About the Cast

DENZEL WASHINGTON (Eli/Producer) has been honored with five Academy Award® nominations, winning the Oscar® twice: in 1989 for his performance in “Glory” and again in 2001 for “Training Day.” He has earned numerous additional awards and accolades throughout his acting career as well as recognition for his work as a director.

Currently, Washington is in production on director Tony Scott’s action thriller “Unstoppable,” which is scheduled for a 2010 release. In Spring 2010, he will also star on Broadway in the revival of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Fences.”

He most recently starred with John Travolta in Tony Scott’s remake of “The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three“; directed and starred in, with Forest Whitaker, “The Great Debaters“; starred with Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster,” which grossed $43.6M in its first weekend to mark Washington’s largest opening weekend to date; starred in Spike Lee’s “Inside Man,” with Clive Owen and Jodie Foster; and starred in Tony Scott’s romantic thriller “Déjà Vu.” His other recent film work includes roles in Tony Scott’s “Man on Fire,” Jonathan Demme’s “The Manchurian Candidate,” Carl Franklin’s mystery thriller “Out of Time” and Antoine Fuqua’s “Training Day,” for which Washington earned an Academy Award® for his critically acclaimed performance as a grizzled LAPD veteran who shows a rookie narcotics cop the ropes on his first day.

December 2002 marked Washington’s feature film directorial debut with “Antwone Fisher.” Inspired by the best-selling autobiography Finding Fish, the film won critical praise and earned the Stanley Kramer Award from the Producers Guild of America, as well as NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Washington. Also in 2002, Washington earned an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as a down-on-his-luck father in “John Q,” which established a Presidents Day weekend opening record.

In 2000 he starred in Jerry Bruckheimer’s box office sensation “Remember the Titans,” a fact-based film about the integration of a high school football team, and in “The Hurricane,” which re-teamed him with “A Soldier’s Story” director Norman Jewison. Washington received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and an Academy Award® nomination for his portrayal of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the 1960s world middleweight champion boxer wrongfully imprisoned of murder.

Washington’s feature film credits include “The Bone Collector“; Gregory Hoblit’s crime thriller “Fallen“; Spike Lee’s “He Got Game“; the terrorist thriller “The Siege” and the critically acclaimed military drama “Courage Under Fire” for director Ed Zwick; Penny Marshall’s romantic comedy “The Preacher’s Wife,” opposite Whitney Houston; Tony Scott’s underwater action adventure “Crimson Tide,” with Gene Hackman; the futuristic thriller “Virtuosity“; and the 1940s romantic thriller “Devil in a Blue Dress,” co-produced by the actor’s Mundy Lane Entertainment. Another critically acclaimed, Oscar® -nominated performance was his portrayal of the complex and controversial 1960s black activist Malcolm X in director Spike Lee’s biographical epic “Malcolm X,” hailed by critics and audiences alike as one of the best films of 1992.

Washington took on a different role in 2000, producing the HBO documentary “Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks,” nominated for two Emmy Awards. He also served as executive producer on the Emmy-nominated “Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream,” a biography for TBS. Additionally, he narrated “John Henry,” which was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, and he was awarded the 1996 NAACP Image Award for his performance in the animated children’s special “Happily Ever After: Rumpelstiltskin.”

A native of Mt. Vernon, New York, Washington originally had his career sights set on medicine at Fordham University when a theatrical production during a summer camp counseling job introduced him to the stage. Upon graduation from Fordham, Washington attended the theater program at San Francisco’s prestigious American Conservatory Theater and began his professional New York theater career with Joseph Papp’s Shakespeare in the Park. This was quickly followed by numerous off-Broadway productions including “Ceremonies in Dark Old Men“; “When the Chickens Came Home to Roost,” in which he portrayed Malcolm X”; “One Tiger to a Hill“; “Man and Superman“; “Othello“; and “A Soldier’s Play,” for which he won an Obie Award. Washington’s more recent stage appearances include the Broadway production of “Checkmates” and “Richard III,” which was produced as part of the 1990 Free Shakespeare in the Park series hosted by Joseph Papp’s Public Theatre in New York City, and in 2005 he returned again to his theatre roots with a Broadway starring role as Marcus Brutus in “Julius Caesar.” The show was well-received by critics and fans alike.

He made his Hollywood debut in the 1979 television film “Flesh and Blood,” but it was Washington’s award-winning stage performance in “A Soldier’s Play” that captured the attention of the producers of the NBC series “St. Elsewhere,” and he was soon cast in that long-running hit series as Dr. Phillip Chandler. His other television credits include “The George McKenna Story,” “License to Kill,” and “Wilma.”

In 1982, Washington recreated his role from “A Soldier’s Play” for Norman Jewison’s well-received film version, re-titled “A Soldier’s Story,” and went on to star in Sidney Lumet’s “Power“; Richard Attenborough’s “Cry Freedom,” for which he received his first Oscar® nomination; “For Queen and Country“; “The Mighty Quinn“; “Heart Condition“; “Glory,” for which he won the Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor; and Spike Lee’s “Mo’ Better Blues.” He also starred in the action adventure “Ricochet,” Mira Nair’s bittersweet comedy “Mississippi Masala,” Kenneth Branagh’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” Jonathan Demme’s controversial “Philadelphia,” and “The Pelican Brief.”

