1. art and entertainment
2. movies and tv
3. movies

EUROPACORP and RELATIVITY MEDIA Present
By McG
With
Kevin COSTNER
Amber HEARD Hailee STEINFELD Connie NIELSEN
Screenplay by Luc BESSON & Adi HASAK
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 117 minutes
SALES
EUROPACORP
La Cité du Cinéma
20, rue Ampère
93413 SAINT DENIS Cedex
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
DDA Public Relations Ltd
Alice Gledhill Hall
Director - International Publicity
192-198 Vauxhall Bridge Road
London SW1V 1DX
3 DAYS TO KILL
In this heart pounding action-thriller, Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy, who is
determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife
and daughter, whom he's previously kept at arm's length to keep out of danger. But first, he must
complete one last mission – even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting
down the world‟s most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in
ten years, while his wife is out of town.
3 Days to Kill stars Kevin Costner (“Hatfields & McCoys,” Dances With Wolves), Hailee
Steinfeld (True Grit), Amber Heard (The Rum Diary, Paranoia), and Connie Nielsen (Gladiator). The
film was directed by McG (Charlie’s Angels, This Means War) from a script written by Luc Besson &
Adi Hasak based on a story by Besson.
The film‟s producers are Marc Libert (Lockout) and Relativity‟s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh (The
Fighter). Director of Photography is Thierry Arbogast (The Fifth Element). Production designer is
Sébastien Inizan (Taken 2). Costume designer is Olivier Bériot (Taken). Editor is Audrey Simonaud
(Taken 2). Original music is by composer Guillaume Roussel (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger
Tides). Co-Executive Producers are Ron Burkle (Out of the Furnace) and Jason Colbeck (Out of the
Furnace). Executive Producer is Tucker Tooley (The Fighter).
1
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
"He’s beaten up, punched, shot at, his car crashes. That’s part of the gristle that goes into this Ethan character." McG
Ethan Renner, the CIA operative at the center of McG‟s new action-thriller 3 Days to Kill,
finds himself trying to save the world from Europe‟s most dangerous terrorists while trying to
reconnect with his wife and daughter in Paris. Academy Award® winner Kevin Costner plays Ethan,
the cunning, dangerous, and semi-retired spy who has always been more successful taking care of
bad guys than taking care of his daughter. When a beautiful yet mysterious woman named Vivi,
played by Amber Heard, presents him with an offer he can‟t refuse, he is forced to balance his job
and his family for the first time ever with the highest stakes yet.
As with his previous films, Charlie’s Angels, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, and This Means War,
McG explores the personal side of international espionage, though this time it‟s through the eyes of
a veteran secret agent returning to family life in Paris. “I am fascinated by what happens to James
Bond when he goes home. You never really see him off the clock” says McG. The film discovers
some universal truths about family and work that takes the story beyond its spy hero premise. Ethan
finds himself in over his head when he is left alone with his teenage daughter Zooey, played by
Hailee Steinfeld, for 3 days. Ethan knows exactly what to do when it comes to work, but keeping his
career away from his increasingly curious teenager becomes his most challenging mission yet. Like
many teens, Zooey feels like Ethan is constantly choosing work over her – even when she doesn‟t
know exactly what “work” is. “I think that's a theme that many people can relate to in the real world.
Many of us spend too much time on things that matter less than that which matters the most to us,
and that's what this film is ultimately all about,” said McG.
McG sees Ethan‟s expert killing skills as counterintuitive to being a good father and it is that
struggle that drives the film. “Ethan doesn‟t know much about contemporary teenage culture like
Twitter or what‟s online. He is very analog in a digital world. You have a guy that‟s been out in the
field with a very, very strong sense of duty who has now come home to try to reconnect with his
daughter, and it‟s emotional.”
3 Days to Kill represents a departure for the American filmmaker as the production was
shot on location in Paris, France. McG says, “For me, it was great to shoot in Paris, because I'm very
specifically American. If you look at my earlier films - Charlie's Angels, We Are Marshall, Terminator:
Salvation – they are very American films and my style is very Americana.” On top of having a French
2
crew on set, the script was co-written by iconic French filmmaker Luc Besson, who was one of the
reasons McG came on board the project. “I have always been a fan of Luc since the earliest days of
Leon: The Professional. Luc wrote the script with Adi and I responded to the mix of styles that the
script represents. I liked that challenge in the interest of bringing it all together in one cohesive film.
