Percy Jackson isn’t feeling very heroic. The half-human son of Poseidon – the
Greek god of the sea – once saved the world, but Percy’s starting to think that might have
been a fluke. Is he a flash in the pan…a one-quest wonder?
When Percy learns he has a half-brother who’s a monster, he wonders if being the
son of Poseidon might be more of a curse than a blessing. But Percy doesn’t have much
time to brood; the magical borders of Camp Half-Blood are beginning to fall and a horde
of mythical monsters threatens to destroy the sanctuary for the children of the gods.
In order to save the demigods’ haven, Percy and his friends must find the fabled
and magical Golden Fleece. Their journey takes them to Washington, D.C. and on to the
Florida coast, where they set sail on a treacherous odyssey into the uncharted, deadly
waters of the Sea of Monsters, known to humans as the Bermuda Triangle.
They are challenged by a giant mechanical fire-breathing bull, terrifying sea
creatures, a gigantic Cyclops, and other demigods of uncertain allegiances. The stakes
are higher than ever and if Percy doesn’t succeed, Camp Half-Blood will cease to exist
and all of Olympus will crumble.
Author Rick Riordan, who taught Greek Mythology for many years in middle
school in California and Texas, came up with the idea for the first Percy Jackson book.
This led to four additional novels and a huge fan base numbering in the millions, after
reading the sagas of the ancient Greek heroes as bedtime stories to his son, Haley.
“When I ran out of myths, my son became disappointed,” the author relates on his
website. “He asked me if I could make up some new stories with the same characters. I
remembered a creative writing project I used to do with my sixth graders, which allowed
them to create their own demigod hero, the son or daughter of any god they wanted,
while having them describe a Greek-style quest for that hero.
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“Off the top of my head, I made up Percy Jackson and told Haley all about his
quest to recover Zeus' lightning bolt in modern day America. It took about three nights to
tell the whole story and, when I was done, Haley told me I should write it out as a book.”
Those three nights ultimately became a yearlong odyssey for Riordan
(pronounced Rye'-er-dan) in completing his first book for young readers (he was already
an established author, having written several prior novels, his first being the Tres Navarre
private eye thriller, Big Red Tequila, in 1997).
“I picked a few of my sixth, seventh and eighth graders and asked them if they'd
be willing to ‘test drive’ the novel,” Riordan continues. “I'm used to showing my work to
adults, and had no idea if kids would like Percy. I finally understood what it must be like
for them, turning in an essay to me and waiting to get their grades back! Fortunately, the
kids really liked it. They had some good suggestions, too.”
The book was published in 2005, but it would be another five years before
Hollywood would bring the first of the Percy Jackson stories to the screen. While the
studio explored turning Riordan’s first book into a movie, the author continued the series
by penning a new novel each year between 2006 and 2009.
Little did Riordan realize that the big screen version of his first novel, Percy
Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief would become a global box-office and
home entertainment hit. The film, directed by Chris Columbus, who is executive
producer on PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS, was enjoyed by millions around
the world, including filmmaker Thor Freudenthal. After viewing “Percy Jackson & the
Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” Freudenthal began reading the books and became a
fan. “I found a lot of emotion and an irreverent, whimsical tone in the books,” he says.
“The amazing trick that [author] Rick Riordan pulls off is having fun at a very fast pace
and not always taking himself too seriously. But he never sacrifices the emotional core,
which is a bunch of kids who have a heavy burden to carry: they have parents who are
larger than life and are mostly absent. I’m a sucker for big emotions in a movie, and I
also love a healthy sense of humor to go along with it. Both the books and this movie
embody those notions.”
Freudenthal says he wanted to depict the overlap of the real and mythological
worlds. “PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS shows new aspects of Camp Half2
Blood; we wanted to paint a full picture of the beautiful sanctuary for the Half-Bloods
and create magic.”
The notion of a teen realizing he or she is, well, not entirely from this earth, was
irresistible to screenwriter Marc Guggenheim. “Who wouldn’t want to grow up and one
day learn you are a demigod?” he asks. And Percy is a compelling and relatable lead
demigod. “He’s so pure of heart,” adds Guggenheim. “Percy is cool, has a sense of
humor and a little swagger, but at the end of the day he always does the right thing.”
Guggenheim and Freudenthal remained true to the spirit of the book, while
making necessary adjustments in translating it for the big screen. “There were some
things that had to change [in adapting the book] because the structure of a book is very
different than the structure of a movie,” Guggenheim explains. “But we always drew
inspiration from the book.”
One of the biggest challenges in the adaptation, says Guggenheim, is that, “the
tones of the novel are very specific and, once you put them up on a movie screen, there’s
a danger that they’ll feel incongruous with each other: the seriousness of the threat of [the
über-villainous] Kronos might feel at odds with the wild and zany aspects of some of the
other characters. The challenge is making sure that those tones complement rather than
clash with one another. Our director, Thor, always had a very clear vision for how every
piece of the movie should fit together.”
With so many of the young cast members having worked together before on
“Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” there was significant on-set
camaraderie. “It was a lot of fun,” says Lerman. “We all became really tight on the first
film, and we were looking forward to making this new one. I’m really appreciative of all
the fans and everyone that liked the first ‘Percy Jackson’ film enough to warrant a
sequel.”
Lerman returns as the titular hero, the demigod son of Poseidon, who embarks on
his own, modern-day Odyssey. “At the beginning of this film, Percy is not living up to
his potential and he doubts himself,” says Lerman. “Percy feels abandoned by his father,
the Greek god Poseidon, and then, he finds out that he has a brother.”
If shocking family revelations weren’t enough, Percy must deal with Polyphemus,
an enormous and powerful Cyclops; Charybdis, the sea monster; the raging Colchis Bull,
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a giant, metallic and fire-breathing creature that attacks Camp Half-Blood; the Manticore,
a formidable monster with a lion’s body and a long, scorpion-like tail; and the ancient
Oracle, an ancient mummified mystic with empty eye sockets and skeletal features. The
Oracle further complicates Percy’s sense of self and duty, says Lerman, when it tells him
he “is either going to destroy Olympus or save it. He’s not sure if he can rise to the
occasion.”
Percy has a lot at stake, according to Freudenthal. “He’s trying to save Camp
Half-Blood and prove himself as a hero. He’s grown distant from his father, who is not
really responding to his requests for help. Percy embarks upon his ‘odyssey’ for two
reasons: to save his home, and to ascertain if he is indeed a hero.”
Alexandra Daddario returns as Annabeth Chase, the demigod offspring of Athena,
goddess of wisdom, the role she created in “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The
Lightning Thief.” “One of the most enjoyable aspects of the first film was accessing a
bad-ass quality that you don’t really get to access in your real life. It’s been a great
experience being able to do that,” says the actress.
But in PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS, Daddario notes, “We see more
of Annabeth’s sensitive side. In the first she was very tough; in this one we see a lot more
of her vulnerability.”
Brandon T. Jackson reprises the role of Grover, Percy Jackson’s satyr friend.
Jackson explains that in Greek mythology, satyrs, which are half man, half goat, “are
mischievous. They are fun-loving characters and very protective of the earth. Grover has
a lot of heart. He would do anything to save Camp Half-Blood, and he would give his
life for Percy because they’re best friends.”
Jackson admits that reprising a character “is challenging because you’ve got to
bring growth to the character. In this film, Grover is a little older; he’s got his horns now.
Grover doesn’t want to go on this quest because it could actually kill him. But he has to
because a satyr guide is required to find the Golden Fleece.
“He’s not scared, but he knows his life is in danger with Polyphemus, the gigantic
Cyclops in possession of the Golden Fleece,” Jackson continues. “Grover would rather
stay at home and chill at Camp Half-Blood. Polyphemus is like Kryptonite to him. He
eats satyrs for breakfast!”