GARY OLDMAN (Carnegie) is known to millions as Harry Potter’s godfather Sirius Black and Batman’s crime-fighting partner Commissioner Gordon, as well as Dracula, Beethoven, Lee Harvey Oswald and Sid Vicious, to name just a few of the memorable roles he has created in nearly 20 years as a worldwide presence in motion pictures.

Oldman reprised the role of Commissioner Gordon in 2008’s top-grossing film “The Dark Knight,” having first portrayed Gordon in “Batman Begins.” In 2007 he appeared for the third time as Sirius Black in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” following “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” He most recently starred with Jim Carrey in Robert Zemeckis’ adaptation of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic “A Christmas Carol.”

Oldman began his career in 1979 on the London stage. Between 1985 and 1989 he acted exclusively at London’s Royal Court Theatre and, in 1985, was named Best Newcomer by London’s Time Out for his work in “The Pope’s Wedding.” That same year he shared the London Critics’ Circle Best Actor Award with Anthony Hopkins.

In 1986, Oldman made his major feature film debut in “Sid & Nancy,” winning the Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his portrayal of punk rock legend Sid Vicious. The following year, he starred in Stephen Frears’ “Prick Up Your Ears,” winning the Best Actor Award from the London Film Critics Circle for his portrayal of doomed British playwright Joe Orton. He has since become one of the industry’s most respected actors, appearing in both mainstream hits and acclaimed independent films. Oldman’s early film credits also include Nicolas Roeg’s “Track 29“; “Criminal Law“; “Chattahoochee“; Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead,” for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor; “State of Grace“; “Henry & June“; Oliver Stone’s “JFK,” playing Lee Harvey Oswald; and the title role in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Dracula.”

Oldman’s subsequent film work includes memorable roles in Tony Scott’s “True Romance“; “Romeo is Bleeding“; the Luc Besson films “The Professional” and “The Fifth Element“; “Immortal Beloved“; “Murder in the First“; Roland Joffe’s “The Scarlet Letter“; Julian Schnabel’s “Basquiat“; Wolfgang Petersen’s “Air Force One“; the big screen version of “Lost in Space“; and Ridley Scott’s “Hannibal.”

In 1995, Oldman and manager/producing partner Douglas Urbanski formed the production company The SE8 Group, which produced Oldman’s directorial debut feature “Nil by Mouth,” which Oldman also wrote. The film was invited to open the 1997 50th Cannes Film Festival in the main competition, where Kathy Burke won the Best Actress Award for her role. In addition, Oldman won two BAFTA Awards for Best British Film and Best Screenplay; the Channel 4 Director’s Award at the 1997 Edinburgh International Film Festival; and the Empire Award for Best Debut Film. He also executive produced and starred in the SE8 Group film “The Contender,” which received two Oscar® nominations and brought Oldman a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

On the small screen, Oldman earned an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance as an alcoholic actor on the hit comedy series “Friends.” His earlier television work includes the telefilms “Meantime,” directed by Mike Leigh, and “The Firm,” directed by Alan Clarke.

MILA KUNIS (Solara) most recently starred in the Mike Judge comedy “Extract,” opposite Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck. In 2008 she starred in Judd Apatow’s hit comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” as Rachel, opposite Jason Segel, Kirsten Bell, and Jonah Hill, and in the action thriller “Max Payne,” with Mark Wahlberg.

Kunis will next be seen in the upcoming feature comedy “Date Night,” with Ray Liotta, Mark Ruffalo, Tina Fey, and Steve Carell as one of the characters Fey and Carell encounter as a couple on a date gone awry. She will also star in Darren Aronofsky’s supernatural drama “Black Swan,” opposite Natalie Portman, as the rival character Lilly. Both films are set for a 2010 release.

The Russian-born actress started her entertainment career by landing several television commercials. She is best known for her roles on two of the Fox Network’s most successful shows: as Jackie Burkhart in “That 70’s Show,” for which she earned two YoungStar Awards for Best Actress in a Television Series, and as the voice of Meg on the hit show “Family Guy.”

RAY STEVENSON (Redridge) is perhaps best known for his starring role in the HBO/BBC television series “Rome,” portraying the legionary Titus Pullo to both critical and public acclaim. Since the series wrapped, he has been working non-stop in a wide variety of feature films.

Stevenson most recently starred in the fantasy thriller “Cirque de Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant,” directed by Paul Weitz and based on the best-selling children’s series by Darren Shan. In 2008, he was seen as the lead in “Punisher: War Zone,” about the Marvel comics antihero Frank Castle and his quest to rid the world of evil after the death of his wife and daughter.

He will next be seen in director Jonathan Hensleigh’s “The Irishman,” as the title character in a true crime story of notorious mobster Danny Greene, with Christopher Walken, Vincent D’Onofrio and Val Kilmer, set for 2010. Hensleigh & Jeremy Walters wrote the screenplay based on the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, by Rick Porello. Also set for 2010 is Adam McKay’s action comedy “The Other Guys,” set in the world of the New York City cops, in which Stevenson stars with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

Among his upcoming projects, Stevenson will play Volstagg, one of the leads in Marvel Comics’ “Thor,” inspired by the Shakespeare’s Falstaff and described as being over 1,000 pounds of muscle and the life of the party. This will reunite him with director Kenneth Branagh, who acted opposite him in “Theory of Flight” for director Paul Greengrass.

