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Production
Information
Britain's Peter Colt (PAUL BETTANY) has never quite lived up to his
dreams of tennis stardom. Once ranked as high as number 11 in the
world, the journeyman veteran has watched his number slip to 119 as
his confidence on the court slowly ebbs away.
Now, on the eve of his leaving the world of professional tennis, he's
granted a wild card, allowing him to play his final Wimbledon tournament.make
that his final tournament ever. At one time having faced some of the
best players in the world, Peter Colt is now about to face voluntary
retirement, a job at a club and a bevy of aging women awaiting tennis
instruction in between facials and afternoon drinks.
American Lizzie Bradbury (KIRSTEN DUNST), the rising star/bad girl
of the international tennis set, is the promising new hotshot playing
at her first Wimbledon. Focused, driven and pushed to a level of superlative
playing by her equally driven, overprotective coach and father, Dennis
(SAM NEILL), Lizzie lets nothing get in her way of the win-not a bad
call, not an unexpected return and certainly not a short-lived romance
with fellow rising American champ Jake Hammond (AUSTIN NICHOLS).
Lizzie's career trajectory is set to be the best female tennis player
in the world, a Grand Slam champ. No other dream will do.and the Wimbledon
trophy would be a great place to start.
Peter's plans of quiet retirement are put on hold after he arrives
at the hallowed courts of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet
Club's Wimbledon Championships. There, after a chance meeting with
Lizzie that sparks into an affair, he achieves the unthinkable and
wins his first match. Fueled by a mixture of his newfound luck, love
and on-court prowess, Peter continues his winning streak, gradually
working his way up the ranks while the sport and its fans re-embrace
this faded and now refurbished star.
The not-so-young Brit finds that the world indeed loves a winner-and
none more so than his usually absent agent, Ron Roth (JON FAVREAU)-and
he begins to appreciate the long-forgotten taste of victory. For herself,
Lizzie soon finds that her penchant for tournament flings may be at
an end when she does the unthinkable and begins to fall for this British
used-to-be loser with the heart of a winner.
Now if Peter's (and Lizzie's) luck can just hold out.
In the tradition of their hit romantic comedies Four Weddings and
a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary, Working Title Films'
Wimbledon is a sweet and funny tale of romance across the net of one
of the world's most prestigious sporting events. Directed by RICHARD
LONCRAINE (Richard III, television's Emmy-winning My House in Umbria
and The Gathering Storm) and produced by Working Titles' TIM BEVAN,
ERIC FELLNER and LIZA CHASIN, and MARY RICHARDS (television's Band
of Brothers), Wimbledon is written by ADAM BROOKS (French Kiss) and
JENNIFER FLACKETT & MARK LEVIN (upcoming Little Manhattan). It stars
Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man 2), Paul Bettany (Master and Commander:
The Far Side of the World), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park III) and Jon
Favreau (Swingers). Joining them are a group of accomplished actors
from both sides of the Atlantic that also includes Austin Nichols
(The Day After Tomorrow), NICOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU (Black Hawk Down),
BERNARD HILL (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), ELEANOR
BRON (Iris) and JAMES McAVOY (Bright Young Things).
Wimbledon champions JOHN McENROE and CHRIS EVERT and commentator MARY
CARILLO appear as themselves, providing color commentary on the tournament
play. With Australian PAT CASH, 1987 Wimbledon champ, also serving
as tennis consultant on the film, Wimbledon was granted unprecedented
access by The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTCC) to
film during the 2003 championships, one of the most watched sporting
events in the world.
Joining director Loncraine behind the camera are filmmaking champions
in their own right, including director of photography DARIUS KHONDJI
(Oscar®-nominated for Evita), production designer BRIAN MORRIS (Pirates
of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), editor HUMPHREY DIXON
(My House in Umbria), costumer LOUISE STJERNSWARD (Sexy Beast) and
composer EDWARD SHEARMUR (Laws of Attraction). The film is executive-produced
by DEBRA HAYWARD (Love Actually) and DAVID LIVINGSTONE.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
The long history of the Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, regarded
as the world's leading tennis tournament, began with a "Gentlemen's
Singles" match in 1877. For the record, Spencer Gore won from a field
of 22 players; around 200 spectators were charged one shilling to
watch the final.
The not so long history of the Working Title Films romantic comedy
Wimbledon began around 120 years later in the late 1990s, when screenwriters
Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin came up with the idea of a love story
set amidst the world of professional tennis. They approached Working
Title, whose list of successful films, particularly their romantic
comedies, had established them as the pre-eminent production company
in Europe. The company was intrigued by the project and snapped up
the story.
"We loved the idea," says producer and Working Title Films co-founder
Eric Fellner. "The way in which the characters were set up, the fact
that it was an 'underdog' type of story and the idea of professional
tennis serving as the backdrop for this love story-it had all the
ingredients to make a great film. It provided us another opportunity
to tell an interesting story in an appealing way."
"Whether you love tennis or hate tennis, it doesn't matter, because
this is a story that will entertain audiences," says producer Liza
Chasin, herself an avid player who grew up in Forest Hills, N.Y.,
near the prestigious West Side Tennis Club (former site of the U.S.
Open). "Not only do people love an underdog story, but they love it
when the underdog just might end up with the girl, too."
Balancing all of the elements present in the story would prove a challenge
for the filmmaker who would ultimately occupy the director's chair-someone
adept at handling the romantic, comedic and dramatic aspects, as well
as someone who could capture the sport filmically, presenting it in
a way that would "open up" the expected and stereotypical back-and-forth
nature of the game. Known primarily for his dramatic films and television
projects (My House in Umbria, Richard III, The Gathering Storm), Richard
Loncraine might not have seemed at first glance as a perfect fit for
the job. Loncraine himself professes, "I am not an avid sports fan
and I haven't really done that much that could be termed romantic
comedy. But I was really excited by the project-it had an energy and
a freshness about it. And I have to admit that my kids had been saying
to me, 'Dad, can you make a movie that we might want to go and see?'"
Fellner and the producers felt strongly that Loncraine would be an
excellent choice to helm the project and cemented his participation.
Fellner offers, "Richard is a great storyteller. He's a fantastically
visual storyteller and we wanted someone who could not only tell the
story with depth and emotion, but also tell it in an interesting,
cinematic way. Richard was a marvelous choice to direct."
Loncraine embraced the challenge of not only working in the genre,
but also overcoming many obstacles in filming scenes involving tennis,
most of which would be played on some of the most honored ground in
sports. "I really wanted to have a go at doing a comedy of this sort
and I thought it would be new and a bit difficult for me. I mean,
with a comedy, if they don't laugh, it's not funny, then you've screwed
up. It was a real challenge making a romantic comedy like this-probably
as hard as anything that I've done. It's been hard sometimes, but
marvelous as well."
And the tennis element?
"If you're doing a monster movie about a 50-foot-high pterodactyl,
nobody really knows what that looks like. But they know exactly how
a tennis ball bouncing on Centre Court looks," observes the director.
"Basically, it's almost like making two movies. Doing a romantic comedy,
you think, 'Fine, the comedy comes out of reality, it springs from
the truth.' Good, I can film that, no problem. Then, you've got a
story involving tennis, which seems somewhat straightforward but is
really a complex game to photograph-you haven't got a team of people,
you've got two trained, almost ballet dancers who don't move much
from beyond the base line, at least in more modern tennis."
But before tackling the challenges of on-court filming, Loncraine
and Wimbledon's producers proceeded with moving the script forward,
ensuring that the world of professional tennis would be rightly served,
and filling the roles with actors at home in both worlds presented
in the story.
Adam Brooks-the screenwriter of such romantic comedies as French Kiss
who also worked on the upcoming adaptation of Helen Fielding's bestseller,
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason-was brought onboard to update the
script. Brooks observes, "Working Title brought me in to work on this
fantastic story. I have to say it's been one of the most productive
development processes that I've ever been involved with. Wimbledon,
I think, really fits very strongly into their tradition of charming
English romantic comedies that also travel well abroad, particularly
in the States."