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Jake Abel is back as Luke, the first film’s “lightning thief,” and the son of
Hermes, the messenger of the gods. “Demigods are the sons and daughters of gods and
human beings,” says Abel. “They inherit the powers or characteristics of their god
parent. Luke, being the son of Hermes, is very mischievous and a quick thinker. He’s
mercurial, enigmatic and devious.
“In this first film, Luke stole Zeus’ lightning bolt, and PERCY JACKSON: SEA
OF MONSTERS is a continuation of his journey, rebelling against his father,” Abel
continues. “Feeling angry, forgotten and neglected, he wants to show the gods who’s
boss, and Luke comes up with a plan to end the reign of the gods and, in the process,
bring some of the demigods over to the dark side.”
Luke, like Percy, seeks the Golden Fleece, but for a very different reason. “Luke
wants to bring back the ultimate, original evil, which is Kronos, the Titan who was
overthrown by his sons,” says Abel. “With the Fleece, Luke can resurrect Kronos and
bring him back to life. Luke believes Kronos will promise him everything and help him
bring down Olympus and conquer the world.”
On his journey to battle Luke and retrieve the Golden Fleece, Percy discovers he
has a half-brother, Tyson, who is a Cyclops. “Tyson is a sweet, teenage Cyclops,” says
Freudenthal. “Cyclopes are viewed as monsters, but everything about Tyson is the
opposite of that.”
“Tyson is a warrior, of sorts,” says Douglas Smith, who plays the one-eyed teen.
“He’s a really soulful, salt of the earth Cyclops. Tyson is one of those people who seem
overly simple but he’s actually got a deep wisdom. It comes in handy in the quest
because he’s got a variety of skills that only Cyclopes have. He’s a good guy, and
identifies more with the Half-Bloods than with the other Cyclopes, who like to eat
demigods. Tyson looks like a villain, but he has a heart of gold and that can be very
confusing when people meet him. And it’s confusing for him, too.”
Like Percy, Tyson is a son of Poseidon, but while Percy’s mother is human,
Tyson’s mother was a sea nymph. Smith describes the sibling relationship: “Percy and
Tyson are half-brothers, but Tyson doesn’t like to harp on that. Percy doesn’t expect to
have a brother show up at camp, he doesn’t expect to bring him along on the journey, and
he does not expect to be won over by Tyson’s optimism and point of view, which is fresh
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and filled with wonder. Ultimately, Percy realizes that Poseidon is looking out for him,
because he sent Tyson to Percy.”
Initially, the filmmakers planned to give Smith a prosthetic eye, but they decided
to create the eye mostly through visual effects. The prosthetic shrank in size from a full
facemask to a small forehead application that created the effect of a single brow, which
Smith only had to sport when Tyson wears sunglasses. And, as in the book, an
application of magical mist creates the illusion of Tyson having two eyes; for those
scenes, Smith wears only his own visage.
The newest demigod at Camp Half-Blood is Clarisse LaRue, daughter of Ares, the
god of war. Leven Rambin plays Clarisse, whom she says is, “innately prone to fighting,
competition and being the best. She always wants to prove herself to her father, who
wanted a son, so she’s trying to live up to that.”
“Clarisse contributes to Percy’s feelings of inadequacy and makes him question
his abilities and whether he belongs in Camp Half-Blood,” says Freudenthal. “Clarisse is
insecure, and that’s why she has such an attitude. It’s her insecurity that someone’s
going to best her or embarrass her that drives her to feel the need to bully people.”
Anthony Head portrays Percy’s mentor, Chiron, a Centaur – half-man and halfhorse. “Centaurs like drinking and partying, and Chiron is completely the opposite; he’s
learned and kind,” says Head, who is best known for his role as the mentor to the heroine
of the television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” “Chiron treats Percy like a son.
He’s noble and at the same time, possesses some darkness because he is Kronos’ son.
And Kronos is the ‘big bad’ who is basically responsible for all the things wrong in the
world of Percy Jackson.”
Academy Award®-nominee and Golden Globe® and Emmy Award®-winner
Stanley Tucci plays Dionysus, known as Mr. D to the young residents at Camp HalfBlood. “He’s the god of wine, and hedonism,” notes Tucci. “I like wine and I thought it
was appropriate for me to take the role; there was no need for research!” he quips.
“Zeus has put a curse on Mr. D and every time he tries to have some wine, it turns
into water,” Tucci continues. “He’s also not happy about being in a position of
responsibility. Mr. D is miserable and a terrible leader. He can’t remember anybody’s
name, and he’s probably more scared than the students are. Mr. D is a wreck and should
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not be in this position – and that’s what made the role so much fun for me.” To embody
the hirsute and heavyset figure, Tucci sports a moustache, beard, wig, and a fake paunch.
Nathan Fillion, an iconic figure to sci-fi fans from his work in the series “Firefly”
and the movie based upon it, “Serenity,” joins the Olympians as Hermes, messenger of
the Gods. To humans, Hermes appears as a UPS worker; to the young Olympians, he is a
gorgeously-tailored businessman who takes the Half-Bloods on a tour of his colossal
parcel sorting hub.
Hermes is the father of demigod Luke. “Luke is causing all the trouble, and they
need to find him,” says Fillion. “Luke is a troubled kid and it breaks Hermes’ heart a
little bit. But we see that they’re not heartless gods. There is a modicum of feeling
there.”
Fillion had seen “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief” and
recalls being pleased when he heard they were making a second. He admits, “It’s neat,
having an inner nerd and being a fan of something and then getting to participate.”
TAXI FROM HELL
Percy’s quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece begins when Annabeth hails a cab – in
the middle of a forest – and out of nowhere, a taxi appears. The cab is driven by The
Gray Sisters, three hags sharing a single eye.
Missi Pyle, who along with Mary Birdsong and Yvette Nicole Brown, play the
enigmatic, taxi driving siblings, notes: “We don’t necessarily need the eye to drive, but
we do like to pass it back and forth. The Gray Sisters are blind to what humans see, but
when they put the eye in, they can really see.” During the harrowing taxi ride, the Gray
Sisters provide Percy with a piece of information that proves invaluable.
Pyle, Birdsong and Brown went through a daily five-hour makeup call to
transform into the Gray Sisters. Designed by prosthetic make up wizard William
Terezakis, the Gray Sisters’ makeup effects included head, arm and even foot casts. The
makeup effects team created empty black sockets where eyes would have been.
Six Checker cabs (circa 1969-1982) were used to film the Gray Sisters scene.
Painted and adapted to resemble 1982 Checker cabs, the cars were wrangled from as far
away as Arizona. One car was split in half, one was spun on a hamster wheel, one was
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dropped, one motored and bounced along on a gimbal, and two were actually roadworthy.
As production began to wind down, the visual effects department began to ramp
up. Visual effects supervisor Dan Kaufman, who was nominated for an Academy Award
for his work on “District 9,” began working on the project some six months before
principal photography began. During post-production, hundreds of visual effects artists
and professionals came together to create the CG-generated elements. Much of the
computer-generated animation was done by animation and visual effects studio, Rhythm
and Hues (“Life of Pi”).
There are visual effects elements in almost every shot of the film, from removing
stunt harnesses and safety rigs from actors in the action sequences, to creating the
magical Hippocampus (which has a horse’s head and torso, and silvery fish body with
scales and fins), the Colchis Bull, the Manticore, Tyson’s Cyclops eye, and Chiron’s and
Grover’s respective horse and goat lower bodies. The goal is to integrate VFX shots,
says Kaufman, “rather than overpower them. We wanted the visual effects to enhance
the movie and give it that mystical, mythic quality.”