So, to me, the film jumped off the page, and I jumped at the opportunity.”
That cultural change to McG‟s workflow was a positive experience for the director. “The
approach to filmmaking, the camera package, the crew, every single thing that goes into the tactile
experience of making a film is very, very different in France than it is in the United States. I
embraced that.” Paris serves as its own character in the movie; acting as a constant reminder that
Ethan is feeling out of place in every sense of his life. He is alienated culturally as well as from his
wife and daughter. “I think it is interesting to play somewhere that is so beautiful – perhaps the most
beautiful city in the world - yet you‟re a foreigner in such a lovely place. And that is indeed Ethan
because he is an American Cowboy in Paris. He is not of this place and he is searching for identity in
a place other than his home. He comes to realize that home is defined by where his family is: Paris.
Whether Ethan is stopping a global catastrophe or preventing his daughter‟s meltdown after
a hair crisis, there is a strong sense of fun and humor throughout the film. McG sees humor as an
important aspect of storytelling and one area that he is able to implement his life experiences. “I
know from my own personal experience, even in terribly dramatic and serious times, humor is
always present.” Humor is an essential emotional release regardless of the situation.
Connie Nielsen, who plays Ethan‟s wife Christine, loved that McG found it so important for
parts of the film to be funny. Of McG, she said, “He really understands the role of humor and real
emotion mixed together with just a great action story.”
It was important for the cast to drive home some of the universal themes of the film. A
running gag in the film is that Ethan‟s daughter has programmed his phone to play a certain
ringtone when she calls him. Just like in any job, a child may call their parent at an inopportune
moment. That relatable part of the parenting experience wasn‟t lost on Costner who said, “Part of
the charm of the movie is that Ethan is unable to do his job as effectively because he's on a short
leash with his daughter. Every time that phone rings he seems to be in the middle of a situation that
normally speaking, you would want to say, „Honey can I call you right back?‟"
3
A SPY, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS BOSS
“Vivi is digital in a digital world and Ethan is decidedly analog.” - McG
In a film with several relationship dynamics at play, often simultaneously, it was important to
find the right combination of talent to bring these characters to life. McG and Costner found their
way to the project around the same time, which led to a number of discussions about the film and
the character. McG jumped at the chance to work with Costner seeing it as a tremendous
opportunity to work with an Academy Award® winning director and to elevate his own work. “He is
a beloved character who has had an established, long standing career.” McG saw Ethan as a strong
American presence, much like Costner. “It is a tip of the cap to Kevin in regards to how much the
global film audience appreciates him.”
Filling out Ethan‟s family meant finding two women who would have unique chemistry with
Costner. Ethan‟s daughter Zooey is your typical American teenager living in Paris, France. The key
for McG was finding an actress who could convey all of the conflicting emotions Zooey feels about
not understanding her father‟s life and someone who would be able to match Costner‟s presence on
screen. McG found that in Academy Award® nominee Hailee Steinfeld. “Hailee was absolutely my
first and only choice. She is one of the most natural actors in her age group. She just completely
owns the dialogue; she makes difficult scenes go down very easily. It‟s not easy to emote and have it
feel natural and she puts the audience at ease. That‟s a gift that can‟t be taught.” McG further said of
Steinfeld, “She is an extraordinary screen presence who we are lucky to have in this place in her
career. She understands what it means to be young and alive; but, at the same time, she has an
emotional complexity which is beyond her years. So it was a joy to turn the camera on and just
watch her work.”
Finding the other main woman in Ethan‟s life, his ex-wife Christine, provided its own
challenges. Christine is an expatriate now living in Paris as a single mother who works for a museum.
The character requires a certain worldliness that Ethan lacks and also provides a romantic ideal
Ethan can strive for. “Connie Nielsen grounds the film and she's very compelling. Connie is very
international in her path, as far as she's from Denmark but she has lived in America for a very long
time. She brings an international understanding to the film.”
