Illusionist poster

Cast: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell Screenwriter/Director: Neil Burger (Interview With The Assassin) Filming: started in Prague in April 4, 2005 may or may not have completed filming around the end of May Based on: Steven Millhauser's short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist" (which can be found in The Barnum Museum) Producers: Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Rounders, Interview With The Assassin) Consultant: Ricky Jay Release Date: August 18, 2006 (EN's birthday) Budget: $17 million Summary: In 1900 Vienna, "a streetwise magician (Norton) uses his dark arts to win Princess Sophie (Biel) away from Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell)." Useless trivia: EN and Giamatti aren't strangers. "Giamatti himself attended Yale; he wrote his senior thesis on Herman Melville and spent lots of time acting in collegiate plays, including a production of The Coarse Acting Show, where he and future star Edward Norton moved furniture and did shtick between scenes." (Rolling Stone article Lord of the Losers: Is Paul Giamatti America's greatest actor? 1/13/05) More Useless Trivia: EN used to volunteer to usher at Jay's off-Broadway show "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" (source: Premiere Oct 1998.)

News

Aug 15, 2006 Joanne was kind enough to send the audio of a recent Flicks segment which featured clips of interviews of EN and Jessica Biel. Flicks segment. [Thanks again for the great audio!!!]. YouTube has also posted an Illusionist interview [Thanks to Hugh for the info!!!]

The Cinema Society and The Wall Street Journal hosted a screening on August 12 in Southampton, New York which EN, Biel and director Neil Burger attended. Wireimage has some photos from the event [Thanks so much to Susanne for the photos!!!]

The Illusionist press conference was held July 29th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills with EN and Biel present. Wireimage has some photos from the event. A few are below [Thanks to Amo for the info!!!]

Aug 13, 2006 It's less than a week to the release. Currently, I can find only the Friday Letterman appearance as EN's only scheduled TV guest spot. Hopefully, there will be more that will be announced at the last minute. I've been scanning Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and E! News and have seen no signs of press junket interviews (that's when the actor gives an interview in front of the movie poster or some other contrived bit of background with the film title prominently featured). There is an interview with Rufus Sewell in today's New York Times A Character Actor Is Hiding Behind Those Chiseled Features, an interview with Paul Giamatti in today's Baltimore Sun Giamatti's lastest role: the eyes of the audience and there have been several Jessica Biel articles. I did see the trailer yesterday in the theaters when I went to see Little Miss Sunshine. Otherwise, the most promotion that the film is getting is from the reviews, a double edged sword at best since while they all tend to be favorable, most of them give away too much of the plot. Entertainment Weekly gives the film a B+ in its no plot spoilers review (Fall Movie Preview issue). Rolling Stone August 24 issue has an excellent review, saying that "Edward Norton is at his best here" and giving the film 3 out of 4 stars, but skip the plot spoiling last paragraph. The New York Observer also gives a great review, but again too much info: Illusionist Is Magic

Of the Jessica Biel interviews, one from MoviesOnline included comments on working with EN

Q: What was it like working with Edward Norton

JB: Working with Edward was incredible. He’s just so passionate about every inch of the filmmaking process. He wants to know what I’m doing, what the camera is doing, what Neil’s doing. He’s on top of it. He’s got it all figured out. And he just cares. He cares so much about it. And he was lovely with me. We had a great time. We really kind of connected and I feel like he never does the same thing twice. He’s always changing it up and switching things up and saying things differently. I’m always kind of chasing after him. I feel like always trying to… I’ll go like this [gestures] and I’m meeting him everywhere. He was amazing.

Q: Did he give you…did he try to give you any direction or did he give you direction at all?

JB: Yeah, he did. He did give me some direction. I asked for it, too. I said, ‘You know. Please. I’m open to it. Anything. Talk to me about what you think. Let’s collaborate on this.’ I don’t remember exactly what it was, but I do remember he’d come and he’d whisper something to me in my ear and it was always a great note. He always has great, great ideas.

One of Paul Giamatti's interviews from The Lady in the Water also has some insight into working with EN: The Sunday Paper (7/23/06): Taking the plunge

You seem to have adjusted really well to your success of the last few years, but I'm sure you've known or worked with other actors before who weren't very well-adjusted, who were difficult to work with or hard to get along with.