As the script crept towards finalization, the filmmakers sent copies
to a number of top tennis players and others heavily involved in the
sport, including Wimbledon champions Pat Cash and John McEnroe. "What
was great was they came back with very few notes-that in fact, most
of it was, in spirit and in detail, true to the life that they knew
on the tour and the actual mechanics of tennis," says Brooks. Pat
Cash, the Australian who won Wimbledon in 1987 and eventually came
aboard the project as tennis consultant, remembers, "Obviously, since
it's a movie, there is some artistic license. But it was pretty accurate
with regard to the world of the players and the atmosphere at Wimbledon
it portrays."
Loncraine adds, "If you're going to make a film about tennis, you
could possibly get away with it not being precisely accurate-but why
would you? McEnroe, Cash and other tennis players contributed. Adam
Brooks, our screenwriter, and producer Liza Chasin are big fans of
the sport, so their knowledge-along with the players' thoughts- all
added to trying to make the atmosphere, the circumstances, some of
the things in the players' lives as accurate as we could make them."
* * *
When it came to casting the leads, the filmmakers were looking for
actors who first could portray believable tennis players and who,
second, had the right chemistry together on-screen. American actress
Kirsten Dunst was cast as Lizzie Bradbury and British actor Paul Bettany
was slotted as Peter Colt.
Fellner says, "Kirsten is one of the leading American actresses at
the moment and we were lucky in that she really liked the screenplay.
Paul's work has been of an incredibly high standard and after meeting
him, we felt that he would be great in the role. We put them together
for a small screen test and there was immediate chemistry-they really
liked each other, looked very good together and they really fitted
the roles. Everything really lined up."
The production felt so strongly in their leads that they were willing
to wait until both actors' schedules could accommodate the Wimbledon
filming schedule-principal photography commenced more than a year
after their casting.
"We cast Kirsten and Paul," comments the director, "and then we waited
for them to complete a project apiece. So it was a matter of waiting
a little over a year. But it was something we wanted to do. They really
got on with each other and displayed that indefinable 'chemistry'
that is so important in a romantic film.
"I think Paul has got the right look and the right energy, with an
easygoing attitude that conceals a champion's spirit, just waiting
to spring into action," Loncraine continues. "Kirsten has proved herself
time and again since she was a little girl-she has the magic. And
the camera loves them both."
Dunst explains what drew her to the film: "I really liked the script-it
was a smart romantic comedy and I also like the elements of the tennis.
I think there is something really sexy about tennis-it has an elegance
to it. I am also a big fan of the producers and I knew they would
make a good love story."
Dunst also welcomed the chance to work with Bettany. "He is so talented.
It's rare that you get to work with actors like that and it makes
you work all the harder."
Although the actress had scant little experience playing tennis, she
felt that she was up for mastering some of the basic mechanics of
the sport. Attracted to the character of Lizzie, she was ready to
take on the physical challenges of the role.
"I found Lizzie very interesting and a lot of fun to play," she says.
"Here's this champion who has shut out the possibility of love from
her life in the interest of winning. She's competitive and aggressive.
And then she meets Peter, whom she really respects. Up to that point,
she's been able to use men and throw them away and it hasn't really
bothered her. But she's able to let herself fall in love with Peter,
and that changes everything."
Bettany had not worked in a romantic comedy before (and never in a
"sports" film, either), so the role of Peter Colt was something completely
new to him. "The script struck me as clever and funny," says Bettany.
"I've never done a sports movie and I've never done a sort of comedy/drama,
so I thought it would be a challenge. In building a character, it's
about approximating the role; every job you do is only a representation
of something. My last film I played a ship's surgeon, but I wouldn't
want to operate on anyone. So with training, I thought I could approximate
being a tennis player, even though I'm not. And the falling in love
bit, well, that's the easy part.
"Kirsten's character feels that she can't have a career and a relationship
at the same time," continues Bettany, "while my character actually
plays better tennis once he's fallen in love with her. I think it's
one of the interesting things that was built into the script."
In addition to the material, the actor was also interested in working
with director Loncraine. "I really like Richard a lot. He's a real
straight talker and shares the process of filmmaking with you completely,
which makes doing a film with him a great experience. I think he's
done a brilliant job of helping to maintain that lightness of touch
that is crucial to this kind of romantic comedy."
With the romantic leads set, the filmmakers turned their attention
to the supporting roles. Accomplished actor Sam Neill was cast as
Lizzie's father, Dennis, and American actor/director Jon Favreau as
Peter's sports agent, Ron Roth. Respected British actors Eleanor Bron
and Bernard Hill were cast to play Peter's parents; Danish actor Nikolaj
Coster-Walder was brought in to play Dieter, Peter's best friend and
practice partner; and American newcomer Austin Nichols was cast as
Jake Hammond, the men's singles champ to beat at Wimbledon, who also
happens to be Lizzie's exboyfriend. "There were quite a few things
that attracted me to project," explains Neill, "not the least of it
being Richard Loncraine is a really good director and a very nice
man. The idea of filming this enjoyable story in England in the summer-that
sounded good to me as well. And there's something absolutely magical
about the Wimbledon tournament and it's been an honor to just be on
these grounds and be able to walk out onto Centre Court and just breathe
it in."
"What's fun about being in a movie like this," comments Favreau, "is
that it opens up another world that's steeped in tradition-one that
I wasn't that familiar with, and the more I learn, the more interesting
it becomes. Also, the notion of being the first film in more than
20 years that's been set at Wimbledon is incredibly exciting. Richard
has laid in a very personal love story with two wonderful actors up
against the backdrop of this historic place. Although I guess you
could say it's a movie that takes place around a tennis tournament,
it's really a love story about two very compelling characters who
are going through a lot, personally and professionally.and they just
happen to be really good professional tennis players."
To reinforce the authenticity of the movie, esteemed tennis champions
and commentators are used in the film to cover the matches played
out in the story. American commentator Mary Carillo, Wimbledon veteran
John Barrett and Wimbledon Champions John McEnroe and Chris Evert
stepped in to play themselves and add a note of veracity to the sports
coverage aspect of the film.
Their on-screen participation impressed Loncraine, who says about
McEnroe, "He flew in the night before his shoot and instead of going
to bed, he came to Wimbledon to play tennis. He played for over an
hour and a half, which I believe is his way to get over jetlag-he's
incredibly fit. He and the other tennis figures were such an asset
to the film. John has a sense of humor about his life and he made
quite a few wonderful suggestions that we were able to incorporate
into the movie."
* * *
Once brought onboard Wimbledon, nearly everyone involved underwent
some kind of training to prepare for the physical aspects and challenges
presented by the script. "I'm a bit like most people in England, I
believe," observes Loncraine. "When Wimbledon's on, I watch it and
love it. I can't play tennis very well, but I've had lessons to learn.
When the project came up, I watched every videotape I could find,
I read 20 books on the history of the sport, and I read both Pat Cash's
book and McEnroe's book. And I was surrounded by people with a deep
love and understanding of the sport, so I really went into each scene
knowing what emotion I wanted represented and worked with my team
on how that emotion could work into the match-'Will this work, you
tell me.' It was quite a good marriage.a few little bits of turmoil
along the way, but a good marriage nonetheless!"
Pat Cash was charged with turning the actors (Bettany, Dunst and Nichols)
into facsimiles of contending Wimbledon champs. All began a pre-shoot,
four month training regime to prepare for the on-screen matches. Cash
supplies, "The production needed a tennis advisor, a consultant to
choreograph the points and to make sure that Kirsten, Paul and Austin
looked like professional tennis players. The goal of this training
was to get command of the basics-how pros walk, hold the ball, that
kind of stuff-and help them look like real players. The points need
to look like real points and the rallies have to be there.
"It ended up being coaching in reverse," Cash explains, "in that when
I start with a player, it's all about getting the ball in the court-it's
doesn't matter what it looks like. But since we had the luxury of
most of the balls being CG, it came back to making the play look as
real as possible."