Stevenson’s film work includes Antoine Fuqua’s “King Arthur,” for producer Jerry Bruckheimer; the cult favorite “Outpost,” for director Steven Barker; “The Return of the Native,” opposite Catherine Zeta Jones; and “Some Kind of Life.”

His stage work includes playing Christ in the York Mystery Plays in 2000 at York Minster. In 2001, he played Roger in “Mouth to Mouth,” by Kevin Ely, at the Albery Theatre in London, and, in 2003, appeared as Cardinal in “The Duchess of Malfi,” by John Webster with Janet McTeer, at the Royal National Theatre.

Born in Northern Ireland, Stevenson grew up in England. He studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

JENNIFER BEALS (Claudia) most recently appeared in the French film “Joueuse,” which made its American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Beals was twice nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series by the NAACP Image Awards for her role in the acclaimed Showtime series “The L Word,” which wrapped its sixth and final season in 2009. Her work on “The L Word” has earned numerous accolades and appreciation from groups including the Power Up Award, the GLAAD Golden Gate Award and the Golden Satellite Award for Outstanding Actress. The L Word Book, Beals’ highly anticipated photographic journal, takes an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking Showtime series and is set for release in January 2010. More information is available at www.lwordbook.com.

Beals recently joined the cast of the Fox Network series “Lie to Me,” in a recurring role as the ex-wife of series lead Tim Roth.

Among her most memorable roles, Beals starred opposite Campbell Scott in the critically acclaimed film “Roger Dodger,” winner of the 2002 Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival and Best First Film at the Venice Film Festival. She earned rave reviews for her role in VH-1’s “They Shoot Divas, Don’t They?” and was seen in the acclaimed “The Anniversary Party,” written and directed by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cummings. In 2001, Beals starred in two Showtime features: the adaptation of Anne Rice’s praised “A Feast of All Saints” and the WGA-nominated “A House Divided,” in which she starred opposite Sam Waterston and Lisa Gay Hamilton and earned a Golden Satellite nomination as Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries. For her extensive research for the film in Sparta, Georgia, where the story is based, she received an honorary Key to the City.

Originally from Chicago, Beals began her career after high school with a role in “Flashdance” that earned her a Golden Globe nomination and an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress. She then entered Yale University to study American Literature and graduated with honors. Beals went on to make an indelible impression in Carl Franklin’s drama “Devil in a Blue Dress,” opposite Denzel Washington, and in Alan Rudolph’s “Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.”

In recent years, she has starred in a myriad of film roles, including the lead in “Twilight of the Golds,” for which she earned a Golden Satellite Award. Her film credits include “The Grudge 2“; “My Name is Sarah“; “Runaway Jim“; “Catch That Kid“; Whit Stillman’s “The Last Days of Disco“; Alexandre Rockwell’s “In the Soup,” which won the 1992 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Audience Award at Deauville; “Four Rooms“; “Vampire’s Kiss,” with Nicolas Cage; Claude Chabrol’s “Doctor M“; Nanni Moretti’s “Caro Diario,” which won the Director’s Prize at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival; and Samuel Fuller’s “The Madonna and the Dragon.” On the small screen, she has appeared in the critically acclaimed ABC series “Nothing Sacred.”

Beals is a winner of the 1999 Maverick Award from the San Jose Film Festival and, in 2004, was named one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People.

FRANCES DE LA TOUR (Martha) won a Tony Award for her performance as Mrs. Lintott in Alan Bennett’s multi award-winning play “The History Boys,” directed by Nicholas Hytner, and was also nominated for a BAFTA in the 2006 screen version of the stage play. She has earned three Olivier Awards: in 1980 for Best Actress in Tom Kempinski’s “Duet for One,” for which she also won the Evening Standard Best Actress Award; in 1984 for Best Actress in a Revival for “A Moon for the Misbegotten“; and in 1992 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for “When She Danced.”

De la Tour trained at the Drama Centre in London in the 1960s before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company. Through 1971, her work there included the roles of Hoyden in “The Relapse” and Helena in Peter Brook’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” For the National Theatre, her credits include “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Les Parents Terribles,” the title role in “St Joan” and “The Good Hope.” Her additional theater work includes Matthew Warchus’s “Boeing-Boeing,” Tennessee Williams’ “Small Craft Warnings,” “Hamlet,” Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women,” “Anthony and Cleopatra” for the RSC and Noël Coward’s “Fallen Angels,” for which she received a Variety Club Best Actress Award. De la Tour can currently be seen on stage at the National in the limited engagement world premiere of “The Habit of Art,” which reunites her with playwright Alan Bennett and director Nicholas Hytner and also stars Michael Gambon.

De la Tour’s filmography includes the comedy “Rising Damp,” based on the popular television series, for which she won the Evening Standard’s Best Actress Award. She more recently appeared as Madame Olympe Maxime in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and as Frau Eva in Andrei Konchalovsky’s fantasy “Nutcracker: The Untold Story.” She will next be seen alongside an all-star cast including Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” set for a 2010 release.