Well, yeah, there are definitely people like that, and sometimes it can be really annoying, there's no mistake about it. But a lot of those people also happen to be really good actors, too, you know what I mean? I've got a movie coming out next month with Edward Norton ["The Illusionist"], and it's funny because he has such a reputation for being this intense, implacable guy. I've known the guy for years, and he's actually this really sweet guy. He just happens to also be very good and very dedicated at what he does. Russell Crowe was a guy who had a hard time leaving his role behind at the end of the day [during "Cinderella Man"], but that's because he's such a damn good actor. He's so into it, he's not even thinking about being that way, he just can't let it go. He's obsessive, but he's sensible enough that he doesn't put it on you, or at least he didn't with me. With him, it didn't feel self-indulgent or in-your-face, and believe me, I've worked with actors where it did feel that way. In some ways, it makes working with guys like Norton or Crowe so much easier for you. They're constantly living and breathing and thinking it on the set, never letting themselves down for a second, and it really helps keep you in it and on your toes.

Aug 7, 2006 EN is scheduled to appear on Late Night with David Letterman on his 37th birthday, August 18, the same day that The Illusionist will be released in theaters. Hopefully, there will be more TV appearances in the days leading up to the 18th. With less than two weeks to go before the release date, I've been more than a little concerned at the lack of publicity around the film. There have been some favorable reviews posted recently, but unfortunately, some of them tend to give away a little too much of the plot. Other than a brief mention here and there, there hasn't been a lot about it (with the exception of the great official website). One problem has been the timing. The film comes very soon after EN and Paul Giamatti have been promoting earlier films. EN was on several covers in May for Down in the Valley and Giamatti's heavily promoted M. Night Shyamalan film Lady in the Water was just released July 21. With no magazine cover stories, The Illusionist has ended up as little more than a brief comment in earlier interviews. It's a real shame because I did get a chance to see a sneak peak of it and it is an excellent film. It's up against Samuel L Jackson in Snakes on a Plane and a film starring the Duff sisters. I kind of feel ill

Jul 8, 2006- The Illusionist official website has now expanded. Previously, it was nothing more than a picture and a place to sign up for updates. Now, it has expanded into a fully developed site that gives you an idea of the tone of the film and includes many special features: you can view the trailer and video clips, get the poster as desktop wallpaper, look at pictures from the film, and read the synopsis and cast bios as well as quotes from early reviews. The score plays in the background and the transitions between sections of the website recreates scenes from the film and includes the actors' dialogue. It's very impressive. The Illusionist official website

Jul 7, 2006- There is a MySpace page for The Illusionist. Take a look. Also, check out the official Illusionist website. The opening of the film is now just a little over a month away, so we should be seeing more and more about The Illusionist in the coming days

Jul 6, 2006- The trailer has been posted on Moviefone (scroll down the page) [Thanks to Matty for the info!]

Jun 29, 2006- Tonight The Illusionist was featured in a first look on Entertainment Tonight. It looks like scenes from the trailer with a voiceover by an ET host. Hopefully the trailer will hit the web (and theaters) soon . There has been some video clips (sometimes misidentified as the trailer) posted on the web courtesy of Variety. Nothing against Jessica Biel, but with Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti in the cast, why did ET introduce the segment specifically as "Breaking Jessica Biel News"? Just another reason why I fast forward through the program.

Jun 28, 2006- Ain't it Cool News has posted the beautiful poster. [Thanks to Hugh for the info!!!]

Jun 5, 2006 Today's Hollywood Reporter has news on a battle over producing credits.

The Illusionist official site is now up. However, it only has a picture, short summary, link to photos at the Seattle Film Fest (EN wasn't able to attend) and a place to register for updates The Illusionist official site [Thanks to Jai for the info!!!]

Apr 28 2006 I've posted the Illusionist Production Notes that were used for its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. But beware, the notes have big PLOT SPOILERS!!! Also, if you like production notes, take a look at the ones from Cannes for Down in the Valley that I posted earlier but hid away in a sea of updates.

Apr 13 2006 In today's Variety, it was announced that The Illusionist will be released into theaters on August 18 (Aug 18 is also EN's birthday).