Producer Chasin adds matter-of-factly, "We'd burn too much film if
we tried to hit an actual ball exactly where we need it to be for
a shot."
Cash concludes, "So our mantra was 'Look good first and worry about
where the ball goes second.' Sometimes, the ball went over the fence,
but the actor got the look right. What was interesting was that we
concentrated so much on technique, that eventually the ball started
going in the court. I really enjoyed watching them improve.
They worked really hard to get it. We had four months to make them
look like Wimbledon champions. It would normally take 20 years to
do that, so it was a huge challenge."
Bettany began training "in earnest" at the beginning of 2003, four
months out from shooting his first scenes. Up first on his schedule
was a scene shot in Monte Carlo and he was "feeling smug and terribly
pleased with myself after my months of training. And then I saw these
professional players in action, who move like dancers-they've been
hitting balls since they were four-years-old. And I suddenly felt
like I'd said, 'Yeah, I'd love to play Rudolf Nureyev, how long do
I have to learn ballet?' So I did my best and I think I give an approximation!"
Cash had higher marks for Bettany and counters, "Paul went from never
really having played any sports to moving like an athlete and he looks
really good around the net where it matters-diving, lunging, quick
reflexes-so I built his matches around that.which is sort of the style
I played, so that was exciting to do."
Loncraine adds, "Paul has an incredibly good serve, very powerful.
Now it's somewhat inaccurate, but it has power and it looks good.
He really beefed up and did a lot of work to get the look down and
I think he looks like a tennis player."
"For me it was all about focusing on the ball," says Kirsten Dunst.
"I'm very aggressive and I could use that on the court. My character
really isn't afraid of anything and I tried to bring that to Lizzie's
physicality. It's really a dance on the court, and I also tried to
work that in. I had a few weeks of really intensive physical workouts
and I have to say I really loved the tennis training. It lets you
get out so much aggression. I got a good basis, I think, and when
I got to set, it was all about fine-tuning. When I was around the
boys, it made me more competitive-I mean I didn't want them to be
better than me. And Pat kept reminding me to move across the court
like a panther, so I kept that in my head. So I think I did as well
as they did.but their serves were better!"
"Kirsten's really good on the forehand and backhand," observes Cash,
"and she moves really well. She's quite elegant in her tennis scenes.
She really turned it on when the cameras were rolling-I mean, she
was good in practice, but then when it was 'rolling, action,' she
was fantastic."
Austin Nichols, himself an accomplished athlete and champion water
skier, really took to his tennis training and even surprised his instructor,
Cash, who relates, "Austin probably had the most time to train, to
be fair, and he had worked up to playing four or five hours a day.
Going into the scenes, he had been using a double-handed backhand,
and we thought that he would play more like Sampras, Federer or myself
and use a single-handed backhand. So we asked him to try it and he
said, 'Let me give it a shot.' And whoosh-he nailed it. I've never
heard of anybody going from a double-handed backhand to a single in
literally five minutes and it looked great."
Nichols had turned to the masters for his additional training and
says, "In the beginning, I didn't know how to swing a racquet. I was
hitting the gym and the court and training with Murphy Jensen. And
I started watching footage of vintage stuff: Borg and McEnroe, Ashe
and Connors, Betty Stove and Virginia Wade. I watched a lot of Patrick
Rafter. I love Juan Carlos Ferrero's forehand and Gustavo Kuerten's
backhand." For producer Eric Fellner, the resulting filmed tennis
scenes succeed because of the right combination of talent and effort:
"Really, three things came together that contributed to this: first,
the actors trained for quite a long time; second, we have the benefits
of CGI, to provide the ball placement and create the really amazing
shots scripted; and third, Richard Loncraine and [director of photography]
Darius Khondji have shot the matches with a creative vision that really
extends beyond the static tennis like we're used to on the BBC-it's
really got a cinematic feel to it.
"The other thing we've done," continues Fellner, "is that we haven't
mixed metaphors-in other words, we didn't put recognizable players
on the court with actors, so you're able to maintain a suspension
of disbelief. You don't get caught up in the action and then Pete
Sampras walks on. I hope that the combination of these things will
help to convince an audience that the individuals in front of the
camera are actually professional tennis players."
In fact, some of the on-court opponents are from satellite tournaments-players
who've taken their first step from the junior leagues and are on their
way to building pro careers or older players who are finishing out
their professional careers. One young upand- comer, Vikas Punna, faces
Paul Bettany and French open doubles champion Murphy Jensen (who also
worked with Cash coaching the actors) appears in the film, portraying
Ivan Dragomir, a colorful Ukranian with a fondness for smashing racquets.
* * *
It was clear to the producers the only location to shoot the majority
of the tennis scenes of the film (off and on court) would be the world-famous
Wimbledon.and it would be essential to be able to film during the
2003 championships. Once the script had been completed, Working Title's
Eric Fellner had a fortunate meeting with Mark McCormack, the founder
and head of the International Management Group (IMG), the world's
best-known sports marketing and promotions agency. McCormack introduced
Fellner to the chairman of AELTCC and brokered a deal, which resulted
in the production being granted permission to film at Wimbledon, giving
the filmmakers, cast and crew unprecedented access.
Tim Phillips, Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Championships,
explains why. "We're very proud of Wimbledon and its unique position
in the tennis world and we're rightly protective of this. But the
consideration that overrode this is that tennis is fun and it's a
wonderful game. Anyone can play it-boys and girls, from the ages of
five to 95-and it's social and healthy, a wonderful sport. We have
an interest in popularizing it. Working Title Films has made a succession
of outstanding romantic comedies and we thought that a film located
at Wimbledon showing the fun and the competitiveness of tennis might
spark interest in a completely new audience."
"The AELTCC were fantastic partners to work with," adds Fellner. "It
was a great privilege to be able to film at the Club and rather special
when you stand in the middle of Centre Court."
The by-laws of Wimbledon dictate that no one plays on Centre Court
(outside of tournament players) except for the Chairman and his guests.
So filmmakers, cast and crew were all mindful of the magnanimous gesture
extended by the AELTCC and respectful of the ground on which they
were standing, filming and 'playing' tennis. "Wimbledon is an enormous
operation and I've been duly impressed by the organization," comments
Loncraine. "It only comes alive two weeks out of the year, and yet
when it does-with the world watching, mind you-an incredible amount
of activity takes place. When we got here during the finals, there
was so much going on I hardly knew where to point the camera. It felt
so big and I didn't want it to dwarf our story. So we made the conscious
decision to confine our Wimbledon to a smaller section of it, which
is the older part, one end of it, really."
Since the All England Club is private, part of the area that Loncraine
wanted utilized in the film-namely, the locker rooms-had to be replicated,
since only members are allowed in the actual locker rooms; production
built their own. (Cash adds, "To be honest, I think ours are maybe
a little nicer.")
The filmmakers and crew also had to take specific precautions while
filming on the Wimbledon grounds. "The main precautions were really
to protect against all the equipment that the crew use," comments
grounds man of the AELTCC, Eddie Seagal.
"Normally, this is something completely alien to us, having all this
equipment present and people walking on the court. All the equipment
was put on boards spreading the load and the weight, and that worked
well. Certain drinks were not allowed to be drunk on the turf, as
they can damage the grass. Food was not allowed on the court so as
not to attract the foxes in the evenings, which was a danger, as the
daily filming prevented us from putting up our electronic fences around
the courts-we normally do this after the championship."
Seagal and the organization were pleased with the crew's compliance
and determined that the departing production left the turf in a state
approximating its original condition.
The extra special efforts to film in this extra special place were
felt to be well worth it for cast and crew. Dunst was awed by the
setting of the film's location and says, "I had been to Wimbledon
the year before and we sat in the Queens Box-we had strawberries and
cream, everything. It was such a huge, exciting event. We're really
lucky to have been allowed to even step foot on the court. There is
such a feeling of prestige and it's also a beautiful and serene place."
