jeezbee

Welcome to the "Me and Orson Welles" Thread #3

"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.

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
Imogen Poots
Aidan McArdle

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

Filming & Release Info

• Release date: TBD
  Note: A release date will not be available until the movie has a distributor; for independent movies that happens most of the time only after post-production has been completed and the movie was sold eg at a festival.
• The movie was shot from 24 February to 12 April 2008
• Filming locations are Isle of Man, Buckinghamshire close to London (Pinewood Studios) and New York
• The Isle of Man part will be filmed from 24th February to 14th March in the Gaiety Theatre (Virtual Tour of the theatre)
• They need up to 800 extras: 240 people for 3 dates (March 3, 4 and 9) and additional 390 people for March 9 (which makes it 630 extras total for that date). Various extra casting calls have been made public; the extras agencies involved are Ex-Isle, Universal Extras Ltd & The Casting Network. More info available here, here & here.
• Set report from an extra for the filming on 7th & 9th March 2008 (courtesy of london10 @ zefron.com, 10 March 2008)
• Film makers find Crystal Palace Park to be the perfect setting (Croydon Guardian - 4 April 2008)

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)
  

Images & Videos

• 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:
  
  
• New Zac candids, sporting his new hairdo for the movie (16 Feb 2008, courtesy of zac-e.com)
• First on set pictures (24 Feb 2008, courtesy of maalibu@FF), first 'offical' set pic (24 Feb 2008, courtesy of IoM Today)
  
• Set pics from 28 Feb 2008 - more at JustJared & Gossip Girls
  
• Video of the press conference on 4 March 2008 @ IoM (courtesy of IoM Today)
• Set pics from 24 March 2008 (courtesy of zacefron.nl & I'm Not Obsessed)
  
• Set pic from 4 April 2008 in Crystal Palace Park (courtesy of Croydon Guardian)
  

Reviews & Test-Screenings
Duh! It's a little bit early considering that filming isn't finished yet, not to talk about post.

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

Supporters List

1. othfan628
2. nyychick2
3. BrendaSaysHi
4. ~Jewel~
5. LivvyxBaby
6. yagirlbee925
7. sarahbeth0587
8. Lizzie♥Z&V
9. RainbowChaser
10. *°*Peryne*°*
11. V-Nessa
12. tyubi
13. bettybaby
14. HSMloveOTH
15. Sweet_Honeycomb
16. zanessatroygabriellalover
17. Z+Vfan
18. Miss Fate
19. zac'sgirl
20. write2me
21. krizzteh
22. blackgreywhite
23. erinbonnie
24. maalibu
25. twinkley_angel
26. angie<3
27. Jordyn1234567
28. christine323
29. jessica3311
30. sashanaa
31. Lawrahhh

Previous Threads
#1: Because Zac fascinates us in 1937 and 2008
#2: b/c the hairdresser already yelled "CUT!"

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.

*°*Peryne*°*

Another Richie thread !!!



Thanks Bee for opening it, and also for this awesome OP

~Jewel~

New thread.
Thanks Bee.

*_Karen_*

Thanks for opening Bee
I finally took my time to look at the opening post which is great! I'll probably be incredibly slow but I just saw that Christian McKay has already played Orson Welles in something else, he looks a little like the way I pictured him.

jeezbee

You're all welcome. I had to abbreviate the film title - the character and movie name are so long - it wouldn't fit otherwise. And Jule, don't worry, I won't forget your other titles - I'll bring them up at the end of this thread.
You're not slow. I don't think it was actually ever discussed in length. But yes, he has played him before and got amazing reviews for it. I think he looks a lot like Orson Welles, he also seems a older now. Hopefully they can make him look much younger with make up. And some of the pics of him he's bigger than Welles had been back then with 22. Perhaps he lost some weight for the role though. He is one we didn't get and on set pics yet. But all in all I'm sure he'll do a great job.

bettybaby

bee thanks for opening & quadruple space title FTW

tyubi

some quotes from the book. gosh I'm loving it!

blackgreywhite

A new thread, thanks for opening Bee

My book still didn't arrive

tyubi

ohhhh...
it's awesome. I've waited 2 weeks and still got to read a book for school..
But M&OW is awesome.
People always say, that the books are ALWAYS better than the movies.
But I think the movie is gonna be as awesome as the book is, b/c it just has got about 250 pages.
HP and all the other books have got over 500 pages and it's really no surprise, that the directors have to cute the half of the scenes in the book.
M&OW RULES!

~Jewel~

That one's just made out of win.

tyubi

and.. which high school gang call themselves ?

bettybaby

tugba, i'm glad to see you're enjoying the book. and i believe the movie will be just as awesome, i mean with zac how can it not be

but seriously, its a great story, and i just can not wait!

tyubi

question:
->that's gonna be awesome to see

bettybaby

i loved the blog quotes from peyrne where the person who played the extra said that zac actually does really well with this part???? should be interesting!

tyubi