The mechanical Colchis Bull is a machine that moves agilely and quickly, like a
real bull. Kaufman says “In addition to animating Colchis, we choreographed its
movements on set. The bull is eight feet tall at the shoulder and thousands of pounds, it’s
massive, and you have to think about how it’s going to move and hit and how the actors
will interact with it. Percy is dragged by it, Annabeth stabs it and Clarisse jumps on it –
there’s a different methodology for each interaction.”
Kaufman says the visual effects “make things that can’t possibly be real, be real.
PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS takes place in our world, right now, but
there’s another hidden world, that’s also part of our world. The supernatural elements fit
right in our world and look like the real thing. For example, the hippocampus looks like
a mythical sea creature, but it also looks as real as a whale.”
ONE MAN, TWO MONSTERS
At six foot-eleven, Robert Maillet is hard not to notice. The statuesque actor
plays two roles in PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS but audiences won’t
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actually see Maillet’s face as either the legendary Cyclops Polyphemus, or as Luke’s
monstrous henchman, Laistrygonian.
Alec Gillis, the film’s special makeup effects designer and creator (with Tom
Woodruff, Jr.) created the look for Polyphemus and for the Oracle. For the latter, says
Gillis, “the goal was to make her look like she’s part of her surroundings.” We wanted
her to look real and grounded in reality, and that was part of the decision to make her
animatronic. While we had other characters played by actors in makeup, we wanted a
different look for her, partly because she has empty eye sockets and skeletal features that
you just couldn’t do with a human being. So that led us to create an animatronic puppet.”
The Oracle was operated by four puppeteers, two on remote control devices that
radio-controlled her facial movements, and two using direct hand linkages (i.e. hand
puppet) or cable controllers.
CREATING CAMP HALF-BLOOD AND OTHER MAGICAL SETS
To create the fantastic, mythological world of PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF
MONSTERS production designer Claude Paré, three art directors, three set designers and
an army of artists, carpenters, painters and set decorators, worked tirelessly to build an
array of monumental sets, including a full-blown 200-seat, outdoor amphitheater; a
towering 43-foot tall mechanical training machine (inspired by medieval Leonardo da
Vinci concepts); the ancient residential village of Camp Half-Blood; the lair of the
Cyclops, Polyphemus, and the surrounding, abandoned amusement park on Polyphemus’
island.
In October 2011, Paré and his team began what would be six months of prep, and
as the start of production grew closer, there were between 200 and 400 crew people
building sets. Paré and his teams created much of Camp Half-Blood at Robert Burnaby
Park, in the suburb of Burnaby, East of Vancouver. “The scope of the park and its open
clearing gave us a giant opportunity to open up the Camp to something that has no
limits,” says Paré. “Camp Half-Blood has to be magical, and I really wanted to make it a
place where you wish you had spent your summers.” The Coliseum was erected over a
tennis court and five cottages were built in the wooded area nearby. The training tower
towered 43 feet over the park.
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The Ironclad Civil War ship, Mr. D’s office in the Big House, the Attic where
Percy meets the Oracle, the Gray Sisters’ taxi ride, the innards of the Charybdis sea
monster and Polyphemus’ Lair scenes were all filmed on stage at Mammoth Studios in
Burnaby. The exterior of Mr. D’s Big House was shot at Foxglove, a magnificent
residence and farm in Langley, near Vancouver, while the interior of his office filmed at
a mansion in the Shaughnessy neighborhood of Vancouver. The Washington, D.C.
scenes were filmed at the neo-classical Vancouver Art Gallery and other downtown
Vancouver locations; the Chesapeake Beach scene was filmed on Ambleside Pier in West
Vancouver.
PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS filmed in Vancouver, British
Columbia, from April 2012, until mid-June, and then production moved to New Orleans,
Louisiana, where filming continued until the end of July.
BRINGING AN ABANDONED AMUSEMENT PARK BACK TO LIFE
After escaping from the thrashing sea monster, the Charybdis, Percy and his
friends realize they are approaching Polyphemus’ Island. When they disembark to
explore the strange, desolate place, they discover an abandoned amusement park called
“Circeland.” Built by the sorceress Circe, the park closed on opening day after it was
discovered that Polyphemus, the island’s resident Cyclops, was eating park visitors.
When the filmmakers began discussing possible locations for Polyphemus’ Island
and “Circeland,” one of the first suggestions was Six Flags Jazzland Amusement Park in
East New Orleans, which had been closed permanently in 2005 due to the extensive
damage it suffered in Hurricane Katrina. Shortly thereafter, Six Flags declared the park a
total loss and closed it permanently. The city of New Orleans took over management of
the property.
In the seven years since the park’s closure, nature had reclaimed many areas, with
thick brush and weeds creeping across partially collapsed roofs, shattered lights and
windows, shuttered theme rides and broad concrete walkways. Layers of spray painting
and graffiti covered what remained. The existing lagoons and lakes, built for the longdefunct water rides and sitting stagnant for years, made the park look every bit like the
creepy, faded island filmmakers envisioned.
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Jazzland was a perfect “Circeland.”
The filmmakers targeted several areas of the park, including the Mega Zeph roller
coaster, the adjacent Pontchartrain Beach area, Cajun Country and the Ozark Splash
Ride. They cleared the dense growth from these main areas and set about removing
scores of the real-life sea “monsters” – alligators and snakes – that populated the park.
The massive job of powering the park and lighting up Jazzland the first time since
Katrina struck in August 2005 required record-setting monster wattage. It took more than
three weeks, 11 electricians and 24 grips working every day just to prepare the rides,
structures and amusement park area sets for shooting.
On each of those 14 nights, the production lit up the long-darkened Jazzland and
the East New Orleans sky. The brilliant glow of the million-plus-wattage could be seen
from miles around, startling late-night and pre-dawn motorists on the adjacent interstate
highways and sparking rumors the park was preparing to re-open. After filming wrapped
at the park, a Texas Development Group announced it had taken out a two-year lease on
the property, beginning in September 2012, to see if the 400,000-square-foot area could
be developed into a combination outlet mall and amusement park.
THE “SEA OF MONSTERS” AT SEA
After arriving in New Orleans, Louisiana, production moved on to the waters of
Lake Pontchartrain, just north of the city, to continue filming the action.
When Grover is kidnapped by Luke and the treasonous Half-Bloods, the search
leads Percy, Annabeth and Tyson to ride the Hippocampus across the ocean to Luke’s
luxurious yacht, The Princess Andromeda, where they believe Grover is being held. The
trio sneaks onboard the ship, where they discover the Golden Casket -- and Luke’s plan
to bring Kronos back to life – before being discovered themselves, and taken prisoners.
To film the Andromeda sequences, the production used a 164-foot-long, 28-footwide, tri-deck power yacht called Wheels docking their spectacular floating set at the far
west point of Lake Pontchartrain’s South Shore Harbor.
DRESSED FOR THE QUEST
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Academy Award-nominated costume designer Monique Prudhomme (“The
Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus”) says that life at Camp Half-Blood is “one of jeans and T
shirts. It’s a life in sync with nature.” She notes that the costumes reflect the gods’
immortality – as that they live in the contemporary world. The armor and protection is
inspired by paintball, BMX and skateboarding.
Prudhomme also dressed some mythical creatures and monsters. “It was
challenging, and we had to work with the people who create the mechanics of the
monsters and make sure it all worked together,” she explains. In all, Prudhomme and her
team had to provide some 2,000 costumes for characters ranging from demigod campers
at Camp Half-Blood, the taxi-driving Gray Sisters, Cyclops, hordes of monsters,
Confederate soldier zombies, and an array of gods and heroes.
