’ meant until I got here and it means pain, a lot of it," he comments wryly. "But you can’t hate them because they’re
really groovy guys; they’re very nice and tremendously gifted at their jobs."
For the filmmakers Nighy was an ideal match for Viktor because of his ability to project a presence and sense of control. "Bill Nighy came in and I didn’t know anything about him," Wiseman remembers. "He sat down and read and it was the only experience I’ve had where I was taping somebody and got lost behind the camera. He became the Viktor that you think about when you write. That was incredibly
exciting." Comments Lucchesi, "Bill Nighy was a sensational find. He really brought gravity to the whole movie."
To play Lucian, the Lycan leader, the filmmakers enlisted stage actor Michael Sheen, who had recently performed a four-year run in a London production of Amadeus in addition to appearing in The Four Feathers. "From the very first time Michael came in to read, it was electrifying," comments screenwriter Danny McBride. "He brings exactly what we needed for Lucian, the weight, the control, and he’s a seasoned
pro."
Rounding out the main cast is Shane Brolly as Kraven, the arrogant and emotional Vampire leader whose own bid for dominance plays a key role in the fate of both tribes. "It's the hardest part I've had to play because there's so much going on in his brain," says Brolly. "Plus, I shout in every scene. So, when you shout for twelve hours, I don't know about you, but I need an Advil and a glass of wine … or
a glass of blood."
THE ACTION OF UNDERWORLD
Getting in shape for the physical roles of Vampires and Lycans demanded that Beckinsale and Speedman undergo weeks of intensive training in Los Angeles prior to rehearsal. "I don’t have an athletic background, I have a dance background which has its advantages and disadvantages," comments Beckinsale. "I have to remember not to point my toes when I’m landing from a jump." She also had to learn
to adapt to the intricate wirework that would be used in the film. For one scene in particular, "I had to jump up, flip over in the air, shoot a werewolf and land. I’d been dreading it for months and then I only got to do it four times. I actually wanted to do it again."
Beckinsale trained with top stunt coordinators Brad Martin and Scott McElroy, whom she credits with helping her overcome her fear. "They completely inspire you with confidence," she reflects. "I think the most important thing is that you feel safe, because when you feel safe you are able to be daring. And these are really the best guys out there." Comments stunt coordinator Martin, "It took us a while
to gain Kate’s trust and to get her to realize that everything was going to be ok. Once she was able to find confidence in herself, she realized that she had the ability to do it."
Speedman, on the other hand, was in his element with the extensive stunt work in UNDERWORLD. "He had never done gymnastics or fighting before but picked it all up amazingly quickly," says Martin. "By the end of our training, we had him doing backflips in and out of wires."
"The stunt team was amazing," Speedman adds. "I’ve never thrown a punch before in my life, but they got me into excellent physical shape and taught me how to punch and kick. I guess my favorite part was getting on the wires. That was pretty cool."
Nighy’s Viktor and Speedman’s Michael would undergo intense scenes of violence together throughout production. "Scott has not only had to slug it out with me in knee deep water for days but he’s had to do it whilst encased in prosthetic makeup and contact lenses that render him virtually blind," Nighy notes. "And unless you’ve done either of those two things, you don’t know what
that means, but you have to trust me that it’s some achievement to get through."
Producer Wright adds that despite extraordinary physical demands on the actors, they executed their work with grace and professionalism. "Scott Speedman is a very hardworking and very long suffering actor," he says. "The guy has the constitution of a stallion and the patience of a saint. And as for Bill Nighy – I doubt he has ever been standing in 50° water while swinging a sword and getting bullets
shot at him, after having sat through hours and hours of makeup…and yet he still delivered a terrific performance."
This high level of action shooting involved every actor, particularly Sheen. "Michael Sheen is yet another case of a man having to suffer through a tremendous amount of physical hardship in order to put together the performance," Wright notes. "He gets hit by a car and survives all manner of assassination attempts and comes through with flying colors."