Her television appearances include the 1970s sitcom “Rising Damp,” “Duet for One,” for which she received a BAFTA Best Actress nomination, the BBC’s “Waking the Dead,” “Poirot: Death on the Nile,” “Miss Marple: The Moving Finger,” BBC’s “Sensitive Skin” and, most recently, the CBS-TV series “3 lbs.”

MICHAEL GAMBON (George) started his career with the Edwards/ Macliammoir Gate Theatre in Dublin. He joined the National Theatre for its inaugural season under Laurence Olivier at the Old Vic in 1963 and appeared there in “Hamlet,” “Saint Joan,” “The Recruiting Officer,” “Andorra,” “Philoctetes,” “Othello,” “The Royal Hunt of the Sun,” “The Crucible,” “Mother Courage,” “Love for Love,” “Juno and the Paycock” and “The Storm.”

In repertory, principally at Birmingham Rep, Gambon played title roles in “Othello,” “Macbeth” and “Coriolanus.”

In the West End, he has appeared in Simon Gray’s “Otherwise Engaged“; Alan Ayckbourn’s “The Norman Conquest“; “Just Between Ourselves“; “Alice’s Boys,” with Ralph Richardson; Harold Pinter’s “Old Times“; the title role in “Uncle Vanya“; “Tom and Clem” and “No Man’s Land.”

With the Royal Shakespeare Company, he spent a season at the Aldwych and later played the title part in “King Lear” and Antony in “Antony and Cleopatra,” opposite Helen Mirren, both at Stratford and the Barbican.

For the National Theatre, Gambon has appeared in the premieres of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal,” Simon Gray’s “Close of Play,” Christopher Hampton’s “Tales From Hollywood,” Alan Ayckbourn’s “Sisterly Feelings,” and “A Chorus of Disapproval,” for which he won an Olivier Award, as well as “A Small Family Business,” “Richard III,” “Othello,” “Tons of Money,” the title role in “The Life of Galileo,” “Volpone” and “Skylight.” He recreated his starring role in the latter on Broadway in 1996 for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Also for the National Theatre, Gambon played Eddie Carbone in Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge,” which transferred to the Aldwych Theatre and for which he won all the major drama awards of 1987.

He was in Harold Pinter’s “Mountain Language,” “Cressida,” at the Almeida, and Pinter’s “The Caretaker,” for which he earned an Olivier Award nomination. Gambon also directed the Platford Performance of Richard Harris’ “Visiting Hour.”

His television appearances include the BBC’s first adventure series in color, “The Borderers,” “Eyeless in Gaza,” the series “The Other One,” with Richard Briers, “The Seagull,” “The Holy Experiment,”Oscar,” “Ghosts” and the Dennis Potter series “The Singing Detective,” for which he won a BAFTA Award, a Broadcasting Press Guild Award and a Royal Television Society Award. He also starred in “The Heat of the Day,” scripted by Harold Pinter from Elizabeth Bowen’s novel, and was Archie Rice in John Osborne’s “The Entertainer.” More recently, he portrayed Lyndon Johnson in the HBO film “Path to War” and starred in HBO’s “Angels in America,” directed by Mike Nichols.

Gambon’s film credits include “Turtle Diary,” David Hare’s “Paris By Night,” “A Dry White Season,” with Marlon Brando, “The Rachel Papers,” Peter Greenaway’s “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover,” “The Gambler,” “Mobsters,” “Clean Slate,” “Toys,” “Indian Warrior,” “Wings of the Dove,” “The Innocent Sleep,” “Dancing at Lughnasa,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “The Insider,” “Gosford Park,” “Open Range” and four of the Harry Potter films: “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and 2009’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

In 1998, Gambon was awarded a KBE in the Queen’s Honour List.

 

About the Filmmakers

THE HUGHES BROTHERS (Directors), twins Allen and Albert, made a major leap into the entertainment industry with their debut as the 20-year-old creators and directors of “Menace II Society,” a compelling, realistic look at inner-city life that premiered at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival to international critical acclaim. With a budget of roughly $3 million, the Hughes took a story they came up with at age 14 and turned it into a motion picture that grossed nearly $30 million at the box office. “Menace II Society” was named one of the 10 best films of the year by several major critics across the country, and received Best Picture honors at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, to a mother highly supportive of her sons’ creativity, the Hughes Bros. began making home movies at age 12. Their film education began in their freshman year of high school when Allen took a TV production class. They soon made a short film entitled “How to Be a Burglar,” and people began to take notice. Their next work, “Uncensored Videos,” was broadcast on cable, introducing them to a wider audience. After high school, Albert began classes at LACC Film School. With the making of a short film entitled “Menace,” about a bank robbery getaway, and their next film, “The Drive By,” the twins’ growing reputation as innovative filmmakers attracted offers to direct features. But they couldn’t seem to find the right project, which led to their creating their own: “Menace II Society.”

