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"Seabiscuit" Races Into Production |
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| October 23, 2002 | |||||||||||||
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"Seabiscuit," Universal Pictures', DreamWorks Pictures' and Spyglass Entertainment's film adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling non-fiction book, "Seabiscuit: An American Legend," has begun production in the Los Angeles area. Starring Tobey Maguire ("Spider-Man," "The Cider House Rules"), who is also an executive producer, Jeff Bridges ("K-PAX," "The Contender") and Chris Cooper ("The Bourne Identity," "American Beauty"), "Seabiscuit" will film in additional California locales including the famed Santa Anita race track, as well as locations in Kentucky and New York. The film is scheduled to be released on July 25, 2003.
Written and directed by Gary Ross ("Dave," "Pleasantville"), produced by partners Frank Marshall ("Signs," "The Bourne Identity") and Kathleen Kennedy ("The Sixth Sense," "Jurassic Park"), along with Ross and Jane Sindell, and executive produced by Spyglass Entertainment's Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, and Robin Bissell and Allison Thomas, "Seabiscuit" tells the story of three men -- a jockey, a trainer and a businessman -- and the undersized racehorse with an uneven gait who took them and the entire nation on the ride of a lifetime during the dark days of the 1930's.
"This is a true-life fairy tale," said Ross. "Red Pollard was a second- tier jockey who had to box to eat. Charles Howard was a car dealer who knew nothing about horse racing. Tom Smith had never trained a winning racehorse. And Seabiscuit had lost 50 races. Together, they turned Seabiscuit into a champion and captured the heart of a weary nation."
Tobey Maguire stars as legendary, half-blind jockey Red Pollard. Four- time Academy Award(R) nominee Jeff Bridges portrays Seabiscuit's owner, the self-made auto tycoon Charles Howard, while Chris Cooper has been cast as trainer Tom Smith, the down-on-his-luck cowboy who got on with horses better than people. Elizabeth Banks ("Spider-Man," "Catch Me If You Can") portrays Howard's wife Marcella, and William H. Macy ("Welcome to Collinwood," "Jurassic Park III") plays racing journalist Tick Tock McGlaughlin. Real-life Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens makes his feature film debut as charismatic jockey George Woolf.
Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, who retired from the sport earlier this year after a 28-year career that included wins in six Triple Crown races and nine Breeders' Cups, is the film's racing consultant, along with Judy McCarron. Chris McCarron will also appear onscreen in "Seabiscuit," as jockey Charley Kurtsinger, who rode War Admiral in a legendary match race against Seabiscuit.
Racing scenes will be filmed at top tracks across the country, including Magna Entertainment Corporation's Santa Anita Park, Seabiscuit's home track in Los Angeles. The Keeneland track in Lexington, Kentucky's famed Blue Grass region will double for the Pimlico track in Maryland, site of the spellbinding showdown between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. Major scenes will also be filmed at the Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York and the Fairplex at the Pomona County Fairgrounds in the Los Angeles area.
Ross, an Oscar(R) nominee for his screenplays for "Dave" and "Big" (which he co-wrote with Anne Spielberg), made his feature film directing debut with "Pleasantville" in 1998. His behind-the-camera team for "Seabiscuit" includes four of his key collaborators from "Pleasantville" -- production designer Jeannine Claudia Oppewall ("L.A. Confidential"), editor Billy Goldenberg ("Ali"), composer Randy Newman ("Meet the Parents") and costume designer Judianna Makovsky ("Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"), who was Oscar(R)-nominated for her work on "Pleasantville." John Schwartzman ("Pearl Harbor," "Armageddon") is the director of photography.
"Seabiscuit: An American Legend" is one of the most popular and widely read non-fiction books of recent years and remains at the top of The New York Times paperback best-seller list. Much like the horse himself, who ultimately became one of the most electrifying and popular sports attractions in history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, the book has become a national phenomenon.
SOURCE: Universal Pictures Previous Articles Explore Hollywood MoviesMust ReadsAbout.com Special FeaturesMovie Comedies in 2009Find out what belly laughs are in store at the 2009 box office. More > Scrapbook Technique GalleryUse these ideas to inspire your own uniquely beautiful pages. More > ©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved. | |||||||||||||