To attain the look that would reflect the intense visualizations the filmmakers had for UNDERWORLD, Wiseman enlisted Academy Award® nominated cinematographer, Tony Pierce-Roberts, BSC (Howards End). "He had done some big Hollywood movies and a lot of Merchant-Ivory films but the film of his that I responded to was called The Trench, which surprised him," comments Wiseman. "The Trench was very dark and I’m
really into dark visuals for a movie like this. I wanted a gritty, gothic comic book world and Tony really pulled that off. All the stuff I would show him as references, he really got and understood."
"Getting Tony was an important coup for us on this film because it brought us a certain level of production value," adds Wright. "Once he agreed to do the film people stopped looking at this as just another vampire movie but as a movie that really had a chance to transcend the genre and be something really special. He really legitimized the craft side of the project."
This quest for a unique world took the filmmakers to Eastern Europe, through which they travelled prior to deciding on Budapest. "Once I got to Budapest I knew that this was where the film needed to take place," remembers Wiseman. "It had the buildings we were looking for and all the interiors that you could never build on this kind of budget. And, it just had that feeling." He adds, "I had a vision
of what this movie was going to be in my head and as much as I tried to explain to everybody, it was only when we got to Budapest that they said ‘Oh, now I know the kind of movie you are trying to make.’"
"It’s a very elegant city, it reminds you a little bit of Paris. It has a lot of buildings that are architecturally interesting," notes Lucchesi. "It had a dark brooding sensibility that was perfect for us," Wright adds. "Budapest is a city dripping in history and the ancestral home of both vampires and werewolves as Transylvania used to be part of Hungary. There’s a certain mythical connection
between Budapest and the type of film that this is. It was just too hard to resist."
THE CREATURES OF UNDERWORLD
From the beginning the filmmakers wanted to differentiate the Vampires and Lycans of UNDERWORLD from the glut of digitally-created creatures in movies. Screenwriter McBride remembers, "CGI is great for certain things. But, a lot of times, especially for creatures with hair, it tends not to work very well. Going back to our core audience, the hardcore genre people have grown up watching monster movies. We knew that we needed
to have something that was tangible, something that you felt like you could reach out and touch – guys in incredible suits, with animatronic faces in conjunction with the wires – in order for it to be something special. We have the new and old and the best of both."
Patrick Tatopoulos has created some of the most memorable and intricate creature makeups and prosthetics. Best known for his creation of Godzilla, Tatopoulos and his design team had previously collaborated with Wiseman when the director worked in the art department of that film as well as Stargate and Independence Day. Thus, he was a natural for UNDERWORLD. McBride points out "Len loves the passion Patrick has, and the
first time I met him, I immediately liked him."
Tatopoulos and his team created a large number of life-sized werewolf maquettes (reference sculptures) down to expertly carved pores, hair follicles and other minute details. The prosthetic suits were then constructed utilizing special stilts created by prosthetic limb manufacturers. "To watch one of the werewolves walk in the room with the animatronic lips, tongues and eyes was pretty astounding," McBride remembers.
"Patrick and Guy Himber, his right-hand man, were on the set making every detail, all of Bill Nighy's makeup, all elements perfect. Those guys really put a lot of time in."
Tatopoulos designed Lycans that would have 25 axes of rotation to give them lifelike movement and the look of an entire new breed of werewolf. "When he started the first drawings of the werewolves, they were scary but they were cool and hip," McBride continues. "They were exactly what we wanted."
UNDERWORLD
About the Cast
English actress KATE BECKINSALE (Selene) has captured attention on both sides of the Atlantic.
Beckinsale most recently starred in the ensemble drama Laurel Canyon for Sony Pictures Classics. Directed by Lisa Cholodenko, the film also features Frances McDormand, Christian Bale and Alessandro Nivola.
In 2001, she starred opposite John Cusack in Peter Chelsom’s Serendipity for Miramax Films. That same year, Beckinsale also was seen in Disney's Pearl Harbor, directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Beckinsale co-starred with Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Tom Sizemore. In addition, she appeared in the critically acclaimed film The Golden Bowl for Lions Gate Films, a Merchant Ivory production that starred
Nick Nolte, Jeremy Northam and Uma Thurman.