When it came time to cast Vivi, the agency handler assigned to Ethan‟s last mission, McG
needed to find someone who could motivate Ethan to do what he must while also maintaining an
aura of mystery around her. Amber Heard came into the project ready to become Vivi. “She's
4
someone who has lived this international life and has a deep understanding of what makes people do
what they do” said McG. He aimed to have her be reminiscent of some of his favorite screen sirens
of all time, such as Rita Hayworth and Lana Turner. The audience sees Vivi through Ethan‟s eyes
and she is a larger than life character who has ways of getting what she wants.
That is part of what initially drew Amber Heard to the character. “Vivi exists in the world
that she made for herself and she makes her own rules and you can‟t ask for a better platform as an
actor. She gets to call the shots without actually having to fire the gun.”
There was a lot about Heard that McG knew would be right for Vivi. “Amber is a girl from
Texas. She‟s an accomplished marksman. I think that you need to have life experience to be able to
draw upon that to be a great actor and she‟s lived a very, very interesting uninhibited life."
Once the core quartet of actors was in place, it was important to populate Ethan‟s world
with a number of international characters. They exist to stop him from doing his assigned job while
simultaneously assist him with his job as a father. Whether it is a Middle Eastern limo driver who
shows Ethan the value of a family dinner with teenage daughters of his own or an Italian accountant
who cooks the books for a crime syndicate while teaching Zooey how to make tomato sauce, every
lackey turns into something more. “These are people that Ethan would traditionally be at odds with,
frankly trying to kill, but in our film they are the teachers who educate him on what matters most in
life and most particularly how to be a good father. So he is learning how to be a father from the
most unorthodox sources – your adversaries.”
With McG at the helm, the cast felt comfortable and free to explore the various facets of the
characters. Steinfeld was effusive in her praise of McG saying, “He's with you every step of the way
after every take. He trusts me and that makes me feel really confident in myself.” The collaborative
nature of McG‟s direction was something various members of the cast enjoyed on the set.
For Connie Nielsen, McG‟s supportive nature really helped her find her character. “Just, no
matter what you do, he finds a way to make you feel good about it and no matter how little you‟ve
slept the night before or if you even screw up your line, it‟s all A-okay and great.” For Nielsen,
McG‟s desire to ground the film in reality was a huge asset on set. “He has a great understanding of
how important truth is in a story like this. He really understands how we need to bind this fun, crazy
romp of a story to real life; how important it is that real life is recognizable and that we talk about
real things that people can relate to.”
5
CAR CHASES, EXPLOSIONS, AND THE PROM
“I’m particularly proud of the car sequence in this film, mostly because we did it for real in the center of Paris which is
very hard to achieve.” –McG
Daring escapes from a hotel hallway, a fist fight in the Paris Subway System, and a climactic
cat and mouse nail biter at the Prom all allow for McG to put together heart pounding action
sequences. Instead of relying on computer generated sequences, McG utilizes in-camera stunt work
that grounds even the most exciting of scenes in a reality the audience can understand. “I think
people have become numb with computer generated effects. I really like in-camera, physically
correct action scenes. I think they have a grit and an energy that computers can‟t replicate,” said
McG.
McG‟s hands-on approach begins well before any of the stunts begin filming. To prepare for
the car chase, McG used Hot Wheels®, a lot of carpet space, model work, and storyboarder Adolfo
Martinez Pérez. “Adolpho Martinez, who I have been with ever since my very first movie, helped
me design these sequences shot for shot.”
When Ethan isn‟t crashing a car into the Seine, he is giving and taking punches in exciting
and intense fight scenes. In the past, McG has worked with Chinese fight teams and done wire work
for his films. By pushing the envelope, McG created a grittier, more physical challenge for his team.
“I‟m very hands on with the fight choreographers. I interview extensively the stunt guys to make
sure they can take a punch. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the stunt people and I have a
high demand. I really expect excellence and they need to be able to subject themselves to a great deal
of physicality.”
The most intricate sequence in the movie is a multi-car chase inspired by both Claude
Lelouch‟s 1976 film Rendezvous and John Frankheimer‟s Ronin. Filmed on the actual Paris streets seen
in the film, the result is a thrilling, high speed chase that the audience feels they are witnessing
firsthand. This experience was something Costner was looking to have as he initially insisted on
being behind the wheel of the car for the sequence, despite the fact that there was a good chance
that the stunt car would end up in the Seine. McG eventually convinced Costner that, given the
dangers involved, it was best if he not do it.
