Zac Efron - Richard Samuels (M&OW S&S) #12: Because what girl wouldn't want to hear, "You want me to fight for you? Because I will."

***PassionateJ*** · 10-19-2009, 07:38 AM

Welcome to the "Me and Orson Welles" Thread #12

"Me and Orson Welles" Synopsis – IMDb
Set in 1937, the story centers on a high school student (Efron) who, while strolling the streets of New York, happens upon the yet-to-open Mercury Theatre and is noticed by its mercurial founder, Orson Welles. The man lands a bit part in "Julius Caesar," the production that catapulted Welles to the top, and spends the next week learning about life and love.

Production Notes (Courtesy of Cinema is Dope)

Alternative (longer) summaries of the novel can be found here.
Another synopsis can be found on the movie page of the Isle of Man Film website here.

Cast & Characters – credits on IMDb

Zac Efron..................................Richard Samuels
Christian McKay............................Orson Welles
Claire Danes...............................Sonja Jones
Ben Chaplin................................George Coulouris
Kelly Reilly...............................Muriel Brassler
Eddie Marsan...............................John Houseman
Leo Bill...................................Norman Lloyd
James Tupper...............................Joseph Cotten
Zoe Kazan..................................Gretta Alder

Directed by................................Richard Linklater

Filming & Release Info

Release date: U. S.:November 25th; UK: December 4th.
Detailed information on the filming of the movie can be found in this post
TPTB went to Cannes 2008 and presented some footage there. There were several articles mentioning M&OW in the Cannes coverage: THR (13 May), IndiWIRE (13 May), Variety (14 May), THR (17 May), Variety (20 May), THR (21 May) and WSJ (16 May)
M&OW premiered at TIFF08: official press release from TIFF (13 Aug 2008), Variety (13 Aug 2008), THR (13 Aug 2008)
Linklater’s new film to screen at SXSW (Austin360.com, 14 Mar 2009)
Me and Orson Welles will screen at the Woodstock Film Festival which runs from Sep 30 through Oct 4, 2009 (Woodstock Film Festival Press Release, 29 Apr 2009)

Latest News...

U.S Official Poster

UK Poster

Me and Orson Welles: TEAM EFRON NEEDS YOU!! | Facebook

Other official/affiliated sites:

Most Recent:

Quote:

...But it's Efron who really impresses: showing a depth and charm you'd never have dreamed of. He's not afraid to look petulant and silly, and does, frequently. That said, there are moments - check out the menacing screengrab above - in which you can't help but think: Efron should really, at some point, play a killer....

Zac Efron is a revelation in Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles | Film | guardian.co.uk

Quote:

...High School Musical star Efron had to steel himself for the role. “I was intimidated,” he says, about the prospect of working with Danes. “Even just the name Claire Danes carries such weight with it. I needed to be a worthy love interest in the film and I didn’t know that I had any of the qualities necessary to woo a girl like her.” He had plenty of time to try his luck, since the bulk of filming took place on the remote Isle of Man in the U.K. “Claire and I were trapped on an island together with nowhere to go for four weeks, like a reality show.” It turns out, however, that Vanessa Hudgens—or Hugh Dancy for that matter—had nothing to worry about. “My character was supposed to fall in love, but she was also supposed to be out of his league. After meeting Claire, that was definitely the way it was supposed to be.” ...

Claire Danes: Danger, High Voltage! - BlackBook

Quote:

You just finished shooting Me and Orson Welles with Zac Efron and Claire Danes. How was that experience?
Beautiful. It’s coming out this fall. I couldn’t be more happy with it. And Zac is fantastic. He worked really hard. I know it’s always boring when people say how great everyone is they work with, but Zac’s the real deal and he’s going to have a really long career, because he’s meant to be here.

So he’s not just a song and dance man?
He’s too talented, he’s too much a natural. I’ve never met anyone less conflicted about performing. He’s just born to do what he’s doing. And he’s really smart, and he works hard. He has a good family. I’d say his foundation is such that he’s not going to be a **** up and sabotage himself.

Richard Linklater Talks Zac Efron, ‘School of Rock 2,’ Future of Filmmaking - BlackBook

Quote:

Zac Efron
By Claire Danes

Zac and I shot a movie called Me and Orson Welles about a year ago on the Isle of Man. As soon as Zac arrived, it seemed more like the Isle of Teenage Girls. Many, many teenage girls. When Zac was first spotted through the window of a local café, a handful of admirers multiplied into a squealing mob. He had to be escorted back to the hotel in a police car. For almost a week, girls raced from school to keep vigil outside the hotel. I often fell asleep to their resounding chant: "We want Zac! We want Zac!" I have never worked with anyone so famous.

I couldn't help being reminded of the time I had spent with another gifted idol, Leonardo DiCaprio, about a decade before. I saw the simmering ardor of the teenage masses turn into unbridled hysteria after Titanic was released. But this was even more intense. The difference, I realized, was that Zac is not only an actor but also a musician, a bona fide song-and-dance man. We ladies are defenseless against such a combination.