Austin Nichols remembers coming up face-to-face with tradition while
on location in the thick of the 2003 tournament: "I had my pass that
said 'Working Title Films' and I thought I'd go to Centre Court and
try to watch the match. So I showed my pass, and the stewards at the
gate just kind of looked at me and said something like 'That's nice,
but you can't come in.' I did find one guy who did sneak me into a
seat to watch a set, but then I got kicked out when the ticketholders
came back. It's such a tightly run organization and everything is
so well groomed and gorgeous. It's a very special place and it's been
a joy to film here."
To ensure that the matches had all of the action and excitement befitting
its legendary setting, Cash was called upon to choreograph each point,
literally serving as a dance instructor who acted out the players'
every move while the actors shadowed the champ. He says, "The men's
final in Wimbledon, in particular, is make-believe, but it's probably
the ultimate tennis match. It's got everything-all the action, the
dives, guys sliding in to the net, around the net post shots, spectacular
winners."
"We storyboarded every tennis shot and every point in the match,"
says director Loncraine. "We approached it like an action sequence.
We had decided early on that we wouldn't cut into the rallies-you
do that and you lose the tension. We had also decided not to use a
steadi-cam, which does give a very fluid movement, but I wanted something
a little more disciplined. So we ended up rigging a crane with about
a 54-foot reach along one side of Centre Court. We choreographed each
rally and used the crane as our main tool and we would cover it with
other cameras."
Loncraine also relied on director of photography Darius Khondji to
capture his vision of the tennis. "Darius is one of the great cameramen
in the world. To get him was quite a coup. I think what's great about
Darius' work is that, well, to say he paints with light is a cliché-it
is a lot of negative light actually, cutting out light. We couldn't
light Centre Court, it was too big.but we could take away light."
To accomplish this, huge silks and blacks were designed to cover the
whole area of the world renowned tennis ground, a huge feat. Riggers,
who normally work on yachts and exhibitions, were brought in to rig
the wires above the court. Silks and blacks were then rigged over
the wires, all of which were linked by an electronic remote control
system; Khondji could then cover over any part of the court or stands
he liked. This allowed for a continuity of lighting, as the silks
could soften the sun and at the same time put a shadow over the crowd
while re-creating the same light from day to day (no matter how much
or how little cloud cover the British weather produced).
Wimbledon's 15-week shoot began in July, 2003, and included seven
weeks of location filming at Wimbledon (filming primarily on three
courts: Centre, two and three, plus a small amount of shooting on
courts six, seven and eight). In addition to this, the filmmakers
shot scenes of Peter Colt facing off against Jake Hammond during the
actual 2003 Wimbledon Championships (6/23-7/6/03) on Centre Court-before
Tim Henman played against French qualifier Michael Lodra. Crowd reactions
and the general everyday running of the Tournament were also filmed,
as was a scene with Referee Alan Mills escorting Bettany and Nichols
onto the court for their final match.
"It was lovely filming on Centre Court when it was just the actors
and the crew," jokes Paul Bettany, "but being there around the actual
players, it was incredibly humbling, almost humiliating in a way.
I mean, here's the crowd who's just watched a champion level match
and then I come out and hit my imaginary tennis ball. But it is an
extraordinary place-I grew up watching the matches here every year
with my family."
For Bettany and for Nichols, filming on Centre Court was one of the
most daunting experiences they had during filming. Bettany explains,
"I've never experienced anything like it. The noise was deafening.
It was an incredible feeling. Austin and I had to hug each other for
support. My legs gave way and literally I sat down on the chair after
the take and I thought I was not going to be able to stand back up.
I can't quite imagine that people then go on and play a five set match-it
was amazing, it really was."
Nichols says, "I really salute the players that go out there and can
do that, they actually perform in front of these people for two to
three hours. It's amazing. The game itself is like the battle of the
giants, two titans slogging out. Wimbledon is like a stadium, everyone
is so close and packed in.it felt like almost being a gladiator."
Bettany adds, "Tennis is just two opponents playing against each other.
You don't have a team of ten men, it's just you. It's incredibly exciting,
something very clean and uncluttered about it. It also still has notions
of chivalry involved. It's just a beautiful sport to watch. I've done
my best to do it justice."
In addition to the lensing during the tournament, more reality was
injected into the film by utilizing line judge Pauline Eyre, a veteran
of 16 Wimbledons, to instruct the actors who play the line judges;
Eyre also served as a court consultant on the film to ensure authenticity.
Real ball boys and ball girls were also featured alongside actors
cast to play their filmic counterparts.
And to the small matter of the lack of tennis balls in play? Filmmakers
called on the expertise of the Moving Picture Company to execute all
the visual effect shots on the film. "Most of our work is to enhance
the tennis matches," explains visual effects supervisor Richard Stammers.
"This work is mostly split between enhancing the crowds and computer-animated
tennis balls for the shots where the actors mimed the rallies. Further
to this, some real tennis balls will need their trajectories digitally
altered for a more dramatic effect."
With the use of motion control and blue screen elements, the visual
effects team were able to achieve some additional and impossible camera
moves, such as a tennis ball point-of-view shot that speeds across
the court, only to slow before the opponent returns the shot.
"The final match in the film is around 14 minutes," offers Richard
Loncraine, "and it's really our 'car chase,' if you will. The film
heads toward it and it has to pay off, so it was right that we went
to such great lengths to film it. It was everyone's best efforts and
it really brings all of the elements-the romance, the drama, the contest-together.
I think, like the best of romantic comedy, it shows us life in a stylized,
wish-fulfillment way. It was difficult for us all, but it really came
together in the end."
Producer Eric Fellner echoes his director when he closes, "I think
it's a fantastic romantic comedy with the added tension and excitement
of a slightly over-the-hill underdog tennis player trying to win a
championship. So you've got a little bit of action, a little bit of
romance, a little bit of comedy, you've got a bit of everything in
there- what more could you want?"
Universal Pictures and StudioCanal Present A Working Title Production
of A Richard Loncraine Film: Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany in Wimbledon,
starring Sam Neill, Jon Favreau. The music is by Edward Shearmur.
The costume designer is Louise Stjernsward. The editor is Humphrey
Dixon; the production designer is Brian Morris; the director of photography
is Darius Khondji, A.F.C., A.S.C. The executive producers are Debra
Hayward and David Livingstone. The film is produced by Tim Bevan,
Eric Fellner, Liza Chasin and Mary Richards. It is written by Adam
Brooks and Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin. Wimbledon is directed by
Richard Loncraine. ©2004 Universal Studios. www.wimbledonmovie.com
ABOUT THE CAST
Kirsten Dunst (Lizzie Bradbury) most recently appeared in the record-setting
international box office hit Spider-Man 2, in which she reprised the
role of 'Mary Jane' for director Sam Raimi. Before that, she was seen
in the Focus Features film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,
written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry and starring
Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet and Mark Ruffalo; and in the Mike Newell
film, Mona Lisa Smile, opposite Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles and Maggie
Gyllenhaal. She has also begun production opposite Orlando Bloom in
Cameron Crowe's next film project, Elizabethtown.
Dunst's additional credits include the Sam Raimi-directed record-breaking
blockbuster, Spider-Man, opposite Tobey Maguire; the independent film,
Levity, costarring Billy Bob Thornton and Morgan Freeman; The Cat's
Meow, a semi-biographical murder-mystery in which, directed by Peter
Bogdanovich, Dunst portrayed Marion Davies; Bring It On, which opened
number-one at the box office; the critically acclaimed Sofia Coppola
film, The Virgin Suicides, with James Woods and Kathleen Turner; crazy/beautiful,
directed by John Stockwell; Drop Dead Gorgeous, with Ellen Barkin
and Kirstie Alley; Dick, with Michelle Williams; Little Women, with
Susan Sarandon and Winona Ryder; Jumanji, with Robin Williams; Mother
Night, with Nick Nolte; the Barry Levinson film Wag the Dog, starring
Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro; Neil Jordan's Interview with the
Vampire, with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt; and Small Soldiers, with the
late Phil Hartman.