ABOUT THE CAST
LOGAN LERMAN (Percy Jackson) has come of age in the entertainment
industry with an impressive body of work. He maintains a fearless pursuit of challenging
roles, and is fast becoming one of Hollywood’s most in-demand young actors, for both
independent and mainstream film.
Lerman is currently in pre-production on the highly anticipated WWII drama,
“Fury” written and to be directed by David Ayer. The film follows a five-man crew of an
American tank in 1945, at the collapse of Nazi Germany. Lerman will star opposite Brad
Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, and Michael Peña. The film will be released domestically by Sony
Pictures on November 14, 2014.
Most recently, Lerman starred in the indie coming-of-age drama, “The Perks of
Being a Wallflower,” alongside Emma Watson, Paul Rudd, and Ezra Miller. He received
critical acclaim for his portrayal of Charlie, a shy 15-year old coping with love,
friendship, loss, and heartbreak and was nominated for a Broadcast Film Critics Award
for his performance in the film. Produced by John Malkovich and his team at Mr. Mudd,
the film opened in limited release to great success, both critically and commercially. In
theatres for over 20 weeks, “Perks” opened to a stellar $80k per screen in its first
weekend, and went on to garner nominations and wins at both the People’s Choice
Awards and The Independent Spirit Awards. Lerman and his co-stars Watson and Miller
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were also nominated for a total of four MTV Movie Awards™ for their performances in
the film.
Lerman recently wrapped production on Darren Aronofsky’s highly anticipated
Biblical epic “Noah” opposite Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins,
Douglas Booth and Emma Watson. Paramount will release the film on March 28, 2014.
Lerman began his film career landing a role as the youngest son in Roland
Emmerich’s war drama “The Patriot,” opposite Mel Gibson. That same year, he appeared
as the younger version of Gibson’s adult character in Nancy Meyer’s romantic comedy
“What Women Want.” Additional film credits include “Stuck In Love,” “The Three
Musketeers,” Chris Columbus’ “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,”
“The Butterfly Effect,” “Hoot,” Joel Schumacher’s “The Number 23,” Penny Marshall’s
“Riding in Cars with Boys,” James Mangold’s critically-acclaimed remake of “3:10 to
Yuma,” “Meet Bill,” Richard Loncraine’s “My One and Only,” and Mark Neveldine and
Brian Taylor’s “Gamer.”
On the small screen, Lerman made his mark in the WB’s dramatic series, “Jack
and Bobby,” portraying Bobby McCallister. The show followed the lives of two brothers
as they went to high school and generally matured, and one goes on to become President
of the United States. Prior to that, Lerman appeared in the made-for-television film, “A
Painted House,” winning him his first of three Young Artist Awards.
Lerman grew up in Los Angeles, California and began his professional career as
an actor at the age of five.
BRANDON T. JACKSON (Grover) is a multifaceted young actor carving his
own path in Hollywood. Earning critical praise at every step, he started out in stand-up
comedy and has evolved into a burgeoning young film star. He won Black Reel’s 2006
Best Breakthrough Performance award for his part in Fox Searchlight’s “Roll Bounce.”
Daily Variety named him one of “10 Comics to Watch” and in 2011Hollywood Reporter
named him to their prestigious “35 under 35: Next Gen” list.
Jackson received rave reviews for his role as the satyr Grover Underwood, the
best friend and protector of “Percy Jackson, The Lightning Thief” released in 2010 with
Rosario Dawson, Uma Thurman and Pierce Brosnan.
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Jackson starred opposite NBA basketball superstar Kevin Durant in
“Thunderstruck” and Martin Lawrence in the third incarnation of the highly profitable
“Big Momma’s House” franchise released by Fox in 2011. He played Lawrence’s son
and the two went undercover to solve a murder.
In 2010, Jackson starred in “Lottery Ticket” for Warner Bros. The action-comedy
surrounds a group of friends living in the projects. After winning the lottery, they must
find a way to survive a holiday weekend before they can cash in the winning ticket.
Jackson is perhaps best known as Alpha Chino from the high-concept runaway hit
“Tropic Thunder.” The ensemble cast included Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack
Black. The role earned Jackson a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Black Reel
Awards.
Jackson’s talent for entertaining was apparent early on. By the age of 14, he was
performing at his father’s church and was soon invited to perform at the famed Showtime
at the Apollo” and BET’s “Comic View.” From there, Jackson and BET launched the
“Teens of Comedy Tour,” showcasing the nation’s funniest teen comedians. He also
hosted the “Up Close and Personal Tour,” featuring Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and Lil Wayne.
Jackson would later host his own sketch comedy special, “The Brandon T. Jackson
Show,” on The N Channel and was a series regular on Nick Cannon’s MTV sketch
comedy show “Wild ‘N Out.”
Jackson grew up in Detroit with seven siblings and parents who were both actors.
He credits his sense of humor to both his father and his life straddling the fence between
suburbia and the inner city. He now lives in Los Angeles.
ALEXANDRA DADDARIO (Annabeth Chase) is best known for her role as
Annabeth Chase in the Chris Columbus-directed action/fantasy film, “Percy Jackson &
The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.” The film, co-starring Logan Lerman, Uma
Thurman, Pierce Brosnan and Catherine Keener, grossed over $227 million worldwide,
and was based on the popular Rick Riordan book series of the same name. It was
released by 20th Century Fox on February 12, 2010.
Daddario will be seen in HBO drama series “True Detective,” alongside Woody
Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. It centers on two detectives whose lives collide
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and entwine during a 17-year hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana. Daddario will play Lisa
Tragnetti, a sexy court reporter whose relationship with Harrelson’s character takes a
dark turn for them both.
Daddario starred in Lionsgate’s “Texas Chainsaw 3D,” which opened number one
at the box office on January 4, 2013. A successor to the 1974 original film, Daddario
followed in the legendary footsteps of past “TCM” protagonists, Renée Zellweger and
Jessica Biel.
While “Percy Jackson” launched Daddario into the global spotlight, she has been
working in the industry for almost a decade. Past film credits include “Hall Pass,”
“Bereavement,” “The Attic,” “The Babysitters,” “The Hottest State” and “The Squid and
the Whale.”
Past TV credits include “Parenthood,” “White Collar,” “Law and Order Criminal
Intent,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Damages,” and “The Sopranos.” She got her start on “All My
Children.”
Daddario was named one of V Magazine’s “Faces to Watch in 2011.”
A New York City native, she currently resides in Los Angeles. Daddario enjoys
playing the piano, singing, swimming, running track and ice-skating.
JAKE ABEL (Luke) started taking theater classes while growing up in Ohio.
When he was fifteen, his family moved to South Carolina where he began taking
improvisation classes at the Charleston Stage Theater. He moved to Los Angeles to
further pursue his passion for acting.
Abel’s feature film debut was in 2008’s “Strange Wilderness,” produced by Adam
Sandler, and Steve Zahn. Also in 2008, he was seen in Universal Pictures’ “Flash of
Genius,” directed by Marc Abraham, starring alongside Greg Kinnear, Alan Alda,
Dermot Mulroney and Lauren Graham. “Flash of Genius” went on to win the auspicious
Sloan Award at the Hamptons Film Festival. Abel was one of only six international
actors and actresses recognized as an official Hampton’s International Film Festival’s
“Rising Star.”
He starred alongside Jane Lynch in the independent film “Tru Loved,” directed by
Stewart Wade, which opened the 20th Annual Newfest Film Festival in New York.
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Abel was seen in the Dreamworks film “The Lovely Bones,” directed by Peter
Jackson and starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Saoirse Ronan. The film was
adapted from the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold.
Abel then appeared in “The Host,” a science fiction thriller adapted from
Stephenie Meyers’ (best known for her “Twilight” trilogy) bestselling novel of the same
name. The film is directed by Andrew Niccol and also stars Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons,
Diane Kruger and William Hurt.