Their follow-up film, “Dead Presidents,” written by award-winning playwright Michael Henry Brown and starring Larenz Tate, Chris Tucker, Bokeem Woodbine, Seymour Cassel, Martin Sheen, Keith David and N’Bushe Wright, was the story of a young man whose life turns to shambles after he returns from Vietnam. The film made its debut at the New York Film Festival in 1995. Next came the brothers’ feature-length documentary “American Pimp,” an examination of the men behind the world’s oldest profession, which made its debut at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival.

In 2001 the Hughes directed “From Hell,” a Jack the Ripper biopic starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham, based on an investigation into the murders and their alleged link to the Royal Family.

Their debut as executive producers for the small screen came with the USA Network series “Touching Evil,” for which Allen Hughes also served as director of the pilot. They are currently developing the HBO series “Gentleman of Leisure,” a drama centering on a legendary pimp who contemplates retirement.

In addition to their vision as filmmakers, Allen and Albert Hughes have proven their talents in the music field. Their first two soundtracks, “Menace II Society” and “Dead Presidents,” which they produced, went platinum.

Some of their past projects include music videos for multiple award-winning artists, including Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues,” as well as the re-release of Isaac Hayes’ “Walk On By.” The Hughes also directed two PSAs on gun control entitled “Stray Bullet” and “These Walls Have No Prejudice,” which have won 44 awards to date, including four Clio Awards.

JOEL SILVER (Producer), one of the most prolific and successful producers in the history of motion pictures, has produced more than 50 films, including the groundbreaking “The Matrix” trilogy, the blockbuster four-part “Lethal Weapon” franchise, and the seminal action films “Die Hard” and “Predator.” To date, Silver’s catalog of films have earned over $10 billion in worldwide revenue from all sources.

Under his Silver Pictures banner, Silver recently produced the holiday release “Sherlock Holmes,” an action adventure mystery, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Robert Downey Jr. as the legendary detective and Jude Law as Watson.

Silver structured a deal for his Dark Castle Entertainment production company that gives him green-lighting power and creative control of all films produced under the banner, to be distributed by Warner Bros. Silver produced Dark Castle’s latest release, the actioner “Ninja Assassin,” directed by James McTeigue and starring Rain. Dark Castle also has a number of films upcoming, including the actioner “The Losers,” based on the DC Comics graphic novels, starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Chris Evans and Jason Patric; the thriller “Unknown White Male,” starring Liam Neeson, January Jones and Diane Kruger; and the psychological thriller “The Factory,” starring John Cusack.

Dark Castle previously produced a string of hit films beginning with the record-breaking 1999 opening of “House on Haunted Hill,” followed by “Thir13en Ghosts” in 2001, “Ghost Ship” in 2002, “Gothika” in 2003 and “House of Wax” in 2005. Dark Castle more recently released Guy Ritchie’s critically acclaimed actioner “RocknRolla,” with an ensemble cast led by Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton and Mark Strong, and the horror thriller “Orphan,” starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard.

Previously, Silver’s 1999 production “The Matrix” grossed over $456 million globally, earning more than any other Warner Bros. Pictures film in the studio’s history at the time of its release. Universally acclaimed for its innovative storytelling and visuals, “The Matrix” won four Academy Awards®, including Best Visual Effects. The first DVD release to sell one million units, “The Matrix” DVD was instrumental in powering the initial sale of consumer DVD machines. The second installment of the epic “Matrix” trilogy, “The Matrix Reloaded,” earned over $739 million at the worldwide box office. The opening weekend box office receipts for “The Matrix Revolutions,” the final chapter in the explosive trilogy, totaled a staggering $203 million worldwide. To date, “The Matrix” franchise has grossed $3 billion from all sources worldwide.

While overseeing production on “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions,” Silver produced the integral video game “Enter the Matrix,” which features one hour of additional film footage written and directed by the Wachowski brothers and starring Jada Pinkett Smith and Anthony Wong, who reprised their roles from the films. He also executive produced “The Animatrix,” a groundbreaking collection of nine short anime films inspired by the visionary action and storytelling that power “The Matrix.”

Silver later produced the action thriller “V for Vendetta,” based on the acclaimed graphic novel and starring Natalie Portman; the action comedy thriller “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang,” written and directed by Shane Black and starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan; and the Wachowski brothers’ “Speed Racer.” He also produced the hit films “Romeo Must Die,” starring Jet Li and Aaliyah; “Exit Wounds,” starring Steven Seagal and DMX; and “Swordfish,” starring John Travolta, Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry.

A successful television producer as well, Silver executive produced the CBS series “Moonlight,” a romantic thriller with a twist on the vampire legend, which won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama in its debut year. He was previously an executive producer on the critically acclaimed UPN television series “Veronica Mars,” starring Kristen Bell. Silver also executive produced, with Richard Donner, David Giler, Walter Hill and Robert Zemeckis, eight seasons of the award-winning HBO series “Tales from the Crypt,” as well as two “Tales from the Crypt” films.

Silver began his career as an associate producer on “The Warriors,” and then produced “48 HRS.,” “Streets of Fire” and “Brewster’s Millions.”

