Principal Photography Begins on Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
March 27, 2006
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - Principal photography has begun in Toronto on Zach Helm's Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, starring Academy Award®-nominee and Golden Globe-winner Natalie Portman, two-time Academy Award®-winner Dustin Hoffman, Golden Globe-winner Jason Bateman and ten year-old newcomer Zach Mills (The Santa Clause 3, Hollywoodland). Mandate Pictures and Walden Media are partnering in the financing and production of the project.
The film marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Zach Helm (Stranger Than Fiction), who also wrote the screenplay, and is produced by two-time Academy Award®-nominated producer Richard Gladstein (Finding Neverland, The Cider House Rules, The Bourne Identity, Pulp Fiction) through his company FilmColony, along with Jim Garavente, Helm's producing partner under their production banner gang of two. Mandate Pictures' Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane (Stranger Than Fiction, The Grudge, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) are the film's executive producers, with Jim Miller overseeing the project. Barbara A. Hall (Good Night, and Good Luck, I Am Sam, Ray) serves as co-producer. Senior VP of Production Jackie Levine and Creative Executive Jared Mass are overseeing the project for Walden Media.
The creative production team includes director of photography Roman Osin (Pride & Prejudice), production designer Therese DePrez (Dark Water), costume designer Christopher Hargadon (The Pacifier), editor Sabrina Plisco (Charlotte's Web) and Golden Globe-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat (Syriana).
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium will shoot in and around the Toronto area for ten weeks.
Molly Mahoney (Portman) is the awkward and insecure manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the strangest, most fantastic, most wonderful toy store in the world. But when Mr. Magorium, a 243-year-old eccentric (Hoffman), bequeaths the store to her, a dark and ominous change begins to take over the once remarkable Emporium.
"Zach Helm is an original and distinct talent," says producer Richard Gladstein, "and it's a great pleasure to assist and support him in his transition to director. He's going to be a great one!"
"In the few weeks of rehearsal," says Helm, "it became evident that the only thing that may surpass the magic of this production is the magic created by the chemistry of our amazing cast."
Natalie Portman can currently be seen in the hit film V for Vendetta and in the upcoming Israeli feature film Free Zone. She recently finished work on Milos Foreman's Goya's Ghosts. Last year, she starred in the final installment of George Lucas's second Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and earned a Golden Globe Award and Oscar nomination for her work in Mike Nichols' Closer. Her other film credits include Tom Tykwer's True, Zach Braff's Garden State, Anthony Minghella's Cold Mountain, Matt Williams' Where the Heart Is, Wayne Wang's Anywhere But Here (for which she received her first Golden Globe nomination), Tim Burton's Mars Attacks!, Woody Allen's Everyone Says I Love You, Ted Demme's Beautiful Girls and Luc Besson's The Professional, which marked her feature film debut.
Dustin Hoffman caught the world's attention for his role as Benjamin Braddock in Mike Nichols' The Graduate, for which he received his first Oscar® nomination. Since then, he's been nominated for six more Academy Awards® for his diverse performances in Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, Tootsie and Wag the Dog. He won the Oscar® in 1979 for his role in Kramer vs. Kramer and again in 1988 for Rain Man. His numerous other film credits include Finding Neverland, I Heart Huckabees, Meet the Fockers, Runaway Jury, Confidence, Moonlight Mile, Hook, American Buffalo, Dick Tracy, Marathon Man, All the President's Men, Papillon, Straw Dogs, and Little Big Man, among many others. Hoffman will next be seen in director Marc Forster's Stranger Than Fiction (written by Zach Helm) and Andy Garcia's The Lost City.
Jason Bateman was awarded a 2005 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on the critically-acclaimed television series "Arrested Development." His feature film credits include Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Starsky & Hutch, The Sweetest Thing, Sol Goode and 1987's Teen Wolf Too, which marked his feature film debut. Bateman will next be seen in several upcoming films, including The Break Up, with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn; Fast Track, opposite Zach Braff and Amanda Peet; and Smokin' Aces, with Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Ryan Reynolds and Alicia Keys.
Ten year-old Zach Mills' credits include the upcoming feature films The Santa Clause 3, with Tim Allen, and Hollywoodland, opposite Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins.
About Mandate Pictures
Based in Beverly Hills, Mandate Pictures is a multifaceted film production entity with one of the most diverse and promising slates of films in development, production and release. Under president Joe Drake, production head Nathan Kahane and chief financial officer Brian Goldsmith, the company is currently in post production on Marc Forster's Stranger Than Fiction, which Sony will distribute along with the supernatural thriller Passengers and the heart-warming drama The Year of Wonders. Additional Mandate features in development include Brad Silberling's Juno and Strangers for Universal and Vertigo Entertainment. Mandate is partnered with Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert in the genre label Ghost House Pictures which produced the hit horror films The Grudge and Boogeyman and currently has several films in development and production, including 30 Days of Night, The Grudge 2, Rise and The Messengers. Mandate also produced Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle for New Line.
About Walden Media LLC
Founded by Cary Granat, former president of Miramax Films' Dimension label, and education reformer Micheal Flaherty, Walden Media, a subsidiary of the Anschutz Film Group (AFG), specializes in entertainment that sparks the imagination and curiosity of kids and provides parents and teachers with materials to continue the learning process. Produced by Walden Media in association with Walt Disney Pictures, the Academy Award®-winning film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of the highest grossing films of 2005. Upcoming releases include Hoot and How to Eat Fried Worms with New Line Cinema, and Charlotte's Web with Paramount and Nickelodeon Movies.