The first of the Rick Riordan novels to be made into a motion picture “Percy
Jackson &the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” in 2010 saw Jake Abel as Luke, directed
by Chris Columbus.
In 2011, Abel starred in the DreamWorks film “I Am Number Four,” directed by
D.J. Caruso. His costars included Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant and Dianna Agron.
Abel recently filmed “The Ghost of The Pacific,” directed by Brian Falk. This
feature film is from a true story of three American soldiers surviving a disaster during
World War II.
Abel’s television credits include roles on “ER,” “CSI: NY,” “Grey’s Anatomy”
and has a continuing arc on the CW’s “Supernatural.”
DOUGLAS SMITH (Tyson) is best known for his starring role as Ben
Henrickson on HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Big Love,” starring Bill Paxton and
Jeanne Tripplehorn.
Douglas starred in the indie film “Remember the Daze,” opposite Amber Heard,
Leighton Meester and Lyndsy Fonseca, He recently starred in the independent “The Boy
Who Smells Like Fish,” opposite Zoë Kravitz and was recently seen in Brandon
Cronenberg’s “Antiviral,” which premiered at Cannes 2012. Douglas starred opposite
Caleb Landry Jones, Sarah Gadon and Malcolm McDowell.
Academy Award winner STANLEY TUCCI (Mr. D) has appeared in over 50 films
and countless television shows. He has appeared in over a dozen plays on and off Broadway
and has been behind the camera working as a writer, director and producer.
Tucci is well known for his role as Julia Child’s husband in the 2008 blockbuster hit
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“Julie and Julia.” He reached his widest audience yet in the box office sensation “The
Hunger Games,” playing the role of Caesar Flickerman, and Tucci can be seen in the sequel,
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” in theaters this November.
Tucci was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA Award, SAG
Award™, and Broadcast Film Critics Award for his performance in Peter Jackson’s “The
Lovely Bones.”
He recently was seen in “The Company You Keep,” directed by Robert Redford,
and in “Velvet Morning,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; the film was
directed by Neil LaBute and also stars Alice Eve. This fall, Tucci will appear in Bill
Condon’s “The Fifth Estate,” about the relationship between WikiLeaks founder Jullian
Assuange and his early supporter and colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg.
In addition to his various accomplishments in film, Tucci was nominated for an
Emmy for his guest role on “ER.” His appearance on “Monk” received critical praise and an
Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
Tucci won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his role in the TV movie “Winchell.”
His performance as the fast-talking tattler, who exposed secrets and scandals, was widely
praised.
Tucci was awarded a Globe Globe for his role in HBO’s “Conspiracy.” His brilliant
portrayal of Lt. Colonel Adolf Eichmann delivered a truly frightening experience.
Tucci is also a writer, director and producer. He directed, starred in and co-wrote the
film “Blind Date,” which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival. Another directorial
effort was USA Films’ “Joe Gould’s Secret,” which starred Ian Holm as bohemian writer
Joe Gould and Tucci as Joseph Mitchell, the famed writer for The New Yorker. The film, set
in New York’s Greenwich Village in the 1940s, tells the story of the strange meeting and
long lasting friendship between Gould and Mitchell, as well as the stories Mitchell wrote
about Gould and his life.
“Big Night,” Tucci’s first effort as co-director, co-screenwriter, and actor on the
same film, earned him numerous accolades, including the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award
at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival, a recognition of Excellence by the National Board of
Review, an Independent Spirit Award, The Critics Prize at the 1996 Deauville Film Festival,
and honors from the New York Film Critics and the Boston Society of Film Critics.
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Tucci’s second project, “The Imposters,” which he wrote, directed, co-produced and
starred in, was an Official Selection at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival and was acquired by
Fox Searchlight Pictures later that year. The 1930s farce starred Tucci and Oliver Platt as a
pair of out-of-work actors who find themselves aboard a cruise ship with passengers played
by Steve Buscemi, Alfred Molina, Lili Taylor and Hope Davis.
Tucci’s work on television includes his appearance as a re-occurring guest star on
TNT’s “Bull,” “Equal Justice,” “Wiseguy,” “The Equalizer,” “thirtysomething” and “The
Street.” Tucci earned an Emmy nomination for his work in “Murder One.
He has appeared in many plays including “Frankie & Johnny in the Claire de Lune,”
“Execution of Hope,” “The Iceman Cometh,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “The
Misanthrope.” He has also performed in a number of off-Broadway plays, at Yale
Repertory Theater and SUNY Purchase, where he first studied acting.
Tucci made his directorial debut on Broadway with a revival of Ken Ludwig’s “Lend
Me a Tenor” starring Tony Shalhoub. The production received a Tony Award® nomination
for Best Revival of a Play.
Tucci’s other film credits include “Jack the Giant Slayer,” Captain America: The
First Avenger, “Margin Call,” “Burlesque,” “Easy A,” “Swing Vote,” “Kit Kitteredge: An
American Girl,” “Robots,” “The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers,” “Shall We Dance,”
“Spin,” “The Tale Of Despereaux,” “Deconstructing Harry,” “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream,” “The Alarmist,” “A Life Less Ordinary,” “The Daytrippers,” “Kiss Of Death,”
“Mrs. Parker And The Vicious Circle,” “It Could Happen To You,” “The Pelican Brief,”
“Prelude To A Kiss,” “Billy Bathgate,” “In The Soup” and “Slaves of New York.”
The Tucci Cookbook was released in October 2012 and was a New York Times best
seller. He serves on the Board of Directors of The Food Bank, for New York City.
LEVEN RAMBIN (Clarisse), though just 21, has been working for most of her
life and continues to show us a different side of her with each role she takes on.
Rambin is currently in production on two separate independent features. The first
on her slate is “Seven Minutes” for first time writer/director Jay Martin. Rambin’s second
project, “Walter,” for first time director Anna Mastro, also stars William H. Macy,
Virginia Madsen and Milo Ventimiglia. In addition, Rambin also stars in the independent
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comedy “Two Night Stand” opposite Miles Teller for director Max Nichols. The film
wrapped production last fall and is being considered for multiple film festivals.
Rambin was recently seen as ‘Glimmer’ in the hit film “The Hunger Games.”
She was also seen opposite Gerard Butler in last year’s surfing drama “Chasing
Mavericks.”
Rambin started her career at age 13 as a series regular on ABC's daytime drama,
“All My Children.” She played the character 'Lily Montgomery', a young teen with
Autism Spectrum Disorder, landing her two Daytime Emmy Award nominations.
While on “All My Children,” Rambin guest starred on “Lipstick Jungle” and
“Law and Order SVU.” She was also a recurring guest star on the NBC drama “Book of
Daniel.” Quickly thereafter, she was cast as 'Riley Dawson' on the Fox drama,
“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” Rambin’s other television credits include:
Disney’s “The Wizards of Waverly Place,” “CSI: Miami,” “One Tree Hill,” “Scoundrels”
and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
When not working on set, Rambin loves surfing, hiking, boxing and staying
active. She is a fashion enthusiast and has written several editorials on New York Fashion
Week for Paper Magazine and Page Six Magazine. She is very passionate about Autism
research and awareness as well as the humane treatment of animals. Originally from
Texas, Rambin currently resides in Los Angeles.
NATHAN FILLION (Hermes) currently stars on ABC’s hit drama “Castle” as
mystery author Rick Castle, who teams up with NYPD detective Kate Beckett (Stana
Katic) to assist in murder investigations. With Beckett as his muse, Castle uses his
experience in the field for his new novels about a female detective, based on Beckett.
The show will soon begin its fifth season.