In 1985, Silver launched his Silver Pictures production banner with the breakout hit “Commando,” followed by “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Predator.” Silver Pictures solidified its status as one of the industry’s leading production companies with the release of the “Lethal Weapon” series and the action blockbusters “Die Hard” and “Die Hard 2: Die Harder.” Silver also went on to produce “The Last Boy Scout,” “Demolition Man,” “Richie Rich,” “Executive Decision” and “Conspiracy Theory.”

Long before starting his producing career, as a student at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey in 1967, Silver and a group of his friends developed a game called Ultimate Frisbee. The fast-moving team sport has since become a global phenomenon supported by tournaments in 50 countries.

DENZEL WASHINGTON (Producer) — see About the Cast.

BRODERICK JOHNSON (Producer) and ANDREW A. KOSOVE (Producer) are cofounders, co-presidents and co-CEOs of Alcon Entertainment, which has financed and/or produced a wide range of films.

Under the Alcon banner, Johnson and Kosove are currently producing the comedy “The Lottery Ticket,” directed by Erik White and starring Bow Wow and Ice Cube, scheduled for a 2010 release.

Alcon earlier produced the acclaimed family film “My Dog Skip,” which led to an ongoing Warner Bros. Pictures distribution deal. Alcon’s subsequent titles included the comedy “Dude, Where’s My Car?,” starring Ashton Kutcher; Christopher Nolan’s thriller “Insomnia,” starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank; and the family film “Racing Stripes,” which blended animation and live action.

More recent Alcon titles include the ensemble hit “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and its sequel, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” both starring Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrara, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel; the action-thriller “16 Blocks,” starring Bruce Willis; the romantic comedy-drama sleeper hit “P.S. I Love You,” starring Hilary Swank and directed by Richard LaGravenese, which grossed more than $150 million worldwide; and the drama “The Blind Side,” based on a remarkable true story, written and directed by John Lee Hancock and starring Sandra Bullock.

Alcon’s longstanding distribution deal with Warner Bros. Pictures was recently renewed for another five years, encompassing a 15-film slate.

DAVID VALDES (Producer), one of the film industry’s busiest and most respected film producers, has enjoyed successful collaborations with such noted filmmakers as Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, Frank Darabont and Kevin Costner and has helped launch the careers of a number of popular actors.

Among Valdes’ recent projects are the acclaimed drama “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, for director Andrew Dominik, and the action adventure “Babylon A.D.,” starring Vin Diesel.

In 2000, he received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Picture for “The Green Mile,” which received a total of four Oscar® nominations. His additional motion picture producer credits include the Western “Open Range,” directed by Kevin Costner and starring Robert Duvall, Annette Bening and Michael Gambon; the re-imagining of “The Time Machine,” based on the H.G. Wells’ classic novel; “Turbulence,” featuring Ray Liotta and Lauren Holly; “A Perfect World,” starring Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood; and “The Stars Fell on Henrietta,” with Robert Duvall and Aidan Quinn. He successfully teamed Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen in “The Rookie,” and likewise paired Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron in “Like Father, Like Son.” He served as a producer on “Pink Cadillac” and on the last of the popular Dirty Harry movies, “The Dead Pool,” which marked the feature film debuts of Jim Carrey and Liam Neeson. In total, Valdes has collaborated on 17 films with Clint Eastwood.

Valdes was sole executive producer on Eastwood’s acclaimed revisionist Western “Unforgiven,” which won four Academy Awards®, including Best Picture; and Wolfgang Petersen’s multiple Oscar®-nominated hit “In the Line of Fire.” He was also the executive producer on Eastwood’s critically acclaimed biopic “Bird,” starring Forest Whitaker, and “White Hunter, Black Heart,” and collaborated on four films with Francis Ford Coppola, most recently as the executive producer on the Vietnam War-era drama “Gardens of Stone.”

Among his extensive television credits is tenure as a director of the innovative series “Moonlighting.” Valdes worked in all television formats- movies-of-the-week, series, commercials and music videos-before finding his niche as a film producer.

A California native, Valdes earned a Bachelor of Theatre Arts degree from UCLA, magna cum laude, and began his film career as an assistant director alongside such esteemed directors as Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, Clint Eastwood and Francis Ford Coppola. The films on which he worked include “Raging Bull,” “Oh God! Book II,” “Any Which Way You Can,” “Hammett,” “The Outsiders,” “Rumble Fish,” “Sudden Impact” and “Tightrope.” He segued into producing as an associate producer on Eastwood’s “Pale Rider” in 1984.

Valdes is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America and the American Film Institute. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Latino Theater Company (LTC) and is also a mentor to graduate students at the USC Peter Stark graduate producers program.

STEVE RICHARDS (Executive Producer) is Co-President of Dark Castle Entertainment. A veteran of the film industry, he is in his fifteenth year working with producer Joel Silver, and was instrumental in developing the business plan for Dark Castle and in forging the financial partnership with CIT Group Inc., producing a slate of 15 films including “RocknRolla” and “Orphan.”

Richards serves as executive producer on all of the films under the Dark Castle banner, including the upcoming “Ninja Assassin” and “The Losers,” based upon the popular Vertigo/DC comic series by Andy Diggle and Jock. He is currently in development on both the horror thriller “The Summoner” and “Unknown White Male.” He was also executive producer on “Whiteout,” “Orphan,” “The Reaping,” “Thir13en Ghosts,” “Ghost Ship,” “Gothika” and “House of Wax.” During the formation of Dark Castle in 1999, Richards organized the foreign financing and distribution of the shingle’s first film, the remake of William Castle’s “House on Haunted Hill.”