Beckinsale previously co-starred with Claire Danes and Bill Pullman in the Jonathan Kaplan directed drama, Brokedown Palace, for Fox 2000. She also appeared with Chloe Sevigny, Chris Eigeman, Jennifer Beals and Robert Sean Leonard in Whit Stillman’s early eighties ensemble drama, The Last Days of Disco, and in the British comedy Shooting Fish opposite Stuart Townsend and Dan Futterman.
Beckinsale played the title role of A&E’s Emma from the same producer of their critically acclaimed production of Pride and Prejudice. Directed by Diarmuid Lawrence, the film featured an all-star British cast, including Mark Strong, Samantha Morton, Prunella Scales, Samantha Bond, Olivia Williams and James Hazeldine.
Beckinsale first gained notice in the United States as the fiery, take-charge heroine Flora Poste in John Schelsinger’s sleeper hit Cold Comfort Farm. The film, which was originally televised on the BBC, also starred Joanna Lumley, Sir Ian McKellen, Eileen Atkings and Rufus Sewell.
Her American film debut was in Kenneth Branagh’s critically acclaimed film Much Ado About Nothing with Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington and Robert Sean Leonard. Additional film credits include Haunted opposite Aidan Quinn, Uncovered, Manuel Fleche’s Marie Louise and The Prince of Jutland from director Gabriel Axel.
Beckinsale’s roles for television have included One Against the Wind for Hallmark Films, Anna Lee and Rachel’s Dream. On the stage, she has appeared in Clocks and Whistles, Sweetheart and the British national touring production of The Seagull.
Beckinsale recently completed filming Universal’s Van Helsing opposite Hugh Jackman. This gothic action film is written and directed by Stephen Sommers and is scheduled to be released in Summer 2004.
Scott Speedman (Michael Corvin) most recently starred in the film Dark Blue with Kurt Russell and Ving Rhames. Set in Los Angeles during the Rodney King trial, this intense police drama was directed by Ron Shelton.
He will next be seen in the Sony Classics film My Life Without Me opposite Sarah Polley and Mark Ruffalo, which was directed by Isabel Coixet and produced by Pedro Almodovar.
Other film credits include the Touchstone feature Duets directed by Bruce Paltrow and co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Maria Bello and the Canadian independent Kitchen Party directed by Gary Burns.
Speedman came to the attention of American audiences in the critically acclaimed television series Felicity opposite Keri Russell.
Born in London, England, and raised in Toronto, Speedman spent most of his youth immersed in athletics, following in the footsteps of his mother who held a world record in running. At ages 12 and 14, he was a member of the relay swim team that captured the national record for the 400-meter medley. In 1992, as a member of the Canadian Junior National Swim Team, Speedman performed well at the Olympic trials but suffered a neck
injury soon after and was forced to leave the sport.
Speedman’s first film was the short feature Can I Get A Witness. It was developed at the Norman Jewison Film Center in Toronto and was screened at the 1996 Toronto International Film Festival. While studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, Speedman landed the main love interest role on Felicity. During his summer hiatus in 2000, he made his stage debut, performing the lead in the Edward Albee play The Zoo Story
at the Equity Theater in Toronto.
When not working, Speedman enjoys hiking, camping, reading and playing basketball. He currently divides his time between Los Angeles, New York and Toronto.
Bill Nighy’s (Viktor) critically acclaimed film performances include Still Crazy, for which he won the London Evening Standard Peter Seller’s Comedy Award; Lawless Heart, for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the 2002 British Independent Film Awards; and Lucky Break, securing a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the London Film Critics Circle Awards in 2002. He will appear in the upcoming
romantic comedy Love Actually with Laura Linney, Liam Neeson and Hugh Grant, as well as I Capture The Castle and the British television feature The Lost Prince.