Costner‟s dedication to the stunt mirrors Ethan‟s commitment to his job and his attempts at
being a good father. The Prom in particular provided the ultimate backdrop for both of Ethan‟s
6
missions to come to a head: supporting his teenage daughter on the most exciting night of her life
while completing his last agency assignment with explosive consequences.
ABOUT THE CAST
KEVIN COSTNER (Ethan Renner) began his career starring in independent films,
gradually earning small parts in more established movies. His first major motion picture role was in
the coming of age comedy, Fandango.
Throughout his career, Costner has varied his choices with comedy, action and drama roles.
He has appeared in such popular box-office hits as No Way Out, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, The
Bodyguard and Wyatt Earp.
Costner‟s exceptional filmmaking abilities were showcased in Dances with Wolves, which he
produced, directed and starred in, and which won seven Academy Awards® including “Best Picture”
and “Best Director.”
In addition to appearing in memorable roles such as JFK, The Untouchables and Robin Hood:
Prince of Thieves, he re-teamed with his Bull Durham director Ron Shelton for the hit feature Tin Cup.
Costner also starred in Thirteen Days, successfully collaborating again with his No Way Out
director Roger Donaldson. His other film credits include For Love of the Game, The War, 3,000 Miles to
Graceland, Dragonfly and The Postman, his second directing effort.
Kevin Costner last directed the box office hit and critically acclaimed film Open Range, which
he also co-starred in alongside Robert Duvall and Annette Bening.
Costner co-starred with Joan Allen in the dramatic film Upside of Anger, opposite Jennifer
Aniston in Rumor Has It directed by Rob Reiner for Warner Brothers, The Guardian, an action drama
for Touchstone Pictures in which he portrayed a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, and the thriller Mr.
Brooks, and starred in Touchstone Pictures‟ political comedy Swing Vote.
Costner also starred in the History Channel‟s record-setting mini-series “The Hatfields and
McCoys: An American Vendetta” in which he portrayed “Devil” Anse Hatfield, the patriarch of the
famed clan, opposite Bill Paxton. He also served as a producer of the series, which received 16
Emmy Award® nominations, winning the “Best Actor” in a mini-series or movie Emmy® for
Costner. He also received the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for his performance.
7
Most recently Costner was seen in the Warner Bros. film Superman: Man of Steel, as the
superhero‟s father Jonathan Kent and co-starring with Chris Pine in Jack Ryan, Paramount Pictures‟
revival of Tom Clancy franchise; the football inspired Draft Day, directed by Ivan Reitman; and the
track team drama McFarland for Disney. He recently completed production on the drama Black &
White, which he produced and co-stars with Octavia Spencer.
Costner is also producing and lending his voice to “The Explorers Guild,” an animated
series based on a collection of gothic stories that follow a group of Victorian-era
adventurers as they travel to the darkest corners of the map.
When Costner is not working on films, he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar in his band,
Modern West, and can be seen playing venues across the country. The band recently recorded a
collection of songs from and inspired by “The Hatfields & McCoys.” Featuring the song "These
Hills," the album is entitled Famous For Killing Each Other. The band‟s song "The Angels Came
Down" from their album Turn It On, was recently adopted by the Gold Star Moms and Gold Star
Wives organizations, which support the mothers, wives and families of fallen soldiers.
As stunning as she is talented, AMBER HEARD (Vivi) is making waves with her
captivating performances on the big screen.
She is currently in production on London Fields opposite Jim Sturgess and Billy Bob
Thornton and will then begin production on Eran Creevy‟s Autobahn opposite Nicholas Hoult.
She was last seen starring in Robert Rodriguez‟s Machete Kills and Robert Luketic‟s Paranoia
opposite Harrison Ford, Liam Hemsworth and Gary Oldman. She also starred in Bruce Robinson‟s
The Rum Diary opposite Johnny Depp. Additionally, her film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which
premiered at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival, was released by The Weinstein Company this fall.
Her other recent film credits include John Carpenter‟s The Ward which premiered at the 2010
Toronto Film Festival, and the independent film, And Soon The Darkness, in which she additionally
served as a co-producer.