With a growing list of accolades befitting an actress 10 years her
senior, Dunst's performance in Vampire earned her a Golden Globe nomination,
the Blockbuster Video Award for "Best Supporting Newcomer" and an
MTV award for "Best Breakthrough Artist." The Hollywood Reporter also
named Dunst as "Best Young Star" for her portrayal of a teenage prostitute
in NBC's hit series, ER.
Dunst got her showbiz start at the tender age of three, when she began
filming television commercials. With more than 100 commercials under
her belt, she made the jump to the big screen in 1989 in Woody Allen's
New York Stories.
Dunst's career has not been limited to the big screen. In addition
to a critically acclaimed recurring role on the hit television drama
ER, she starred in Showtime's The Outer Limits and Devil's Arithmetic,
produced by Dustin Hoffman and Mimi Rogers; the telefilm Ruby Ridge:
An American Tragedy; the Wonderful World of Disney's Tower of Terror;
and Lifetime Television's 15 and Pregnant.
While the British-born Paul Bettany (Peter Colt) is a recognized star
overseas with well-received performances in film, on the London stage
and on British television, American audiences first discovered him
in A Knight's Tale, in which he played the comical role of Chaucer
opposite Heath Ledger's Sir William. For this performance, he won
the London Film Critics' Award for Best Supporting Actor and was named
one of Daily Variety's "Ten to Watch" for 2001.
Classically trained at the Drama Centre in London, Bettany made his
stage debut in a West End production of An Inspector Calls, under
the direction of Stephen Daldry (The Hours, Billy Elliot). He then
spent a season with the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in productions
of Richard III, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar before landing
his first feature film role in Bent.
Bettany returned to the stage to appear in Love and Understanding
at London's Bush Theatre. He later reprised that role at the Longwharf
Theatre in Connecticut. The play led to more British television work,
including Lynda La Plante's Killer Net and Coming Home, in which he
starred with Peter O'Toole.
Bettany's appearance in the Royal Court Theatre production of One
More Wasted Year and Stranger's House preceded his second feature
film role in David Leland's Land Girls, with Catherine McCormack and
Rachel Weisz. He next appeared in the film After the Rain.
He then portrayed Steerforth in the TNT production of David Copperfield,
directed by Peter Medak, opposite Sally Field and Michael Richards.
More feature film roles followed, including Suicide Club, with Jonathan
Pryce and David Morrissey. Bettany was nominated for a British Independent
Film award and a London Film Critics' Award for Best Newcomer for
IFC's Gangster No.1, directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Malcolm
McDowell, David Thewlis and Saffron Burrows.
Bettany next starred as the imaginary roommate opposite Russell Crowe,
Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly in the Academy Award®-winning A Beautiful
Mind for director Ron Howard. His performance in the film won him
the London Film Critics' Award for Best British Actor.
Bettany next starred in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the
World, opposite Russell Crowe for director Peter Weir. In this adaptation
of Patrick O'Brien's novel, Bettany plays the ship's surgeon, Stephen
Maturin, the first naturalist and best friend of Captain Jack Aubrey
(Crowe). In addition to being nominated for a BAFTA and a Broadcast
Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, his performance
won him the Evening Standard Award for Best British Actor, as well
as the London Film Critics' Award for Best Supporting Actor (for both
Master and Commander and The Heart of Me); he also won the Elle Style
Award for Best Actor (for Master and Commander and Dogville).
In addition to Master and Commander, this past year Bettany has appeared
in three independent features. In The Heart of Me, he stars opposite
Helena Bonham-Carter and Olivia Williams for director Thaddeus O'Sullivan;
the film centers around a married couple and the husband who has an
affair with his wife's sister. In The Reckoning, for Gangster director
McGuigan, he stars opposite Willem Dafoe and Brian Cox; the period
drama centers on a priest on the run who comes into contact with a
band of traveling actors and together they solve a murder. Lastly,
he stars opposite Nicole Kidman for director Lars von Trier (Breaking
the Waves, Dancer in the Dark) in the dramatic thriller Dogville.
Bettany splits his time between London and New York and has a son
with wife, actress Jennifer Connelly.
Based in New Zealand, Irish-born Sam Neill (Dennis Bradbury) is recognized
internationally for his work in film and television. Already an accomplished
actor with innumerable starring roles in acclaimed projects, Neill's
profile within the U.S. skyrocketed in 1993 with his roles in Steven
Spielberg's Jurassic Park and Jane Campion's The Piano. The Piano
won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Australian
Film Institute (A.F.I.) prize as Best Picture. Neill was named New
Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1993 and received the Order of
the British Empire (O.B.E.) honor for Services to Acting, as well
as an A.F.I. nomination.
Neill's highly eclectic feature film credits include Jurassic Park
III, with Laura Dern, William H. Macy and Téa Leoni; Bicentennial
Man, with Robin Williams; The Horse Whisperer, opposite Robert Redford
and Kristen Scott Thomas; Children of the Revolution, with Judy Davis;
and Restoration, alongside Robert Downey, Jr., Meg Ryan and Hugh Grant.
He had previously starred opposite Grant as controversial Australian
artist Norman Lindsay in John Duigan's Sirens.
His film credits also include The Hunt for Red October, with Sean
Connery; Dead Calm, opposite Nicole Kidman; and My Brilliant Career,
with Judy Davis. He starred opposite Meryl Streep in two films for
director Fred Schepisi, A Cry in the Dark and Plenty. He collected
the A.F.I. Award as Best Actor for Plenty.
More recently, Neill completed a starring role opposite Joan Allen
in director Sally Potter's Yes and appeared in writer/director Gaylene
Preston's Perfect Strangers; the Australian period crime comedy Dirty
Deeds, along with an ensemble cast that includes Bryan Brown and Toni
Collette; the comedy The Dish; The Zookeeper; and My Mother Frank,
earning another A.F.I. nomination. He lent his vocal talents to the
animated feature, The Magic Pudding, and narrated the DVD profiling
the work of Australian animator Michael Leunig, entitled Leunig Animated.
His upcoming feature film projects include director Rowan Woods' Little
Fish, starring with Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving.
Neill has also expanded his resume with producing and directing credits.
He produced two telefilms based on author Shane Maloney's "Murray
Whelan" crime series: Stiff (in which he also starred) and The Brush-Off,
with Neill also assuming directing duties on the latter.
Neill has been honored with Golden Globe nominations for his work
on television twice, and received both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations
for his performance as the title character in the 1998 miniseries
Merlin. He portrayed Thomas Jefferson in the miniseries Sally Hemings:
An American Scandal, and also starred in Reilly: Ace of Spies, Kane
and Abel, Amerika and One Against the Wind. More recently, he starred
along with Rob Lowe in the TNT Original Film Framed and opposite Keira
Knightley and Hans Matheson in the acclaimed mini-series Doctor Zhivago;
he also starred in the mini-series Jessica.
Actor / Writer / Director / Producer Jon Favreau (Ron Roth) is a true
multihyphenate. After establishing himself as an actor and writer
of considerable talent with the acclaimed hipster comedy Swingers,
he has continued to challenge himself with a variety of eclectic projects.
Most recently, Favreau directed the acclaimed holiday smash hit Elf,
starring Will Ferrell for New Line Films. Favreau made his feature
film directorial debut with Made, a script he wrote and starred in
opposite Vince Vaughn and Sean Puffy Combs for Artisan Entertainment.
Favreau was most recently seen in Columbia Pictures' Something's Gotta
Give for director Nancy Meyers; and the Mark Steven Johnson film,
Daredevil, with Ben Affleck, an adaptation of the Marvel Comics franchise
for 20th Century Fox-Regency Enterprises. He also starred in a career-defining
turn portraying legendary heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano in the
MGM biopic Marciano. Favreau's other feature film credits include
Love and Sex, opposite Famke Janssen; The Replacements, with Keanu
Reeves; Very Bad Things, opposite Christian Slater and Cameron Diaz;
and Deep Impact, with Robert Duvall, Morgan Freeman and Vanessa Redgrave.