Fillion appeared in James Gunn’s dark comedy “Super,” along with Rainn
Wilson, Liv Tyler, Ellen Page, and Kevin Bacon. He also starred in the criticallyacclaimed independent feature "Trucker," opposite Michelle Monaghan. Fillion's other
film credits include Adrienne Shelly’s "Waitress,” the James Gunn-directed horror
comedy "Slither,” the Joss Whedon science fiction film "Serenity,” and Steven
Spielberg’s "Saving Private Ryan.”
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On television, Fillion is best known for his starring turn in “Firefly,” the cult
classic series from Joss Whedon. Fillion also starred in the Fox series "Drive,” as well
as ABC’s "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place." He has made memorable appearances
on “Desperate Housewives,” “Lost,” "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Pasadena" and
"Miss Match," and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the daytime drama "One
Life to Live."
Fillion has also appeared in the popular online short film “Dr Horrible’s SingAlong Blog.” Written and directed by Joss Whedon, Fillion co-starred in the musical
tragicomedy with Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day.
A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Fillion currently lives in Los Angeles.
ANTHONY STEWART HEAD (Chiron), after his West End debut as Jesus in
“Godspell,” went on to star in many acclaimed stage productions with roles as diverse as
Absalom in Peter Shaffer’s “Yonadab,” Freddy Trumper in “Chess” and Frank ‘n’ Furter
in “The Rocky Horror Show.” His career went from strength to strength, with guest
leading roles in many TV series throughout the late 70s and 80s including “Secret
Army,” “Enemy at the Door,” “Love In a Cold Climate” and “Howard’s Way.”
No one, however, could have foreseen the effect one commercial or, as it turned
out, a series of commercials could have had. The “Gold Blend/Tasters’ Choice” ads
changed the face of advertising; they were iconic. Never before had the next “episode” of
a commercial actually been promoted in the press or a campaign gained as much
publicity. Having shot a series of equally successful ads for the U.S., Head relocated
there.
His first forays into American television included a guest appearance on “NYPD
Blue” and one season of the groundbreaking Fox series, “VR5.” A year later he won the
role of Rupert Giles in “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” a series that would achieve cult
status, be critically acclaimed and make him an international star.
Back in the UK, Head has continued to show his diversity as an actor starring in
programs such as “Manchild” and the wonderfully bizarre “Little Britain,” while
continuing to guest star in notable dramas like “Spooks,” “Reversals,” “New Tricks,” and
“Free Agents.” After a successful run at The Old Vic playing Flan in “Six Degrees of
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Separation,” Head finished filming the third series of BBC1’s highly successful
“Merlin.” Prior to this, he completed filming alongside Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady,”
directed by Phylida Lloyd and completed filming the much anticipated “Inbetweeners
Movie.”
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
THOR FREUDENTHAL (Director) was born and raised in Berlin, Germany.
His knack for visual storytelling showed early and while still in high school, he wrote and
illustrated a series of comics for German publisher Carlsen, the publisher of the Tintin
series. As a student at the Berlin Academy of Arts, Freudenthal discovered his passion
for film. His self-produced short films “Mind the Gap!” and “Monkey Business”
garnered awards and accolades on the European festival circuit.
That work led to a scholarship at the California Institute of the Arts.
Freudenthal’s first American short film, “The Tenor,” about a zoo ostrich who dreams of
a career in opera, won the First Prize Student Emmy from the Academy of Television
Arts & Sciences. The film was screened throughout the world as part of “Spike and
Mike’s Festival of Sick & Twisted Animation.”
Freudenthal then joined the visual effects house Sony Pictures Imageworks,
where he worked closely with director Rob Minkoff on “Stuart Little” and “Stuart Little
2,” helping shape the film’s digital characters, as well as taking on the complex task of
pre-visualizing the scripts and supervising the team of storyboard artists. “Stuart Little”
received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.
After making the leap into directing with commercials for Nike, Reebok, Nabisco,
Burger King, Florida’s Natural, Popsicle and Philadelphia, Freudenthal became second
unit director on Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion,” starring Eddie Murphy. He then wrote
and directed the darkly comic short “Motel,” which premiered at the Sundance Film
Festival and won Best Short at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen.
Freudenthal made his feature directorial debut with “Hotel for Dogs” in 2009 for
DreamWorks, starring Don Cheadle, Emma Roberts, Lisa Kudrow, and Kevin Dillon,
with Lauren Shuler Donner and The Montecito Picture Company producing. In 2010, he
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directed “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” for 20th Century Fox, the box office hit based on Jeff
Kinney’s book, which launched a successful franchise.
MARC GUGGENHEIM (Screenwriter), a native of Long Island, New York,
practiced law at one of Boston’s most prestigious firms before leaving to pursue his
dream of writing professionally. That legal experience led to a staff position on David E.
Kelley’s Emmy-winning show about Boston attorneys, “The Practice.” Later that year,
he sold his screenplay, “Musical Chairs,” to Sid Sheinberg’s The Bubble Factory. He
then joined the writing staff of “Law & Order,” where he wrote for three seasons before
moving on to the critically-acclaimed series “Jack & Bobby,” and later, the ratings
juggernaut “CSI: Miami.” It was “Jack & Bobby” that introduced Marc to Greg Berlanti
and the two resolved to create a show together, a pact which led to the development of
“Eli Stone,” for which they received a Writers Guild Award nomination for Best Drama
Teleplay.
While producing the “Eli Stone” pilot, Berlanti pulled Guggenheim in to help him
produce the first season of “Brothers & Sisters.” They continued to collaborate on the
feature film versions of the DC Comics characters “Green Lantern” and “The Flash.”
(“Green Lantern” was released as a major motion picture starring Ryan Reynolds in June
2011.) Guggenheim also served as executive producer of two other television pilots for
Berlanti Television: “No Ordinary Family” and “Guilty,” the latter of which Marc created
and remains in contention as a series for Fox Television.
While maintaining a successful career in television, Guggenheim has pursued a
parallel career as a screenwriter, taking on a variety of assignments for Warner Bros. and
Fox 2000. He is currently writing a feature film version of Perry Mason, for Robert
Downey Jr. and Warner Bros. A life-long comic book fan, he has been writing comics
professionally since 2005, writing titles for both Marvel Comics (Wolverine, Blade,
Young X-Men and Amazing Spider-Man) and DC Comics (The Flash, Justice Society of
America, Batman Confidential). In November 2007, Guggenheim launched his first
creator-owned series with Oni Press, entitled Resurrection, which he followed up with his
own imprint -- Collider Entertainment -- at Image Comics, where he published Halcyon
and The Mission.
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Guggenheim is continually exploring other mediums. He’s written the scripts for
numerous videogames, including “Call of Duty 3,” “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and
“Singularity.” (“Wolverine” and “Singularity” were nominated for consecutive WGA
Awards.) In 2008, he adapted a Stephen King short story, N., into a Marvel Comics
graphic novel and a 25-part mobisode series that was available online and through
iTunes.
Guggenheim currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife Tara (a fellow TV writer
and WGA nominee, who is co-creator of the CW dramedy “Reaper”), their daughters
Lily and Sara, and their pets Rocky, Lucky and two goldfish (which may or may not be
alive as of this writing).
KAREN ROSENFELT (Producer) is a film producer based at Twentieth
Century Fox, where she has produced such features as "The Devil Wears Prada", "Alvin
and the Chipmunks", "Marley & Me", "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning
Thief," and "The Big Year." She is also serving as a Producer of Summit Entertainment's
"The Twilight Saga" franchise, based on Stephanie Meyer's hugely popular book
series.
For 16 years, Rosenfelt was a creative production executive at Paramount,
where she oversaw live-action features including "The First Wives Club,” "Indecent
Proposal,” "Runaway Bride,” "Save the Last Dance,” "Coach Carter,” and "Mean Girls".