In 2009, Heard starred in the box office hit, Zombieland opposite Woody Harrelson, Bill
Murray and Jesse Eisenberg. She also starred in the suspense thriller, The Stepfather, with Sela Ward,
Dylan Walsh and Penn Badgley. In 2008, she garnered attention for her role in the comedic hit,
Pineapple Express with Seth Rogen and James Franco. Heard received a 2008 Young Hollywood
Award for her breakthrough performance in the film.
8
She was also seen in the Academy Award® nominated film North Country, in which she played
Charlize Theron‟s character in flashbacks. Her other film credits include: Syrup, Drive Angry, The
Joneses, Never Back Down, Alpha Dog and the film Friday Night Lights.
On television, Heard starred on The CW drama “Hidden Palms” and had guest starring roles
on Showtime‟s “Californication” and CBS‟s “Criminal Minds.”
Heard is originally from Texas and currently resides in Los Angeles where she is actively
involved with Amnesty International.
As a young actress, HAILEE STEINFELD (Zooey) emerged as a breakout star with her
poignant Academy Award® nominated performance in True Grit.
Upcoming, Steinfeld will be seen in the drama Hateship, Loveship opposite Guy Pearce,
Kristen Wiig, and Nick Nolte. In the film, Steinfeld stars as “Sabitha,” a wild teenage girl who
orchestrates a romance between her nanny and her father, who is a recovering addict. The film
recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released by IFC in the
Spring of 2014.
Additionally, she will star in John Carney's Can a Song Save Your Life? opposite Keira
Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, and Catherine Keener. The music-centered story follows Gretta
(Knightley) who moves with her longtime boyfriend to New York but is heartbroken when her
boyfriend dumps her for fame and fortune. Her world takes a turn for the better when a down-onhis-luck record producer (Ruffalo) stumbles upon her singing in a local bar and is immediately
captivated together becoming each other's last chance to turn their lives around. The film also
recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released by Weinstein in
the Fall of 2014.
Steinfeld is currently in production on Ten Thousand Saints opposite Asa Butterfield and
Ethan Hawke. The film is a feature adaptation of Eleanor Henderson‟s 2011 novel set in 1980s
New York City in the age of CBGB, yuppies and gentrification that culminated in 1988's Tompkins
Square Park riots. Following, Steinfeld will begin production on Term Life opposite Vince Vaughn.
The Peter Billingsley directed action-thriller is based on the graphic novel by A.J. Lieberman and
Nick Thornborrow. The film follows Nick Barrow (Vaughn), who plans and sells heists to the
highest bidder but finds himself hunted by mob bosses, contract killers and dirty cops. To help his
estranged daughter Cate (Steinfeld), he takes out a life insurance policy on himself with her as the
beneficiary but he has to stay alive for 21 days, and takes his daughter on the run.
9
Steinfeld recently completed production on Kyle Newman's Barely Lethal. Steinfeld will play
the leading role of Megan, a 16-year-old international assassin yearning for a "normal" adolescence.
The film also stars Samuel L. Jackson and Sophie Turner and is produced by Brett Ratner.
Prior to that, Steinfeld wrapped on the The Keeping Room opposite Brit Marling. The Daniel
Barber directed film centers around two sisters and an African-American slave who are forced to
defend their Southern home from soldiers who have broken off from the fast-approaching Union
Army.
Additionally, Steinfeld recently wrapped production on The Homesman opposite Tommy Lee
Jones, Meryl Streep, Hilary Swank, James Spader, John Lithgow and Tim Blake Nelson. The film is
about a man (Jones) who teams up with a pioneer woman (Swank) to escort three insane women
across the prairie back to civilization. Steinfeld will play Tabitha Hutchinson, a poor, simple and
barefooted teenager.
Steinfeld has been cast in For The Dogs, to be directed by Phillip Noyce and star Sam
Worthington. Steinfeld will play a precocious teenager who hired a solitary assassin (Worthington) to
exact revenge on those who murdered her parents and younger brother.
Most recently, Steinfeld was seen opposite Douglas Booth in William Shakespeare's classic
Romeo & Juliet and the sci-fi action adventure, Ender's Game opposite Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley
and Asa Butterfield.