A distinguished career in theatre, Nighy won the Best Actor award at the Barclay’s Theatre Awards for David Hare’s Skylight, and garnered a Best Actor nomination at the Olivier Awards for Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall. Other notable appearances include Betrayal, A Kind of Alaska and Landscape & Silence by Harold Pinter.
A highly regarded young British actor, Michael Sheen’s (Lucian) popularity and critical acclaim in the theatre is quickly translating to the big screen with such upcoming high profile feature film projects as Bright Young Things, directed by Stephen Fry and co-starring Jim Broadbent, Dan Aykroyd and Stockard Channing; and the Richard Donner directed Timeline, with Paul Walker and Frances O’Connor.
Classically trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he won the SWET/Laurence Olivier Bursary Award, Sheen made his stage debut in the West End production of When She Danced for director Robert Ackerman. Soon after, under the direction of Declan Donellan, Sheen was nominated for the Ian Charleson Award for his performance in Don’t Fool With Love.
Sheen continued his theatre career and was nominated a second time for the Ian Charleson Award for Henry V at RSC. He returned to the Royal National Theatre for the production of Look Back In Anger for which he was nominated for the Olivier Award as well as the Evening Standard Award. Sheen complemented his theatrical career with roles in such films as Oliver Parker's Othello, Brian Gilbert's Wilde with Jude Law and Vanessa
Redgrave, and Stephen Frears's Mary Reilly, starring Julia Roberts. His most recent theatrical success, playing Mozart in Sir Peter Hall's Amadeus, brought him from the West End to Broadway, as well as a nomination for the Outer Critics Circle Award.
Hot off the success of Amadeus, Sheen earned his first major role in an American studio film, Shekhar Kapur's The Four Feathers, starring opposite Heath Ledger and Wes Bentley for Miramax/Paramount. Following that, he landed the lead role in Miramax's upcoming film, Heartlands, for director Damien O'Donnell. He next prepares to star in Caligula at the Donmar Warehouse in London and will play Tony Blair in Stephen Frear’s
made-for-television movie The Rivals.
Sheen spends his time between Los Angeles and London.
Born and raised in Belfast, Ireland, SHANE BROLLY (Kraven) first began acting in a small theatre group while attending college in Los Angeles. He soon was chosen to play the lead in the HBO film Flypaper opposite Craig Sheffer and Lucy Liu. Since then, he has consistently landed roles in a bevy of independent and studio productions.
Brolly was most recently seen in Dimension’s sci-fi thriller Imposter, starring Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe and Vincent D’Onofrio and directed by Gary Fleder.
His other credits include the independent films Connecting Dots, Black Fire, Rennie’s Landing and Sin’s Kitchen. Brolly also had the lead role in the Showtime series and upcoming movie ChromiumBlue.com, directed by Zalman King.
Brolly currently resides in Los Angeles.
From an early age ERWIN LEDER (Singe) was fascinated with the arts, whether it was painting, dancing or playing the guitar, piano or drums and percussion. After a serious illness caused him to stop his medical education, Leder enrolled in the Krauss School in Vienna, Austria, to study acting and directing. Since then, he has appeared in more than thirty-five plays and 130 film and television productions, including
a featured role in the German hit film Das Boot.
In 1989, he won several international film awards for his performances in EIS and Les Poissons Morts. Leder’s additional film credits include notable appearances in Schindler’s List and The Three Musketeers. With more than fifteen German and Austrian television series roles, his most well-known character was on the German hospital serial Surgery Calls Dr. Bruckner.
Leder has produced, directed and starred in several bravura one-man performances, including the most recent adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s The Dream Of A Ridiculous Man. In addition, he writes and performs stand up comedy in Germany and Austria.
ROBBIE GEE’s (Kahn) extensive career spans the stage, silver screen and television. His television appearances include The Firm, Black Poppies, Desmonds and The Real McCoy.
Gee has starred in such feature films as Guy Ritchie’s Snatch, SW9, Mean Machine and Mike Basset.