She was instrumental in setting up Paramount's partnership with Nickelodeon
Movies, overseeing the film adaptations of the Nickelodeon television properties
"Rugrats" and "SpongeBob SquarePants,” as well as the best-selling children's book
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
Rosenfelt began her career at ICM, as an assistant to talent agent Sue Mengers.
She went on to become a creative executive at Jerry Weintraub Productions and a senior
vice president at MGM.
MICHAEL BARNATHAN (Producer) is president of 1492 Pictures, in which he
is a producing partner with Chris Columbus and Mark Radcliffe. The company was
formed in May 1994.
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Barnathan has served as producer on the Columbus-directed projects “Nine
Months,” “Rent,” “Stepmom” and “I Love You, Beth Cooper.” For 1492, he also
produced “Jingle All the Way,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Christmas with the Kranks,”
“Night at the Museum” and the hit sequel, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the
Smithsonian.”
He served as executive producer on the first three installments of the “Harry
Potter” franchise -- “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets” (both directed by Columbus) and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban” (which earned a BAFTA Award as Best Children’s Film and a second
nomination as Best British Film), as well as “Fantastic Four” “Fantastic Four: Rise of the
Silver Surfer,” “I Love You, Beth Cooper,” the Oscar®-winning drama “The Help,” and
“Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.”
Prior to joining 1492 Pictures, Barnathan was senior vice president of production
at Largo Entertainment for four years. His responsibilities there included supervision of
both development and production of Largo’s feature slate. The N.Y.U. grad (where he
first met aspiring filmmaker Columbus during their freshman year) served as executive
producer on “Used People” and supervised productions on “Point Break,” “Dr. Giggles,”
“Judgment Night” and “The Getaway.”
Before joining Largo, Barnathan spent seven years working for Edgar J. Scherick
Associates. During his last two years with Scherick, he served as executive vice
president of production, producing and executive producing numerous cable movies,
telefilms and miniseries, including “The Kennedys of Massachusetts,” which received
eight Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nods, including Best Miniseries for
each.
CHRIS COLUMBUS (Executive Producer) is a major force in contemporary
Hollywood and one of the most successful filmmakers of his generation. His eclectic
gallery of motion pictures over the past 25 years runs the gamut from fantasy (Joe
Dante’s “Gremlins”) and adventure (Richard Donner’s “The Goonies”) to comedy
(“Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2”) and the launching of one of the industry’s most
successful franchises ever, in the first two “Harry Potter” films.
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He directed and was a producer on “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The
Lightning Thief,” the first chapter in the film series based on the best-selling books by
Rick Riordan.
Columbus was born in Spangler, Pennsylvania, and grew up outside of
Youngstown, Ohio. As a youngster, he aspired to be a cartoonist for Marvel Comics,
eventually making the connection between comic books and movie storyboards. In high
school, he began making homegrown 8mm films from his own storyboards (a practice
which he continues to this day). After high school, he enrolled in the Directors Program
at New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts.
The aspiring director first attained success as a screenwriter, selling his first script
“Jocks” (a semi-autobiographical comedy about a Catholic schoolboy who tries out for a
football team), while still in college. After graduating from NYU, he immediately gained
prominence in Hollywood by writing several original scripts produced by Steven
Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment.
The consecutive box-office hits of “Gremlins” (1984) and “The Goonies” (1985)
were both original and entertaining films that intertwined high notes of offbeat, edgy,
often outrageous humor against more classic adventure-thriller backdrops. Continuing
his association with Spielberg, he next collaborated with director Barry Levinson with
another unique take on the genre, the fantasy adventure “Young Sherlock Holmes.”
These screenwriting achievements led Columbus to direct his first two features,
the comedy “Adventures in Babysitting” (1987, ironically not from his own script), and
his homage to the legend of Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” a year later.
A meeting with John Hughes brought Columbus to the helm of the box-office
phenomenon “Home Alone” (1990), the first of three collaborations with the prolific
filmmaker which included the hit sequel “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992) and
another semi-autobiographical story, “Only the Lonely” (1991). The latter, a bittersweet
comedy-drama directed by Columbus from his own original screenplay, was praised for
featuring one of the late John Candy’s best performances, and for the return to the screen
of legendary movie star Maureen O’Hara, a role he wrote specifically for the actress.
Columbus’ smash hit comedy “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993), starring Robin Williams
and Sally Field, bent genders as well as genres, to great critical and public acclaim.
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Columbus next directed another comedy “Nine Months” (1995), with Hugh Grant and
Julianne Moore, before turning to drama with “Stepmom” (1998) starring Julia Roberts
and Susan Sarandon. He reunited again with Williams on the poignant fantasy film,
“Bicentennial Man.”
Columbus faced a daunting task when he landed the assignment to direct “Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (2001), the first film based on J.K. Rowling’s
monumentally successful series of books. With millions of avid, fanatical readers in a
high state of expectation and anticipation, Columbus cast completely unknown
youngsters Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in the leading roles of
Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Once again, he
demonstrated his acumen for nurturing and cultivating young talent by turning this
inexperienced trio into natural screen performers.
The success of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” led Columbus to the
second movie in the series, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (2002), resulting
in another huge global box-office success (both films sit among the Top 100 grossing
films of all time). He served as producer on the third film in the franchise, “Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (like the first two, a BAFTA nominee) before directing the
film version of the Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway musical “Rent.” He most recently
stepped back into the director’s chair to helm the romantic comedy, “I Love You, Beth
Cooper,” the project which preceded this one.
In addition to his writing and directorial achievements, Columbus and his
producing partners at 1492 Pictures have made a series of commercial blockbusters that
include the Oscar-winning drama “The Help,” “Fantastic Four” and the sequel, “Fantastic
Four: Rise of the Surfer,” “Night at the Museum” and “Night at the Museum: Battle of
the Smithsonian,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Christmas with the Kranks” (which
Columbus also wrote) and “Jingle All the Way.”
MARK RADCLIFFE (Executive Producer) continues his long association with
director Chris Columbus, which dates back to 1988 when he served as assistant director
on Columbus’ second directorial effort, “Heartbreak Hotel.”
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Since the birth of their partnership, Radcliffe has served as producer or executive
producer the Columbus-helmed pictures “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,“ “Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (executive producer on both), and “Mrs. Doubtfire,”
“Stepmom,” “Rent,” “Bicentennial Man,” “Nine Months” “I Love You, Beth Cooper”
(all as producer). He also produced the third installment in the “Potter” franchise, “Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” directed by Alfonso Cuarón (for which he shared a
BAFTA Award as Best Children’s Film and a second nomination as Best British Film).
Working together in their 1492 Pictures production entity, Radcliffe also
executive produced the Oscar-winning drama “The Help,” and produced “Percy Jackson
& The Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” “I Love You, Beth Cooper,” “Fantastic Four,”
“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” “Christmas with the Kranks,” “Jingle All the
Way,” “Night at the Museum” and the hit sequel, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the
Smithsonian.” His producing duties began on three early Columbus triumphs -- “Home
Alone” (on which he also was assistant director and associate producer), “Only the
Lonely” (as co-producer and assistant director), and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
(executive producer).
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Radcliffe began his film career as assistant director
on the Francis Ford Coppola production “The Escape Artist,” re-teaming with Coppola
on “Rumble Fish” and “Peggy Sue Got Married.” Other assistant director credits include
John Hughes’ “She’s Having a Baby” and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” Jerry
Zucker’s Oscar-nominated 1990 hit, “Ghost,” Donald Petrie’s “Mystic Pizza” and Paul
Schrader’s “Light of Day.” He also served as production manager on the 1979 film
“Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.”