But I suppose we all know that Zac, 21, is a song-and-dance man. What is less known — and what I had the privilege of learning firsthand — is that he is a performer capable of great subtlety and vulnerability. A lot is asked of Zac in this role. He plays a high school student from the 1930s who talks himself into Orson Welles' production of Julius Caesar and is seduced by art, the big city and, of course, a girl. Zac is in every scene; he recites Shakespeare, falls in love, discovers the expanse of the world, sees it suddenly collapse upon him and then goes back to high school. In other words, he becomes a man.

Zac met these demands with focus, humility and enthusiasm — and the result is breathtaking. It seems Zac is not only an entertainer but also an artist. He is going make us swoon for many years to come.

Zac Efron - The 2009 TIME 100 - TIME

Videos

Teaser Trailer
Me and Orson Welles - Film Clip with Zac Efron
Video of the press conference on 4 March 2008 @ IoM (courtesy of IoM Today)
First clip of M&OW (Richard's audition scene in front of the Mercury Theater) - 05 Sep 2008, courtesy of LA Times
Interview with Richard Linklater at Woodstock Film Festival
Red Carpet World Premiere: EXTRACT (with Richard Linklater)

Images

This picture of Orson Welles and Arthur Anderson (the real life apprentice who Richard Samuels is based on) in 1937 inspired Robert Kaplow to write the book:
Various pictures from the filming of the movie can be found in this post
First official movie and BTS stills courtesy of Twitch via First Showing (20 Aug 2008), Cinema is Dope (5 Sep 2008)
Pictures of the M&OW premiere @ TIFF08 on Sep 5th, 2008 in Toronto featuring Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Richard Linklater

Articles & Interviews

Confirmation of the project at The Hollywoodreporter (18 Jan 2008): Efron hangs with 'Welles'
Official press release from the Isle of Man Film (30 Jan 2008).
Claire Danes joins the cast (IoM Today - 30 Jan 2008)
Claire Danes, Ben Chaplin, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan, Leo Bill, Imogen Poots and Aidan McArdle join the cast: Variety - 31 Jan 2008, Hollywoodreporter - 1 Feb 2008, ComingSoon.net - 30 Jan 2008
Zac talks a bit about the project: Zac Efron Gets Serious For ‘Orson Welles And Me’ (MTV Movies Blog - 7 Feb 2008)
Kelly Reilly is playing Muriel Brassler, cast is currently rehearsing for film (Daily Mail - 14 Feb 2008)
Linklater, Carli & Samuelson talk about making the film on IoM ('Zac Efron - what's all the fuss about?') (IoM Today - 6 March 2008)
James Tupper joins the cast as Joseph Cotten (Hollywoodreporter - 6 March 2008)
Eddie Marsan talks about his role in M&OW (indieLONDON - 16 April 2008)
Official Raconteur Reader blog writes about the casting of Christian McKay as Orson Welles (and then the scoundrel said... The official blog of The Raconteur - March 2008; original blog entry deleted since then)
From a New York Times Bestseller to the Silver Screen, Kaplow Speaks on Recent Film Success (The Alternative Press, 17 June 2008)
Interview with James Tupper: Bouncing back is all in a day's work (The Province, 7 July 2008)
Interview with Toronto's Co-Director Cameron Bailey (indiWIRE, 19 Aug 2008)
Director P.O.V.: Richard Linklater – Helmer reinvents '30s New York at Pinewood (Variety, 16 Oct 2008)
10th Annual Woodstock Film Festival to Bestow Its Highest honor on Filmmaker Richard Linklater (Woodstock Film Festival Press Release, 29 April 2009)

Reviews
Trade press and general media, established critics and movies sites:

A full list of TIFF08 reviews can be found in this post. A few selected key reviews:
- Toronto: Richard Linklater premieres 'Me and Orson Welles' (LA Times, 5 Sep 2008)
- Toronto Watch: Me and Orson Welles (Thompson on Hollywood @ Variety, 6 Sep 2008)
- Film Review: Me and Orson Welles (The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep 2008)
- Toronto Review: Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles (First Showing, 6 Sep 2008)
- TIFF Review: Me And Orson Welles (CinemaBlend, 6 Sep 2008)
- Orson Welles lives at the Toronto International Film Festival (Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer, 7 Sep 2008)
- A CHAT WITH ZAC EFRON (...and the winner is, 7 Sep 2008)
- Me and Orson Welles (Variety, 8 Sep 2008)
- TIFF Review: Me and Orson Welles (Cinematical, 11 Sep 2008)
- Toronto Film Festival Day 8: Zac Efron Gives Second Best Performance in 'Welles' (moviefone, 12 Sep 2008)
- Toronto International Film Festival: Me and Orson Welles (CHUD, 12 Sep 2008)
- TORONTO: ‘Good,’ ‘Me and Orson Welles,’ ‘Every Little Step,’ ‘The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,’ ‘The Hurt Locker’ (InContention, 11 Sep 2008)
- The Toronto Film Festival Wrap-Up (ComingSoon.net, 15 Sep 2008)
SXSW: As a surprise, Linklater unveils his latest (Austin360.com, 16 Mar 2009)
SXSW: Annette Kellerman hangs with ME & ORSON WELLES... really!!! (Aint It Cool News, 18 Mar 2009)
Me and Orson Welles Trailer Online | The Movie Blog (The Movie Blog, August 12, 2009)
James King... MOVIES: Zac Efron does a High School....Shakespearian Tragedy. (James King Movies, August 19th, 2009)
Zac Efron in ‘actually quite a good actor’ shock! (me-me-me.tv, August 19th, 2009)
Zac Efron film set for December release - Isle of Man Today (iomtoday.co.im, August 21st, 2009)