Favreau's television credits include a recurring role on the popular
NBC situation comedy Friends and a special appearance on HBO's critically
acclaimed The Sopranos, playing himself. Favreau can also add the
title of showrunner to his multi-hyphenate list of credits, as the
creator, producer and host of the critically acclaimed IFC series
Dinner for Five, which is entering its third season this fall.
Currently, Favreau is readying to direct Zathura, a children's adventure
film starring Tim Robbins for Radar Pictures and Sony Entertainment.
Austin Nichols (Jake Hammond) can be seen starring in two highly anticipated
feature films this year. Nichols landed his first feature role in
the hit film The Day After Tomorrow, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and
Dennis Quaid. Soon after wrapping Day After, Nichols secured his role
opposite Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany in Wimbledon.
Nichols (who hails from Austin, Texas) moved to Los Angeles to study
creative writing at USC. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in
English while simultaneously pursuing a career in acting. It was not
long before Hollywood took notice. Nichols got his start with recurring
roles on HBO's Six Feet Under, opposite Rachel Griffiths, and Fox's
drama Pasadena, opposite Alison Lohman.
In addition to acting and writing, Nichols comes from an impressive
athletic background. He was ranked third in the world in water skiing
and won the Pan American Championship '97. He also enjoys golf, tennis
and horseback riding, the latter inspired by his Texas upbringing
and an obsession with filmmaker John Ford. Nichols is a cinephile
who admires Hal Ashby and Sam Fuller.
Austin is currently filming the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film Glory
Road, opposite Josh Lucas. The film is based on the true story of
the Texas Western basketball team who altered NCAA history in 1966
by becoming the first black line-up of players to win the championship.
Austin plays the only white player on the team. Nichols currently
resides in Los Angeles, California.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Dieter Proll) has worked extensively in films
and television, with leading roles in the films Night Watch; Vildspor
(Wildshot), which he also co-wrote; Misery Harbour; Foreign Fields;
24 Hours in the Life of a Woman; Rembrandt; and Manden bag døren.
He made his British film debut in Sean Mathias' production of Bent,
starring alongside Clive Owen, Ian McKellan and Mick Jagger, and has
since starred in Michael Apted's Enigma, starring Dougray Scott and
Kate Winslet; Black Hawk Down for Ridley Scott; and My Name Is Modesty
for Miramax. His next project is Kingdom of Heaven for Ridley Scott
again.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Richard Loncraine (Director) is one of Britain's top directors with
an impressive list of feature film and television projects. He most
recently directed the tele-feature My House in Umbria, starring Dame
Maggie Smith, Chris Cooper and Timothy Spall; it was nominated for
nine Emmy Awards (including Outstanding Directing for Loncraine),
with Smith winning the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries
or Movie; Loncraine also received a DGA nomination. Loncraine's feature
film directing credits include Richard III, starring Sir Ian McKellan,
Dame Maggie Smith and Annette Benning (with Loncraine and McKellan's
adapted screenplay receiving a BAFTA nomination and Loncraine winning
the Berlin Film Festival's Silver Bear); The Missionary, starring
Michael Palin and Dame Maggie Smith; Bellman and True (which he co-scripted),
starring Bernard Hill; the controversial black comedy Brimstone &
Treacle, written by Dennis Potter and starring Denholm Elliott, Dame
Joan Plowright and Sting; and Full Circle, starring Mia Farrow and
Keir Dullea.
Previous to My House in Umbria, Loncraine also directed the BAFTA,
Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning The Gathering Storm, starring
Albert Finney and Vanessa Redgrave, with Loncraine's direction singled
out for Emmy and DGA nominations. Loncraine's additional television
directing credits include an episode of the award-winning Band of
Brothers, produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks; the
BAFTA-nominated Wide-Eyed and Legless, written by Jack Rosenthal and
starring Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters; part of the Dennis Potter
trilogy, Blade on the Feather, starring Donald Pleasance, Denholm
Elliot and Tom Conti (which earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best
Director); and Secret Orchards, starring Freddie Jones and Judy Parfitt.
For the past 18 years, Loncraine has also been a highly successful
director of commercials and has won numerous prizes for his work in
this field, particularly for his work involving visual effects and
technical complexities (as in the British Airways "Manhattan" commercial).
Loncraine is also director and co-founder of Kaleidoscope Cameras
Ltd., a company created to develop advanced camera lenses and equipment,
including a snorkel lens and the 'Hothead,' a remote control camera
which has not only become a standard piece of equipment for the film
industry, but that was also recently nominated for a technical Oscar®.
Screenwriter Adam Brooks (Written by) most recently co-wrote the upcoming
Working Title release Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, starring
Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth in the follow-up to the
international hit Bridget Jones's Diary. Previous to that, he assumed
both screenwriting and directing duties on the critically received
The Invisible Circus, based on the novel by Jennifer Egan and starring
Cameron Diaz.
Brooks wrote the hit comedy French Kiss, starring Meg Ryan and Kevin
Kline, and also co-wrote (with Richard LaGravenese and Akosua Busia)
the screen adaptation of Nobel Prize Winner Toni Morrison's Beloved,
directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover
and Thandie Newton.
He has collaborated with director/actor Griffin Dunne on several projects:
Brooks adapted the novel (along with Robin Swicord and Akiva Goldsman)
for Dunne's Practical Magic; the pair co-wrote the Academy Award®-nominated
short film Duke of Groove, which Dunne directed; and Brooks directed
and penned the story for the Sundance Film Festival jury prize winner
Almost You, which starred Dunne and Brooke Adams.
Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin (Written by) are a dynamic screenwriting
and directing team, having recently completed principal photography
on Little Manhattan, their first feature as filmmakers. Little Manhattan,
a romantic comedy about an 11-yearold discovering first love on New
York City's Upper West Side, is set for a Spring 2005 release by New
Regency and 20th Century Fox.
Levin and Flackett have worked together as a truly collaborative team
for over 10 years. Their first original screenplay, Drive, was purchased
by Scott Rudin and Paramount Pictures in 1997. That year, they adapted
the classic children's book Madeline into a motion picture starring
Academy Award® winner Frances McDormand, produced by Stanley Jaffe.
A writing team known for their versatility and ability to cross genres,
they have worked with producers Lauren Shuler Donner, Alfonso Cuaron,
Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher, and Jennifer and Suzanne Todd on various
feature projects.
In television, they have written and executive-produced pilots for
all the major broadcast networks. These half-hour and hour projects
include ABC's Roadie (1996), CBS's The Mysteries of 71st Street (2000),
Fox's The Third Degree (2001) and ABC's Born in Brooklyn (2001).
Before beginning their collaboration in 1993, Mark Levin and Jennifer
Flackett worked independently as writers. Levin attended the Yale
School of Drama as a playwright and went on to write and produce over
50 episodes of the critically acclaimed hit The Wonder Years. He also
worked as a writer, story editor and producer of other television
shows, including Capital News and Going to Extremes. In 1992, he co-created
and executive-produced the NBC television series Earth 2 for Amblin
Entertainment. Flackett, a graduate of Wesleyan University, began
her career as a writer and story editor for Steven Bochco's Civil
Wars and L.A. Law, among other shows. In 1993, Flackett also wrote
for the series Earth 2, where she and her husband first began their
collaboration.
As married creative partners, Flackett and Levin remarkably spend
24 hours a day together, seven days a week. Currently, Mark and Jennifer
are in post-production on Little Manhattan and writing the screenplay
for their next film, a project they will also direct. The couple has
two young children and resides in Los Angeles and New York City.