GUY OSEARY (Executive Producer) is a principal at Guy Oseary Management
and a partner in Untitled Entertainment. His numerous motion picture credits (as
producer or executive producer) include “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The
Lightning Thief,” “The Stepfather” (2009), “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “The Twilight
Saga: New Moon,” “Twilight,” “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” and “Charlie’s
Angels.”
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GREG MOORADIAN (Executive Producer) is a senior vice president of
production at Paramount Pictures. Previously, he was a producer on “The Stepfather”
(2009) and an executive producer on “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning
Thief,” “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” and “Drumline.”
SHELLY JOHNSON, ASC (Director of Photography) has served as Director of
Photography on over 60 full length projects including Jurassic Park III, Captain
America, The Wolfman, and Hidalgo. He is a three-time ASC Outstanding Achievement
Award for Cinematography nominee.
“My goal with each project is to add a visual layer that enhances the story and
illicit emotion in a way that can only be accomplished photographically.”
Johnson is also an award-winning painter and his work has been exhibited in
various shows and museums.
CLAUDE PARÉ (Production Designer) designed “Rise of the Planet of the
Apes,” “Night At The Museum,” and its sequel “Night At The Museum: Battle Of The
Smithsonian.” He also worked with Richard J. Lewis on the acclaimed “Barney’s
Version,” for which he won both Genie and DGS Awards for Best Art Direction, and
Isabel Coixet's New York-set “Elegy,” starring Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsley.
Paré was Supervising Art Director on Martin Scorsese's award-winning “The
Aviator,” which won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Los Angeles Film
Critics Association Award for Best Art Direction. He also served as Supervising Art
Director on Roland Emmerich's blockbuster “The Day After Tomorrow,” “The Sum of
All Fears,” starring Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman; Frank Oz's “The Score,” starring
Robert DeNiro, Marlon Brando, and Edward Norton; “The Bone Collector,” starring
Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie; Richard Attenborough's “Grey Owl,” starring
Pierce Brosnan; and Jean- Jacques Annaud's “Seven Years in Tibet,” starring Brad Pitt.
He art-directed Martin Campbell's “Beyond Borders,” starring Angelina Jolie and Clive
Owen.
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Paré, who lives in Montreal, was also the Production Designer on the Canadian
features “Les Boys” and “La Comtess de Baton Rouge,” which was nominated for a
Genie Award for Best Art Direction.
MARK GOLDBLATT, A.C.E. (Editor) earned an Academy Award nomination
for his work on James Cameron's blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He also
worked with Cameron on “True Lies” and the original “The Terminator.” Recently, he
was editor on “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”
Goldblatt served as editor on Jerry Bruckheimer Films' “Bad Company,” “Bad
Boys II,” “Pearl Harbor” and “Armageddon.” He also edited Paul Verhoeven’s “The
Hollow Man,” “Starship Troopers” and “Showgirls” (with Mark Helfrich).
Other action hits he has edited include “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “XXX: State of
The Union,” “Exorcist: The Beginning,” “Commando,” “Predator 2,” “The Last Boy
Scout,” “Rambo: First Blood, Part II” (with Mark Helfrich).
Goldblatt edited Adam Rifkin's “Detroit Rock City,” provided additional editing on
the Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer production of “The Rock,” and was editor on
“Nightbreed,” “Super Mario Bros.,” “Jumpin' Jack Flash,” “Over the Brooklyn Bridge”
“G-Force” and “Case 39.”
BILL BANNERMAN (Co-Producer) has worked in a variety of film production
capacities. His many credits include “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Parts 1 and
2),” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” “Sorority Row,”
“Never Back Down,” “Walking Tall,” “The Grudge 2,” “The Bridges of Madison
County,” “Absolute Power,” and “Unforgiven” – the latter three with Clint Eastwood.
ALEC GILLIS and TOM WOODRUFF, JR. (Special Make-up Effects
Designed and Created by) are the principals of Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. (ADI), one
of the industry’s leading creature effects houses.
Early in his career, Gillis worked for many of Hollywood’s top makeup and
creature effects artists, including Stan Winston. Gillis was also one of Winston’s key
designers on films such as “Aliens,” “Alien Nation” and “Leviathan”. It was also during
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this time that he met Tom Woodruff, Jr., with whom he would later form a new creature
effects studio.
Woodruff joined Stan Winston's team on “Terminator.” That was the beginning of
a five-year period that saw Woodruff become a key coordinator under Winston, working
on such features as “Aliens” and “Predator,” as well as on the TV show “Amazing
Stories.” During this time, he began wearing the complicated make-up and costumes of
the creatures designed at the studio. His physical build and tolerance, as well as his
ability to perform as an actor, led to his portraying the title characters in the movies
“Monster Squad,” “Pumpkinhead,” and “Leviathan.”
Woodruff and Gillis then formed Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. Woodruff and
Gillis became two of the major character effects talents in the business today. They won
an Academy Award for “Death Becomes Her” and Academy Award nominations for
“Starship Troopers” and “Alien 3.”
Woodruff continues to perform in a variety of creature and animal roles, as lead
characters in the features “AVP: Alien vs. Predator,” “AVP-R,” “Scary Movie 3,”
“Looney Tunes - Back in Action,” “Evolution,” “Bedazzled,” “The Hollow Man,” “Alien
Resurrection,” “Alien3,” “Jumanji,” “The X-Files,” as well as on the television series
“nip/tuck,” “Chicago Hope” and “Seven Days.”
Their recent projects include “X-Men: First Class,” “Zookeeper,” “The Thing”
(2011), and the upcoming “Ender’s Game.”
ANDREW LOCKINGTON (Music) has been writing music for feature films
and television since 1997. His score for 2008’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth”
received critical acclaim worldwide. He also composed the score for the “City of
Ember,” produced by Tom Hanks and starring Tim Robbins, Bill Murray and Saoirse
Ronan.
Lockington’s other composing credits include the Sundance Film Festival hits
“Touch of Pink,” “How She Move” and “Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity,” as well
as the Toronto Film Festival favorites “Saint Ralph” and “One Week.” However, it was
his ground-breaking orchestral score to director James Isaac’s dramatic thriller
“Skinwalkers” in 2006 that opened the door to several big-budget studio films.
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In 2008, Lockington was named “Breakthrough Composer of the Year” at the
International Film Music Critics Awards. He was also nominated for “Discovery of the
Year” at the World Soundtrack Awards, and has since received both the BMI and
SOCAN Film Music Awards.
His recent projects include the eclectic score for the Golden Globe Awardnominated “Frankie and Alice,” starring Halle Berry and Stellan Skarsgaard, and Rob
Adetuyi’s Inner City parkour dance film “Beat the World.” His most recent scoring
assignment, for “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” saw him backpacking through the
remote jungles of Papua, New Guinea, to research and record ancient tribal drumming.
MONIQUE PRUDHOMME (Costume Designer) was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Achievement in Costume Design for “The Imaginarium of
Doctor Parnassus,” directed by Terry Gilliam.
Prudhomme has designed costumes for dozens of productions, including “The Big
Year,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days,” “Case 39,” “Juno,”
“The Fog,” “Neverwas,” “Fierce People,” “The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” “Snow Dogs,”
“Best in Show,” “Trixie,” “Neverending Story III” and “Needful Things.”
For television, her credits include the series “Defying Gravity” and “The Crow:
Stairway to Heaven,” such MOWs as “Flight of the Reindeer,” “The Linda McCartney
Story” and “First Target,’ and the Stephen King mini-series “It.”
In 2011, Prudhomme presented the keynote address and showcased her designs at
Otherworldly, a celebration of Canadian costume design at the Toronto International Film
Festival. She was also invited to teach a master class at the Rio De Janeiro Film Festival.
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