Born and raised in Islesworth, England, SOPHIA MYLES (Erika) was discovered by a British casting director at age 16 when she was starring in a school play and was offered a part in the television adaptation of The Prince And The Pauper.
Shortly thereafter, Myles appeared in the British mini-series Big Women, following that performance with roles in the television series The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby and Oliver Twist.
Her first feature film role was in Patricia Rozema’s Mansfield Park. Myles’s additional film credits include The Abduction Club opposite Matthew Rhys, and From Hell with Johnny Depp and Heather Graham. She will next star in The Thunderbirds, with Anthony Edwards and Bill Paxton, for director Jonathan Frakes.
Myles currently lives in London.
Hailing from Minneapolis, Minn., KEVIN GREVIOUX (Raze/Co-Writer/Associate Producer) moved often as a kid, living in Illinois, Alaska, Oklahoma, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
An avid reader, he had a passion for everything from history and comic books to science and, ultimately, science fiction. After graduating from Howard University in Washington, D.C., with a degree in Microbiology and studying for his Masters degree in Genetic Engineering, he worked as a research assistant at the National Institutes of Health. Ironically, it was while working in the field of science that he began to ponder an
actual career working in the film industry writing science fiction scripts.
Grevioux moved to Los Angeles and began to hone his skills as a writer, penning several scripts. To this end, he has written and directed two sci-fi short films, Indigo and Thanatos.
In addition, Grevioux studied acting and has appeared in numerous films, including Planet of the Apes, Charlie’s Angels, Bowfinger, Steel, Batman Forever and Congo. Most recently, he appeared in The Hulk and Men In Black II.
Grevioux met director Len Wiseman while working on the sci-fi hit Stargate in 1993. They became fast friends and later collaborated on a host of ideas, leading to the completion of two scripts, one of which was Underworld. It was Grevioux who first came up with the original concept for Underworld and wrote the initial screenplay and treatment.
Grevioux is currently doing rewrites on his next two scripts after which he plans on putting the final touches on his first novel, a science-fiction thriller.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Making his directorial debut, LEN WISEMAN’s (Director) experience in the film industry was initially gained through his work in the art department for blockbuster hits Godzilla, Men In Black and Independence Day.
With Wiseman’s natural visual flair and eye for design, he was soon behind the lens directing commercials for PlayStation, Time Warner, Oracle, Intel and Activision, quickly leading to a career in music videos. A host of award nominations followed, including Best Art Direction at the 2002 MTV Awards for Quarashi’s "Stick ‘Em Up" and Best Director at the 2002 MVPA Awards for the Rufus Wainwright video
"Across the Universe." In addition, Wiseman has directed groundbreaking music videos for Megadeath, En Vogue, Static X, Paul Oakenfold and Brooke Allison.
Wiseman and writer Danny McBride met through their agent Nick Reed at ICM. The two hit it off upon discovering they had a common love and knowledge of genre films. They have collaborated on numerous projects since, including Underworld.
With his distinctive style and growing reputation, Wiseman came to the attention of Skip Williamson, President of Lakeshore Records. Seeing Wiseman at work on the set of the Rufus Wainwright video, Williamson made the push for Lakeshore to take a look at Underworld.
The screenplay for Underworld was so well received that Wiseman and McBride took another idea to the studios with Antoine Fuqua attached to produce. A bidding war quickly ensued, which Disney won. The project is tentatively called Black Chapter.
TOM ROSENBERG (Producer), a veteran of film financing and production, is the founder and chairman of Lakeshore Entertainment.
Most recently, the feature film projects produced by Lakeshore Entertainment have been The Human Stain, starring Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman; The Hunted with Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro; The Mothman Prophecies, starring Richard Gere and Laura Linney; The Gift with Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves and directed by Sam Rami; Autumn in New York, starring Richard Gere and Winona Ryder and Passion of Mind with Demi
Moore.