In 2010, Steinfeld was chosen over 15,000 actresses for her role as Mattie Ross, in the Coen
Brothers' remake of True Grit. Starring opposite Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin,
Steinfeld's convincing performance garnered her universal acclaim with dozens of film critic award
wins, including the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, the Chicago Film Critics Association
Award, the Toronto Film Critics Association Award, and the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award
for Best Supporting Actress. In addition to her Academy Award® nomination, Steinfeld received a
Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting
Role, as well as a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Steinfeld was seen as the face of Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu campaign in fall 2011. Having
formed a relationship with the fashion house since wearing Prada (the sister label) at the Screen
Actors Guild Awards, Steinfeld has received praise for her fashion sense, including from Vogue's
Andre Leon Talley. Recently she was honored with the 'Female Star of Tomorrow' award at
CinemaCon in April 2013 and 'Face of the Future award' in June 2013 at the annual Women in Film
gala.
10
Steinfeld began acting at the age of eight, and immersed herself in acting lessons for a full
year before setting out on an audition. She has appeared in several short films including, Heather: A
Fairy Tale, She's A Fox, Grand Cru, and Without Wings.
She currently resides in Los Angeles, with her family.
CONNIE NIELSEN (Christine) will next be seen in Lars Von Trier‟s Nymphomaniac, and
Sean Hanish‟s independent feature Return to Zero, with Minnie Driver and Alfred Molina. Nielsen just
wrapped shooting on J.C. Khoury‟s It’s All Relative.
In the critically acclaimed and Golden Globe Award-nominated series “Boss,” Nielsen
played Meredith Kane, the wife of a powerful Chicago mayor, played by Kelsey Grammer. She also
appeared in the cable miniseries “Hemingway & Gellhorn,” and as Detective Dani Beck in a sixepisode arc on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” This winter, she will star as the female lead in
the “The Following” opposite Kevin Bacon, which airs on FOX.
It was Nielsen‟s portrayal of Princess Lucilla, opposite Russell Crowe in the Academy
Award®-winning movie Gladiator, which first garnered her attention.
Her previous film credits include The Hunted, Basic, One Hour Photo, Mission to Mars and The
Devil’s Advocate. Other notable credits include Lost in Africa, A Shine of Rainbows, Battle in Seattle, The
Situation, The Ice Harvest and Return to Sender. She also appeared in Rushmore, as an unmatronly Texas
mother; and in Permanent Midnight, as a German heroin junkie.
Offscreen, she founded the Human Needs Project, a water-based clean technology initiative,
and created the Road to Freedom Scholarships, which provides private school education for
children from Kenya‟s remote region of Kibera.
From Elling in Jutland, Denmark, Nielsen resides in San Francisco.
11
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
McG (Director) has built his brand as a filmmaker and pop culture curator by accumulating
$1.1 billion at the box office, producing over 500 hours of prime-time network television, and
writing three #1 songs.
McG‟s feature film directorial debut was the 2000 blockbuster Charlie’s Angels. The film
debuted at number one domestically and became the biggest opening for a first-time director. Other
feature films directed by McG include Sony‟s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Warner Brothers‟ We Are
Marshall, Warner Brothers‟ Terminator Salvation, and 20th Century Fox‟s This Means War. In addition
to beginning his career directing commercials for such popular campaigns as The Gap and Pepsi,
McG also directed over fifty music videos for a wide range of artists including Sublime and Wyclef
Jean.
McG‟s production company, Wonderland Sound and Vision, independently develops,
produces and finances its own slate of feature films, television and digital projects. It is a
multifaceted media entity and consistent producer of hit content. Wonderland just financed and
produced Chris Evans‟ directorial debut 1:30 Train starring Evans and Alice Eve. In addition,
Wonderland is currently in post-production on A Many Splintered Thing starring Chris Evans and
Michelle Monaghan for Voltage Pictures, and Mercy, a horror film based on a Stephen King short
story with Blumhouse for Universal. Wonderland‟s feature development slate includes: Ruin at Fox
with Wes Ball attached to direct, Tink with Elizabeth Banks attached to star at Disney, Magic Castle at
Fox and The Girl Who Conned The Ivy League starring Amanda Seyfried.
In the television space, Wonderland currently has the television show “Supernatural” in its
ninth season on The CW.