In 1995, Richards joined Silver Pictures and is currently Chief Operating Officer of the company. He counts among his film credits with Silver Pictures “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang,” “The Matrix Reloaded,,” “The Animatrix,” and two installments of the “Dungeons & Dragons” fantasy game film adaptations.

Richards earned an MBA from the Andersen School at UCLA and graduated with honors from Temple University. He began his career in film and distribution at the International Movie Group. Desiring to transition to the production side of the film business, he moved to Scott Free, Ridley and Tony Scott’s production company. He counts “White Squall” among his credits while there.

SUSAN DOWNEY (Executive Producer) is a prolific film producer who has collaborated with some of the industry’s most noted talents from both sides of the camera. Her long list of credits includes films ranging from action blockbusters to dramas to comedies to horror thrillers.

Downey has recently produced several different upcoming features, including the much-anticipated “Sherlock Holmes,” in theatres Christmas Day 2009. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the film stars Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams in an action adventure mystery that brings Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective to the big screen as never before.

In addition, Downey is an executive producer on “Iron Man 2,” the sequel to the blockbuster action hit “Iron Man.” Slated for release in May 2010, the film reunites director Jon Favreau with Robert Downey Jr., who is returning in the title role, and Gwyneth Paltrow as the central character’s devoted assistant. Joining the cast are Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson. Downey also produced the upcoming horror thriller “The Factory,” directed by Morgan O’Neill and starring John Cusack.

Currently, Downey is serving as an executive producer on “Due Date,” a new comedy from director Todd Phillips, starring Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis and Michelle Monaghan. The film is planned for release in Fall 2010.

Downey previously held the dual posts of Co-President of Dark Castle Entertainment and Executive Vice President of Production at Silver Pictures. Joining Silver Pictures in 1999, she oversaw the development and production of feature films released under both banners, including “Thir13en Ghosts” and “Swordfish.”

In 2002, she made her producing debut as a co-producer on “Ghost Ship” and then coproduced the 2003 release “Cradle 2 the Grave.” Downey went on to produce the features “Gothika” and “House of Wax,” and also served as an executive producer on the critically acclaimed comedic thriller “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.”

Downey later produced Neil Jordan’s acclaimed psychological drama “The Brave One,” starring Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard, and Guy Ritchie’s widely praised crime comedy “RocknRolla,” starring Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Idris Elba, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Jeremy Piven, and the horror thriller “Orphan,” starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard.

Prior to her tenure at Dark Castle and Silver Pictures, Downey worked on the hit films “Mortal Kombat” and “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.”

Downey is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television.

ERIK OLSEN (Executive Producer) began his career as an executive for producer Joel Silver’s production company, where he helped shepherd a large slate of films, including “Gothika,” “Swordfish” and “Cradle 2 the Grave.” His producing credits include “House of Wax” and “The Reaping,” starring Hilary Swank. Most recently, he served as co-producer on the 2009 horror thriller “Orphan,” starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard.

Currently, Olsen is developing the remake of the classic fantasy epic “Excalibur,” with Bryan Singer set to direct.

GARY WHITTA (Screenwriter) started his writing career as a videogame and entertainment journalist, editing such publications as PC Gamer, Next Generation and Total Movie before deciding to pursue a career as a screenwriter.

He has authored more than a dozen original screenplays, including “The Undying,” a supernatural thriller currently in pre-production. More recently he has written for several major studio productions including “Akira” and “Warcraft.” He is currently writing the science fiction adventure “The Defenders,” with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci set to produce.

Whitta is also a comic book author, having written Image Comics’ popular “Death, Jr.” series, named one of 2007’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association. Born and raised in London, he has lived in San Francisco for the past 13 years.

DON BURGESS (Director of Photography) most recently shot the romantic comedy “Fool’s Gold” and the smash hit comedy fable “Enchanted,” which blended live action with animation. He is currently in production on the action thriller “Priest” for director Scott Stewart, set for a 2010 release.

Burgess was honored with an Academy Award® nomination for his cinematography on Robert Zemeckis’s Oscar®-winning hit “Forrest Gump.” Burgess also received BAFTA and American Society of Cinematographer Award nominations for his work on that film. He has enjoyed a long association with Zemeckis, having also lensed the director’s films “The Polar Express,” “Cast Away,” “What Lies Beneath” and “Contact.” He earlier won a CableACE Award for his work on a Zemeckis-directed episode of “Tales from the Crypt.”

Burgess’s diverse feature film credits also include the blockbuster action hits “Spider-Man” and “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines“; the adventure film “Eight Below“; and the comedies “My Super Ex-Girlfriend,” “13 Going on 30,” “Christmas with the Kranks” and “Forget Paris.”

CINDY MOLLO (Editor) marks her third collaboration with Allen Hughes on “The Book of Eli,” having worked with him most recently on his segment of the anthology film “New York, I Love You,” and prior to that on the television series “Touching Evil.”