In addition, Rosenberg and Lakeshore Entertainment have made The Next Best Thing, starring Madonna and Rupert Everett; Runaway Bride, directed by Garry Marshall and starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts; Arlington Road with Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack; Polish Wedding, featuring Claire Danes, Lena Olin and Gabriel Byrne; and Phoenix, starring Ray Liotta, Anthony LaPaglia and Anjelica Huston. Other films include
Homegrown with Billy Bob Thornton, Hank Azaria and Ryan Phillippe; The Real Blonde, starring Matthew Modine, Denis Leary, Elizabeth Berkeley and Kathleen Turner; Going All The Way with Ben Affleck, Jeremy Davies, Rachel Weisz and Rose McGowan; Box of Moonlight with John Turturro; ‘Til There Was You, starring Jeanne Tripplehorn, Dylan McDermott and Sarah Jessica Parker; and The Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy.
Before forming Lakeshore Entertainment, Rosenberg spent five years as founder and chairman of Beacon Communications, which was later sold to Comsat Corporation in 1994. While at Beacon, he produced such films as The Hurricane, The Road to Wellville, Princess Caraboo, Sugar Hill, A Midnight Clear and The Commitments.
GARY LUCCHESI (Producer) is the president of Lakeshore Entertainment. Lucchesi recently finished production on The Human Stain, starring Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman, directed by Robert Benton, and Wicker Park with Josh Hartnett and Matthew Lilliard. He has produced such films as The Mothman Prophecies, starring Richard Gere and Laura Linney; Autumn in New York with Richard Gere and Winona Ryder; and The
Gift, featuring Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves. In addition, Lucchesi was executive producer on Runaway Bride, The Next Best Thing and Passion of Mind.
Before joining Lakeshore Entertainment, Lucchesi previously served as president of Gary Lucchesi Productions, an independent production company that produced the Academy Award®-nominated Primal Fear as well as Virtuosity, Jennifer Eight, Three Wishes and Just the Ticket. He also produced the Emmy-nominated Gotti, in addition to Breast Men and Vendetta.
While serving as president of The Really Useful Film Company, he executive produced film versions of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage productions, including Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Starlight Express. Lucchesi also oversaw production of numerous original feature films and direct-to-video releases of theatrical hits.
Prior to becoming an independent producer, Lucchesi was president of production at Paramount and was responsible for a large number of highly successful films, including Ghost, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Fatal Attraction, The Hunt for Red October, Coming to America, The Naked Gun and The Untouchables. These films had a cumulative box-office gross exceeding $2 billion. Other films he produced were The Godfather: Part
III, Days of Thunder, Another 48 Hours, Naked Gun: The Smell of Fear, Pet Sematary, Scrooged, Major League, Star Trek V & VI and Black Rain.
Fatal Attraction (1988), The Godfather: Part III (1990) and Ghost (1990) were nominated for Academy Awards® for Best Picture. Ghost was awarded an Academy Award® for Best Screenplay.
Prior to his tenure at Paramount, Lucchesi worked at TriStar Pictures as vice president then senior vice president of production.
He began his career in Los Angeles as an agent for the William Morris Agency, representing such stars as Kevin Costner, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon and John Malkovich.
Richard Wright (Producer) joined Lakeshore Entertainment in 1995 to run the feature film production department for the Paramount Pictures-based independent production company.
During his tenure, Wright has supervised and executive-produced The Mothman Prophecies, starring Richard Gere and Laura Linney, and has co-produced numerous films, including The Gift with Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves and directed by Sam Rami; John Schlesinger's The Next Best Thing, starring Madonna and Rupert Everett; and Runaway Bride, directed by Garry Marshall and starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. In addition,
he has served as co-producer on Arlington Road with Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack; Polish Wedding, featuring Claire Danes, Lena Olin and Gabriel Byrne; ‘Til There Was You, starring Jeanne Tripplehorn, Dylan McDermott and Sarah Jessica Parker; and The Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy.