Prior network shows include ground-breaking series “The
OC,” “Chuck,” “Nikita,” “Human Target” and “Fastlane.”
In the digital space, Wonderland has produced “Ghostfacers,” “Sorority Forever” and the
highly successful series “Aim High” (2 seasons) for Warner Bros.
LUC BESSON (Co-screenwriter based on the story by Luc Besson) began his career in
cinema in 1977, working a number of assistant director positions in France and the United States,
12
and thereby gradually positioning himself as one of the few French directors and producers with an
international scope.
In 1983, he directed his first feature film, The Last Battle, which earned him recognition at the
Avoriaz Film Festival.
Two years later he directed Subway, starring Isabelle Adjani and Christopher Lambert. The
industry rewarded him with three Cesar Awards. Luc Besson‟s visual style was clearly established.
Building on his success, he undertook the direction of The Big Blue. Though poorly received
at the Cannes Film Festival, the film gained 10 million admissions and went one to become a
veritable social phenomenon.
Despite an unfavourable critical climate, both La Femme Nikita (1990) and Leon: the
Professional (1994) were publicly acclaimed, solidly establishing his popularity in France and earning
him an international reputation.
Between these films, he directed Atlantis (1991), a documentary aimed at raising awareness
about the beauty of nature and the need to protect the environment.
In 1995 he launched into directing a bold science fiction picture: The Fifth Element. The
blockbuster became one of the biggest box office hits of any French film in the United States. In
1998, Luc Besson took home a Cesar Award for Best Director.
In 1999, he directed his version of Joan of Arc, winning him another nomination as Best
Director at the Cesar Awards.
In 2000, he was named President of the Jury for the 53rd Cannes Film Festival, becoming
the youngest jury president in the history of the festival.
He devoted most of the next five years to production. Since creating EuropaCorp ten years
ago, the studio has become one of the major studios of the European film industry.
In 2005, he returned to directing with Angel-A, and the following year with his first animated
picture, Arthur and the Invisibles, adapted from the book he wrote. This animation was followed up by
two others: Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (2009) and Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds.
In 2010, Luc Besson adapted Tardi‟s series of graphic novels with The Extraordinary
Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, with Louise Bourgoin starring in the title role.
2011 marks the release of The Lady, starring Michelle Yeoh in the role of Nobel Peace Prize
winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
He will soon start production on his upcoming film, Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson.
Throughout his directing career, Luc Besson also directed a number of music videos,
13
including Serge Gainsbourg and Mylène Farmer, as well as commercials for internationally
renowned brands.
In addition to the films he has directed, Luc Besson has written over twenty screenplays for
features. Among them are the Taxi series and the recent Taken 2, which as of today lays claim to
being the biggest box office hit of any French film in the United States.
Filmography as director
2014 Lucy
2013 The Family
2011 The Lady
2010 Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds
2010 The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec
2009 Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard
2006 Arthur and the Invisibles
2005 Angel-A
1999 Joan of Arc
1997 The Fifth Element
1994 Leon: The Professional
1991 Atlantis
1990 La Femme Nikita
1988 The Big Blue
1985 Subway
1983 The Last Battle
1981 L‟Avant-Dernier (short)
ADI HASAK (Co-screenwriter based on the story by Luc Besson) was born in
Rotterdam and raised in Israel and the U.S. Following seven years in the military, Hasak worked as a
journalist before coming to Hollywood and writing for film and television.
Lionsgate released his film From Paris With Love in 2010. Produced by Luc Besson; directed by
Pierre Morrel and starring John Travolta. Hasak‟s feature script Excelsior Deluxe is being financed by
Matador Films with Dean Parisot attached to direct… He recently completed Trafiq for Will Ferrell
and director Adam McKay.
On the television side, Hasak is currently developing “Shades of Blue” with Jennifer Lopez at
NBC and “This American Dream” with Sienna Films at FX Canada and Beta Films. His pilot script
“Alpha Dogs” is set up at MRC, with Pierre Morrel attached to direct.
Hasak also wrote “Killer Elite”, which was the original pilot for the HBO series “Generation
Kill”. Over the past several years he has written pilots for Mark Gordon, Mel Gibson, McG and
Dawn Parouse.
14