Mollo began her career editing the critically acclaimed dramas “Homicide: Life on the Streets” and “Oz” for producers Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana. She was nominated for an American Cinema Editors Eddie Award for her work on “The Gas Man,” an episode of “Homicide” that was directed by Levinson.

She edited the acclaimed HBO films “Boycott,” “Point of Origin” and “Path to Paradise,” and received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Editing on “Dash and Lilly,” a film directed by Kathy Bates. Her more recent episodic television work includes the acclaimed AMC series “Mad Men,” for which she received her second Emmy Award nomination; HBO’s “John from Cincinnati“; and pilots for the series “Lucky” and “Sleeper Cell.”

Her feature credits include “Panic” and “The Sentinel.”

Mollo earned her BA from Boston College and lived for many years in New York. She now enjoys living in Santa Monica with her dog, Otis.

(Production Designer) marked her third collaboration with director Ken Kwapis on last year’s ensemble romantic comedy “He’s Just Not That Into You.” The two previously worked together on “License to Wed” and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” Buckley also served as production designer on the sequel “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.”

Buckley’s production design film credits include Kevin Costner’s Western drama “Open Range” and John Herzfeld’s “Bobby Z.”

As an art director, Buckley’s film credits include Nancy Meyers’ “What Women Want,” “Coyote Ugly,” “My Fellow Americans,” “Tin Cup,” “The Craft,” “Little Rascals,” “Angie” and Adrian Lyne’s “Indecent Proposal.”

Buckley began her career in filmed entertainment with work on music videos and commercials. She received a degree in Architecture from Cornell University, and has also studied drawing at The Brooklyn Academy of Art and scenic painting at the Lester Polakov School of Scenic Painting in New York City.

SHAREN DAVIS (Costume Designer) has been honored with two Academy Award® nominations: the first in 2005 for her designs on Taylor Hackford’s biopic “Ray,” and the second in 2007 for her work on Bill Condon’s musical drama “Dreamgirls.” Additionally, she earned a Costume Designers Guild Award nomination for each.

Davis’s recent work includes the feature films “Seven Pounds” and “The Pursuit of Happyness” for director Gabriele Muccino. She marked her second collaboration with director Denzel Washington on the critically acclaimed 2007 biographical drama “The Great Debaters,” after working with him on his directorial debut, “Antwone Fisher,” in 2002. Her numerous costume design credits also include “Akeelah and the Bee,” “Rush Hour,” “Beauty Shop,” “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps,” “Doctor Dolittle,” “Double Take,” “Money Talks,” “Younger and Younger,” and three films for director Carl Franklin: “Out of Time,” “High Crimes” and “Devil in a Blue Dress.” She debuted as costume designer on Alan Rudolph’s feature thriller “Equinox.”

For television, Davis has designed for such telefilms as “Freedom Song,” “Grace & Glorie,” “Vanishing Point,” “Nightjohn,” “Zooman,” “Midnight Runaround,” “State of Emergency,” “Another Midnight Run” and “Laurel Avenue.”

JON FARHAT (Visual Effects Supervisor) shared an Academy Award® nomination and a BAFTA nomination for Best Visual Effects and Best Special Effects for the 1995 action comedy “The Mask.” Two years later, he earned a second BAFTA nomination for his work on Tom Shadyac’s comedy “The Nutty Professor.”

Farhat marks his second collaboration with the Hughes Brothers on “The Book of Eli,” having previously worked with them on the crime drama “Dead Presidents.”

As a visual effects art director, Farhat worked on “Grand Canyon” for director Lawrence Kasdan, and on “Defending Your Life” for director Albert Brooks.

ATTICUS ROSS (Composer) is a musician, record producer and film composer. “The Book of Eli” marks his third collaboration with the Hughes Brothers. He composed his first score, in 2004, for the brothers’ USA Network series “Touching Evil,” and, most recently, scored their segment of the anthology film “New York, I Love You.” Ross has also provided music for a number of high-profile commercials, including Got Milk, Sony PlayStation, Guinness and British Telecom. Additionally, he produced and co-wrote the Perry Farrell single for the hugely successful “Twilight” film and soundtrack.

Ross’s extensive record production work includes four albums with Nine Inch Nails; “With Teeth” and “Year Zero” both achieved platinum status and five consecutive number-one.

U.S. rock singles, and “The Slip” became the first album by a major artist to appear as a high-quality free download. The 36-track instrumental “Ghosts,” co-written by Ross, received the first black TuneCore Award and a 2009 Grammy nomination, and was used by Google to launch the first YouTube Film Festival. In addition to NIN, Ross has collaborated with Trent Reznor on projects for other artists, including Peter Gabriel, Saul Williams, Zach de la Rocha and Jane’s Addiction, and has provided remix work for Grace Jones, From First to Last, Telepathe, Transplants, Biggie Smalls and Dillinger Escape Plans.

Ross produced and co-wrote two albums for KORN: “See You on the Other Side” and “Untitled,” one platinum and the other gold, and has produced forthcoming albums for UK artists Union of Knives and London buzz band Loverman. He is currently working with American band Coheed and Cambria on their latest album.

Born in England, Ross now makes his home in Los Angeles.