Co-chaired by Tim Bevan (Producer) and Eric Fellner (Producer) since
its establishment in 1982, Working Title Films is Europe's leading
film production company. The company has produced more than 70 films,
with a combined worldwide gross in excess of two-and-a-half billion
dollars, won four Academy Awards®, 20 British Academy Awards and numerous
prizes at the Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals. This year, the company
was awarded the prestigious Michael Balcon BAFTA Award for its outstanding
contribution to the British Film Industry.
Working Title Films' credits include the hugely successful romantic
comedies Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's
Diary and Love Actually, all starring Hugh Grant and written by Richard
Curtis. Curtis also made his directorial debut with Love Actually.
The company also have a long association with the Coen brothers, having
made five films together, including the Academy Award®-winning Fargo;
The Hudsucker Proxy; The Big Lebowski; O Brother, Where Are Thou?;
and The Man Who Wasn't There, which won Joel Coen the Best Director
prize at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Noted for its discerning eye
and for intelligent and entertaining narratives, Working Title is
also known for searching out and adapting successful and original
books. Stephen Frears brought Nick Hornby's High Fidelity to the screen
and Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz did the same with Hornby's About a
Boy. Other notable adaptations include the aforementioned Bridget
Jones's Diary from Helen Fielding's bestseller, starring Oscar® winner
Renée Zellweger; John Madden's adaptation of Louis de Bernieres' Captain
Corelli's Mandolin, starring Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz; Tim Robbins'
Dead Man Walking, from the book by Helen Prejean, which starred Oscar®
winners Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn; and the children's classic The
Borrowers, directed by Peter Hewitt and based on the books of Mary
Norton.
The company's credits also include Elizabeth, Bean, 40 Days and 40
Nights, The Guru, Johnny English, Ned Kelly, The Shape of Things and
the recent Thunderbirds, the live-action adventure film based on the
television series of the 1960s.
Working Title is currently in post-production on Bridget Jones: The
Edge of Reason, directed by Beeban Kidron with Renée Zellweger, Hugh
Grant and Colin Firth, to be released this winter.
Forthcoming productions include the suspenseful thriller The Interpreter,
directed by Academy Award® winner Sydney Pollack starring Oscar® winners
Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn; Nanny McPhee, directed by Kirk Jones,
written by Oscar® winner Emma Thompson and starring Thompson, Colin
Firth and Angela Lansbury; the adventure drama Everest, directed by
Stephen Daldry (The Hours, Billy Elliot) and written by Pulitzer Prize
winner Michael Cristofer; and Pride and Prejudice, with Keira Knightley
and Matthew Macfadyen heading an ensemble cast that also includes
Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Tom
Hollander, Penelope Wilton and Dame Judi Dench.
In 1999, WT² was formed to produce Working Title's lower budget films.
Its first film, Billy Elliot, directed by Stephen Daldry, became an
international commercial and critical hit. The division, headed by
Natascha Wharton, has since made Ali G Indahouse, starring Sacha Baron
Cohen, as well as Long Time Dead and My Little Eye. This year, the
division's releases include The Calcium Kid, starring Orlando Bloom;
Shaun of the Dead, a romantic zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright
starring Simon Pegg; Jonjo Mickybo, directed by Terry Loane and starring
Julie Walters, Ciaran Hinds, Adrian Dunbar and Gina Mckee; and Inside
I'm Dancing, directed by Damien O'Donnell and starring Romola Garai,
James McAvoy and Steven Robertson.
Liza Chasin (Producer) has served as President of U.S. Production
at Working Title Films since 1996.
In addition to producing Wimbledon, Chasin serves as executive producer
on the highly anticipated Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (starring
Oscar® winner Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth) and on
Pride and Prejudice (starring Keira Knightley and an ensemble cast).
Chasin is also co-producing The Interpreter, starring Academy Award®
winners Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn and directed by Oscar® winner
Sydney Pollack.
Chasin also served as executive producer on the highly acclaimed Thirteen,
which won the best director slot at the Sundance Film Festival for
Catherine Hardwicke and stars Holly Hunter (in an Oscar®-nominated
performance) and Evan Rachel Wood. She also recently co-produced Richard
Curtis' worldwide hit, the ensemble romantic comedy Love Actually,
and executive-produced the family adventure Thunderbirds.
Over the past several years, Chasin has been involved in the development
and production of such acclaimed films as Dead Man Walking, Fargo,
Notting Hill and O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Chasin also served as
co-producer of About a Boy, directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz,
starring Hugh Grant, Toni Colette and Rachel Weisz; Bridget Jones's
Diary, starring Renée Zellweger; and High Fidelity, starring John
Cusack. She also co-produced the Academy Award® and Golden Globe nominated
critical success, Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett.
A graduate of N.Y.U. Film School, Chasin first joined the company
in 1991 as Director of Development. She was subsequently promoted
to Vice President of Production and Development, becoming the head
of the Los Angeles office for Working Title, overseeing the company's
creative affairs in the U.S. Prior to joining Working Title Films,
Chasin worked for several years in various production capacities in
New York-based production companies.
Prior to producing Wimbledon, Mary Richards (Producer) produced Steven
Spielberg's award-winning miniseries Band of Brothers.
Richards served as line producer on Christine Jeffs' Sylvia, Ben Elton's
Maybe Baby, Roger Michell's Notting Hill, Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth
and Peter Hewitt's The Borrowers. She also worked as production manager
on an impressive list of projects, including George Miller's Robinson
Crusoe, Richard Loncraine's Richard III, Mark Peploe's Victory, Michael
Austin's Princess Caraboo and Mike Newell's Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Her additional feature film credits include work on Being Human, Afraid
of the Dark, A Kiss Before Dying, Memphis Belle, Nuns on the Run,
The Rachel Papers, Madame Sousatzka, White Mischief, Angel Heart,
Another Country, Greystoke and Local Hero.
Debra Hayward (Executive Producer) serves as Head of Film for Working
Title Films and is creatively responsible for the company's entire
slate of motion pictures in conjunction with her U.S. counterpart,
Liza Chasin.
Hayward joined Working Title in 1989 as a producer's assistant on
such films as Fools of Fortune and Dakota Road and then moved to the
development department, where she worked on such diverse films as
1991's London Kills Me and 1993's Map of the Human Heart.
Upcoming projects on which Hayward is serving as executive producer
include Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (starring Oscar® winner
Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth) and Pride and Prejudice
(with Keira Knightly heading an impressive ensemble cast). She also
serves as co-producer on the suspenseful thriller The Interpreter,
starring Academy Award® winners Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn and directed
by Oscar® winner Syndey Pollack. Her most recent co-producer credits
include Ned Kelly, starring Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom; Richard
Curtis' worldwide hit Love Actually; the international hit Johnny
English, starring Rowan Atkinson, Natalie Imbruglia and John Malkovich;
and the award-winning About a Boy. She also recently executive-produced
The Guru and 40 Days and 40 Nights.
Hayward's additional co-producing credits include the worldwide smash
Bridget Jones's Diary, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, the lauded Elizabeth,
The Matchmaker and The Borrowers. As a development executive, she
was instrumental in helping to bring such films as Notting Hill, Plunkett
& Macleane, French Kiss, Moonlight and Valentino, Panther, Four Weddings
and a Funeral and Posse to the screen. She also served as associate
producer on Loch Ness.
Oscar®-nominated Darius Khondji, A.S.C., A.F.C. (Director of Photography)
was educated at New York University Film School and ICP (International
Center of Photography). He shot his first film as director of photography
while continuing to work in commercials, collaborating with such directors
David Fincher, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Chris Cunningham, Lars von Trier
and William Klein, among others.
Khondji was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 69th Annual Academy
Awards, Best Cinematography at the 1997 BAFTA Film Awards, and Outstanding
Achievement in Cinematography at the ASC Awards for his work on Alan
Parker's Evita.