Wright also oversaw Lakeshore’s productions of Autumn in New York, starring Richard Gere and Winona Ryder; Passion of Mind with Demi Moore; 200 Cigarettes, featuring Ben Affleck, Courtney Love and Christina Ricci; Phoenix, starring Ray Liotta, Anthony LaPaglia and Anjelica Huston; Homegrown with Billy Bob Thornton, Hank Azaria and Ryan Phillippe; The Real Blonde, starring Matthew Modine, Denis Leary, Elizabeth Berkeley
and Kathleen Turner; Going All The Way with Ben Affleck, Jeremy Davies, Rachel Weisz and Rose McGowan; and Box of Moonlight with John Turturro.
Wright has managed creation of the soundtrack albums for many of Lakeshore's films, including The Next Best Thing, Autumn in New York, Passion of Mind, Runaway Bride, 200 Cigarettes, Arlington Road, Homegrown, The Real Blonde, Polish Wedding, Going All The Way and Bandwagon. Prior to joining Lakeshore, Wright was a freelance producer for such films as Ruby, Fifty-Fifty and Love at Large. He has earned degrees in comparative
literature from Brown University and from the University of Grenoble, France.
As the quintessential Navy brat, DANNY McBRIDE (Screenwriter) spent his formative years living a nomadic lifestyle, moving from one tropical locale to another. He spent the majority of his childhood doing two things: scuba diving and watching movies. He couldn’t make up his mind whether he wanted to be a George Lucas or a Jacques Cousteau.
In his teens, McBride caught the music bug and began to play extensively around Southern California in a myriad of bands, including Sabotage, American Steel, Copper Head and Dirty Blonde. After relocating to Hollywood, he met Scott McElroy, a talented stuntman, who quickly introduced him to the world of action. Together they formed The Scuba Dudes Action Team and soon began to coordinate a string of low budget features.
In 2000, McBride met director Len Wiseman – and under the urging and guidance of their agent, Nick Reed at ICM – forged a strong partnership. They have collaborated on numerous projects since, including Underworld.
Next in line for McBride and Wiseman will be the supernatural thriller Black Chapter, for Disney, with Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) attached to produce.
A graduate of Otis Parsons School of Design, Bruton Jones (Production Designer) began working as a set designer shortly thereafter on such films as Jungle Fever, By Dawn’s Early Light and He Said, She Said. Having gained invaluable experience as a set designer and conceptual illustrator, he served as assistant art director/illustrator for Ghosts of Mars and Blade.
As an art director, Jones most recently worked on Sorority Boys and Kingdom Come. In addition, he has overseen the art direction for numerous films, including Bicentennial Man, Deep Blue Sea, Inspector Gadget, Armageddon, Con Air, The Rock and The Jackal.
A 2002 MTV Music Award Nominee for Best Art Direction in a Music Video for his work on Quarishi’s "Stick ‘Em Up," Jones is quickly making a name for himself as a talented production designer and art director with a unique vision and aesthetic skills. Since focusing his efforts completely on production design, Jones recently served as the production designer on VH1’s Play’d – Matter of
Respect. He also works on many international commercial campaigns.
Jones spends his time between South Orange County, Cali., and Tuscany, Italy, pursuing his personal hobby of developing highly stylized and cutting-edge automotive and architectural designs.
Wendy Partridge’s (Costume Designer) career as a costume designer began with creating clothes for her dolls at age 7. By the time she was 12 years old, she was making gilt embroidery for London fashion houses and owned her own dressmaking business at 14.
Her family immigrated to Canada when she was 17 years old, and Partridge soon opened her own couturier shop creating custom-made fashion and wedding dresses.
Partridge’s flair for designing landed her jobs in amateur theatre and on a children’s television show for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Her reputation in costuming earned Partridge her first feature film job for David Cronenberg’s Fast Company in 1978.
Partridge went on to become assistant costume designer for The Mad Trapper with Oliver Reed, and Klondike, starring Rod Steiger and Oliver Reed. Her opportunity to serve as sole costume designer came with the film High Country. Since then, she has designed for such television movies as Anatomy of a Hate Crime, High Noon, Black Fox with Christopher Reeve, and Children of the Dust, along with the television series Lonesome Dove:
The Outlaw Years. Partridge’s film credits include Blade II, Texas Rangers, Snow Day and the Canadian section of Heaven and Earth, designing more than 6,000 Samurai warrior costumes. She has been nominated three times for Canada’s Genie Awards and won the award in 1986 for Loyalties. Partridge is the costume designer for the upcoming film Hellboy.