Additional Info

Get Robert Kaplow's novel at Amazon
Pictures of Orson Welles' original 1937 production of "Julius Caesar" in the Mercury Theatre
Premiere listing of the original 1937 play of Julius Caesar at the Broadway Internet Database

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Zac Efron's # 1 fan
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Previous Threads
#1: Because Zac fascinates us in 1937 and 2008
#2: b/c the hairdresser already yelled "CUT!"
#3: b/c we'd let Zac fill our quadruple space anytime
#4: b/c we are waiting for Richard in his bathrobe
#5: because he will take TIFF by storm
#6: b/c only Richard can make a Wheaties jingle sound great
#7: b/c we're loving all the great reviews we're getting
#8: because we're counting down the days until October
#9 :B/C we don't think it's too much to ask for a U.S. release...channeling!
#10 :#10: Because we love that reviews are putting him in the same class as Leo and Johnny!
#11 ~ "Sometimes you remember a week for the rest of your life."
The opening post gets updated with new information as it becomes available. If you want to be added to the supporters list, please either leave a message in the thread or send me a PM to one of the Mods.

**JustღBreathe** · 10-19-2009, 08:03 AM

Thanks Jessica

nyychick2 · 10-19-2009, 08:05 AM

Thanks for the new thread!

***PassionateJ*** · 10-19-2009, 08:15 AM

No prob

Let me know if you think anything should be added to the OP from the last thread

Zac Efron's # 1 fan · 10-19-2009, 08:47 AM

Jessica thanks for opening the new thread. Love the title.

**yagirlbee925** · 10-19-2009, 09:02 AM

Ok this title owns

Jess

Thanks for opening!

***PassionateJ*** · 10-19-2009, 09:18 AM

No prob

I tried to clean up the OP a little like only embed the 2 official trailers and added links for Richard's two most recent video interviews & both official posters.

V-Nessa · 10-19-2009, 12:09 PM

Thanks for the new thread

Miss Fate · 10-19-2009, 07:17 PM

Thanks for the new thread!

Awesome title!

**AzureEyes♥** · 10-19-2009, 09:20 PM

Thanks for the new thread Jess, it looks great

gigi0315 · 10-20-2009, 02:56 AM

Thanks for the new thread

**AzureEyes♥** · 10-20-2009, 06:02 AM

I'm so excited, promo is gonna start soon

I imagine Zac will have a little time off after wrapping CSC and then it might almost be time to get into it

***PassionateJ*** · 10-20-2009, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandora147 (View Post)

Thanks for the new thread Jess, it looks great

Thanks Dani

& Im excited for M&OW press too

ETA: idk if this was posted?

The Karate Kids: Me and Orson Welles Review

Quote:

So, opening night of the NOLA Film Festival I went to the Prytania Theater down in the Garden District, which has one big DLP screen and is located on a street with the streetcars and old houses from the 1910's like you see in "Benjamin Button".

That evening I saw "Me and Orson Welles" with Director Richard Linklater (School of Rock, Before Sunset, Dazed and Confused) in attendance

You guys should definitely check this one out when you get a chance. Christian McKay who plays Orson is PHENOMENAL! It is a great little coming of age story with Zac Efron as a teenager who gets a role in Welles' now famous 1937 production of "Julius Caesar" at the Mercury Theater. And Zac Efron did a pretty great job, not actually sucking like I thought he would. There are still your kind of cliche romance/comedy moments or lines in there that made me cringe but McKay's Welles had me riveted throughout the whole film. Really great acting in this movie and the look and feel of the film was pitch perfect.

Afterwards, Rick Linklater hung out and answered a bunch of questions and then they showed "Dazed and Confused" and he stayed until till after that (it was like 2:30am) and he'd had a bunch of drinks and answered some more questions and was just a cool FN dude.

Definitely go see it whenever it comes your way!

**JustღBreathe** · 10-20-2009, 08:27 AM

**yagirlbee925** · 10-20-2009, 08:43 AM

Thanks for that write-up Jess! I'm glad that the overall view of the film has stayed consistent since last year

Ahhh those stills just got me more excited

hurry up November!