Other feature credits include Woody Allen's Anything Else; David Fincher's
The Panic Room and Seven (Chicago Film Critics Award winner, ASC-nominated);
Danny Boyle's The Beach; Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate; Neil Jordan's
In Dreams; Jean- Pierre Jeunet's Alien: Resurrection; Bernardo Bertolucci's
Stealing Beauty (nominated for best cinematography at the Donatello
Awards); Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's The City of Lost Children
and Delicatessen (both César-nominated for Best Cinematography), among
others.
His upcoming projects include Working Title Films' suspenseful thriller
The Interpreter, directed by Oscar® winner Sydney Pollack and starring
Academy Award® winners Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn.
Born and raised in England, Brian Morris (Production Designer) has
demonstrated great versatility, moving easily from stylized musicals
to period films to more contemporary fare. He attended Manchester
Art College and Central School of Arts and Crafts in London before
beginning his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and moving
on to television and film. His earliest credits as an art director
came with two Richard Loncraine films: Flame and Full Circle. He graduated
to fullfledged production designer on John Schlesinger's World War
II drama Yanks (BAFTAnominated for Best Production Design).
After creating the prehistoric world of Jean-Jacques Annaud's Quest
For Fire, Morris embarked on a long-term association with director
Alan Parker that began on the rock and roll musical Pink Floyd The
Wall Among Morris' notable credits are Adrian Lyne's Unfaithful and
Jacob's Ladder; John Carney's The Smiling Suicide Club; Michael Mann's
The Insider; Jim Sheridan's The Boxer; Sydney Pollack's Sabrina; Alan
Parker's The Road to Wellville, The Commitments and Angel Heart; Louis
Malle's Damage; and Marek Knievska's Another Country.
Morris garnered a Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Production
Design for his work on Evita, also earning Oscar® and BAFTA nominations.
Most recently Morris designed Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean:
The Curse of the Black Pearl, starring Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush,
which was nominated for Excellence in Production Design by the Art
Directors Guild.
Wimbledon is Humphrey Dixon's (Editor) second collaboration with Richard
Loncraine, having edited the HBO tele-feature My House in Umbria.
Dixon's career spans a panoply of feature film editing credits, including
Led Zeppelin's concert feature film The Song Remains the Same; Bruce
Beresford's Evelyn and Mister Johnson; Jean-Jacques Annaud's Enemy
at the Gates; Pat O'Connor's Dancing at Lughnasa; the multiple award-winning
Merchant Ivory production A Room With A View (for which he received
a BAFTA nomination); the additional Merchant Ivory productions Roseland,
The Europeans, Quartet, Heat and Dust and Mr. and Mrs. Bridge; Caleb
Deschanel's Crusoe; Lewis Gilbert's Stepping Out; Gillies MacKinnon's
The Playboys and A Simple Twist of Fate; and John Duigan's Sirens
and Lawn Dogs. Louise Stjernsward's (Costume Designer) feature film
costuming talents were most recently seen in Bernardo Bertolucci's
sexy period piece, The Dreamers. In addition to creating costumes
for award-winning short films (such as Football and one segment of
the shorts collection Ten Minutes Older: The Cello) and commercials,
Stjernsward has costumed many major international films, including
writer/director Matthew Parkhill's Dot the I; writer/director Asif
Kapadia's Hindi-language The Warrior; the well-received Sexy Beast,
starring the Oscar®-nominated Sir Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone; the
Irish-based Shergar; The Secret Laughter of Women, starring Colin
Firth and Nia Long; All the Little Animals, starring John Hurt and
Christian Bale; John Badham's Incognito; Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty;
writer/director Mark Peploe's period film Victory and his thriller
Afraid of the Dark; the ensemble comedy High Season, starring Jacqueline
Bissett and Kenneth Branagh; and Michelangelo Antonioni's classic
The Passenger, starring Jack Nicholson.
Composer Edward Shearmur (Music by) has created music for a lengthy
list of impressive feature film and television projects. His scoring
work was most recently heard in the romantic comedies Laws of Attraction
(starring Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore) and Win a Date with Tad
Hamilton! (with Kate Bosworth, Topher Grace and Josh Duhamel). His
score for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle garnered him a BMI Film
Music Award. His additional feature film credits include Peter Howitt's
Johnny English, Roger Kumble's The Sweetest Thing, Iain Softley's
K-PAX, Rob Bowman's Reign of Fire, Kevin Reynold's The Count of Monte
Cristo, McG's Charlie's Angels (BMI winner) and Donald Petrie's Miss
Congeniality (BMI winner). His work was also heard in the motion pictures
Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, Blue Streak, Jakob the
Liar, Cruel Intentions, The Very Thought of You, The Governess, The
Wings of the Dove, Let Him Have It and Sleeping with Fishes.
Upcoming for Shearmur is the science fiction adventure film Sky Captain
and the World of Tomorrow, starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and
Angeline Jolie. Shearmur has also composed the scores of television's
The Hunchback, Heart of Darkness, Shot Through the Heart and The Heart
Surgeon. Shearmur has served as a keyboardist for such artists as
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, Bryan Adams, Sting, Rod Stewart and Annie
Lennox, and has played on the recordings of Echo & the Bunnymen, Eric
Clapton, Pink Floyd and Roger Daltrey, to name a few.
v Pat Cash (Tennis Consultant) has always liked doing things in his
own determined way. A mere five years after turning professional,
Cash climbed into sports history with his post-Wimbledon victory dash
into the grandstands at the All England Club in 1987. Not such a big
deal now, but Cash was the first to challenge the club's conservative
traditions by scaling the grandstand. And it wasn't the only heart-warming
moment of his illustrious career.
This past year, Cash was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall
of Fame at the 2003 Australian Open and, in doing so, became the youngest
ever inductee to join the elite group of 25 that have been singled
out for their contribution to Australian tennis.
Cash's career includes an impressive array of wins and stats, many
made all the more sensational by the young age at which he accomplished
his career milestones. Born May 27, 1965 in Melbourne, Cash turned
professional in 1982 and the next year, became the youngest player
up to that time in the Davis Cup. In 1984, at the age of 19, he played
in his first semi-final match at Wimbledon and followed that up with
an appearance in the U.S. Open finals, losing in a five-set thriller
against Ivan Lendl. 1986 saw Cash clinch the Davis Cup for Australia,
fighting back from two sets down in the deciding match. The following
year, Cash lost the 1987 Australian Open in a tough five-setter to
Stefan Edberg; the same year, he won the Wimbledon Championship, beating
Lendl in straight sets. The 1988 Australian Open saw Cash back in
the finals, nearly winning the title, which went to Mats Wilander
(Cash lost 8-6 in the fifth set). Cash, despite Achilles tendon, knee
and back injuries, continued on the full-time circuit until 1989.
Since then, Cash has maintained a busy schedule filled with tournaments,
press commitments, consulting, coaching and charity work. Cash continues
tennis commentating at the BBC for such events as Wimbledon, Queens
Cup and Davis Cup competition. As a world recognized player and coach,
he also provides his frank and intelligent opinion on the sport in
the U.K.'s most popular Sunday broadsheet, The Sunday Times. June
of 2002 saw the launch of Uncovered, Cash's sensational autobiography.
Renowned tennis coach Gavin Hopper and Pat Cash have created a unique
training and coaching academy, the CashHopper Academy, which combines
the sport sciences with the discipline of hard work. Their programs
have been developed from Hopper's successful formula of training and
coaching, which has established him as a leader in modern tennis through
the application of sports science to the games of many of the world's
top players. Complementing Gavin's innovative techniques are Pat's
many years of learning during his playing career, his analytical approach
to television commentary and, most recently, the application of his
knowledge in coaching on the professional tour.
Cash also devotes his time to two charities, working closely with
GOAL and Planet Ark. GOAL is a non-denominational, non-governmental
and non-political organization that works towards ensuring the provision
of the fundamental needs and rights of life to the poorest and most
vulnerable in our world and to those affected by humanitarian crises.
Planet Ark-an Australian not-for-profit organization that was set
up by Pat Cash and international charity organizer Jon Dee in June
1991-works toward establishing positively focused, populist environmental
campaigns. -wimbledon- |
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