Born in London, England, MARTIN HUNTER (Editor) has lived in Canada, New Zealand and Thailand. After studying photography and film/television production at the University of Westminster, Harrow, he landed a job as an assistant editor on Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. His working relationship with Kubrick lasted more than nine years.
Hunter’s first feature film project as editor was for Full Metal Jacket. His additional film credits include the recently released Below, In the Shadows, Cutaway, Soldier, Event Horizon, Mortal Kombat, Kalifornia and Liebestraum.
PATRICK TATOPOULOS (Creature Designer) was born in Paris, France, where he studied at the Art Decoratif De Paris, the Art Applique's De Paris and the famous Beaux Art De Paris. Deciding to pursue a career in fine art, Tatopoulos moved to Rome, Italy, to paint, draw and sell his illustrations. After three years, he relocated to Athens, Greece, and worked as a freelance illustrator for various restaurants, bars
and magazines, including Liberis Publications, which handles several fashion and sports magazines. Eventually, his passion and interest for the entertainment business drew him to the United States and Hollywood.
Hired by Make-up Effects Lab (MEL) as an art director, Tatopoulos had the opportunity to learn all aspects of creating and applying makeup effects. While on staff with MEL, Tatopoulos designed and built the special effects makeup for an Emmy Award winning episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and next designed the creatures for the film Super Mario Bros.
Tatopoulos’ big break came as conceptual designer for Stargate, where he had the opportunity to head up the creature effects department, forming his own fabrication facility. Since then, he has served as creature designer for such films as the recently released They, Pitch Black, Supernova, Stuart Little and Independence Day, for which his alien creature was the first and only creature ever to appear on the cover of TIME
MAGAZINE.
His most notable achievement was for Godzilla when Tatopoulos designed and created the largest mechanical creature ever built. More than 30 feet tall, this animatronic puppet was larger than the creatures used in Jurassic Park. Establishing and staffing the largest special effects creature shop to date, the facility fabricated and delivered several different scales of the Godzilla and baby Godzilla creatures for filming.
The other hat Tatopoulos often wears is that of production designer. Combining his talents of true artistry and unassailable integrity, he has the unparalleled ability to bring his conceptual visions into creative manifestations. Tatopoulos has played a prominent role in devising the look of many films, including Alex Proyas’s Dark City and Independence Day. Currently, Tatopoulos is working again with director Alex Proyas
as the production designer for the motion picture, I Robot.
Beyond creating physical creature and makeup effects, Tatopoulos has crossed into the area of CGI and computer animation with his company La Rochelle Digital Design, targeting films, commercials and music videos on a global scale. In addition, he directed his first short film, Bird of Passage, and has served as director, production designer and makeup effects artist for two music videos for the Grammy award winning artist and
rap star Coolio.
On May 5, 2000, Tatopoulos was honored for his achievements in the film industry at the ninth annual Hellenic Times Scholarship Gala in New York. This event led to the establishment of the Patrick Tatopoulos Creative Arts Award Scholarship.
TREFOR PROUD (Key Makeup Artist) entered the film business with a strong theatrical background and recently finished the film Octane, starring Madeleine Stowe, and The Statement directed by Norman Jewison. Proud has worked on numerous films as a makeup artist, including Gladiator, The Cat’s Meow, The Golden Bowl, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and GoldenEye. His extraordinary talent earned him the Academy
Award® for Best Makeup for Topsy-Turvy, for which he also won several awards at the Venice Film Festival.
During his remarkable career, Proud has worked on many famous faces, including Sophie Marceau, Tilda Swinton, Bob Hoskins, Minnie Driver, Christian Slater, Derek Jacobi and Jeremy Northam, among others. |