Jan 29 2006 The Illusionist costar Paul Giamatti won for best supporting actor for his work in Cinderella Man at the SAG awards. The Hollywood Reporter has finally posted a review for The Illusionist. It is a favorable review, but it does include MAJOR SPOILERS (while it doesn't give away the ending, it does seem to give away a big plot point). HR review: The Illusionist Here's an excerpt from the review:

An old fashioned entertainment set in 1900 Vienna, "The Illusionist" features a standout performance by Edward Norton as the magician Eisenheim, who may or may not have supernatural powers. Outstanding production values and mysterious subject matter give the film a surprisingly opulent feel for an independent Sundance entry, which could work to its advantage in some mainstream markets.

[Further down in review]

Years later, he is back in Vienna and the talk of the town. Sporting a distinguished goatee and displaying a great inner stillness, Eisenheim commands the grand stage. There has always been an undercurrent of mystery about Norton, so he was an excellent choice for the role, and after a relatively low profile for the past few years, he reminds you what a powerful performer he is.

Tomorrow's Variety has more on the Sundance marketplace. Below is the section on The Illusionist.

But distributors have found recent success in releases like "Napoleon Dynamite," "March of the Penguins" and "Open Water," erasing the memories of earlier Sundance disappointments. The latter film became Lionsgate's largest release of all time when it played on some 2,700 screens in 2004.

That has had a big impact on the festival. Studios are jumping into the fray, looking for wide releases to fill out their slates. Last year it was Paramount. This year Universal -- as opposed to Focus Features -- became a Sundance player, throwing its name in the ring for Edward Norton starrer "The Illusionist." Pic is being described as sufficiently commercial to justify a wide release, with specialty arms reluctant to pay the $20 million or more in P&A costs it might engender.

Jan 28 2006 Today's Calgary Sun has a good article on The Illusionist called Biel, Giamatti in a spellbinder. Here is an excerpt:

The result, the spellbinding The Illusionist, premiered at Sundance this week with Biel and Giamatti in attendance. Norton was M.I.A. because he's busy preparing to shoot his next movie in New York.

Then again, Norton's disappearing act may have been for the best as it meant he didn't have to explain either himself or his attraction to the story.

"Edward is a bit of a mystery and he brings a powerful intensity to the part," Burger says of Norton, who portrays the title character -- a magician who may or may not have supernatural powers.

The Fight Club star, Burger recalls, went so far as to go on a diet to make his angular face more gaunt. "He transformed himself."

And given the modest budget, he adds, Norton "wasn't doing it for the paycheque."

Jan 27 2006 Today's Reuters article Some cold, hard facts at Sundance includes a little bit on The Illusionist under the section "Good Producers Make Better Movies":

Similarly, when Michael London ("Sideways") couldn't get studio backing for "The Illusionist," Neil Burger's period romance starring Edward Norton as a magician, he turned to the financier of last resort in Hollywood, real estate mogul Bob Yari ("Crash"), who, while he makes the production process miserable for many filmmakers, at least gets the movie made. At festival's end, London, who also produced "The Family Stone," was in mid-negotiations with Universal Pictures for a mainstream studio release.

Jan 26 2006 The Hollywood Reporter still has not posted a review of The Illusionist, but they have some info on the dealmaking. From the Reuters/Hollywood Reporter article "Lionsgate opens worldwide 'Door' to thriller" posted today:

In other acquisition developments at Sundance, negotiations surrounding Neil Burger's "The Illusionist" have moved out of Park City and back to Hollywood. While there are still several buyers in the mix, expectations are that Universal Pictures will strike a domestic deal for the film, which stars Edward Norton. The deal, which is expected to settle in the $8 million-$9 million range, could close as early as Thursday

Illusionist co-star Paul Giamatti is featured in a pretty good Reuters article Actor Giamatti works hard but longs for lazy days

Jan 24 2006 The first reviews for The Illusionist are making their appearance. Unfortunately, one that I stumbled on gave away too much of the plot without any warning, so explore at your own peril. Variety has just posted a very favorable review with only minor spoilers Variety review. Response has also been covered in Variety articles. From today's "Film flurry": "'The Illusionist' -- being sold here by the Yari Film Group -- was juggling four offers after its preem Sunday night, and the movie's reps expected to have a deal in place overnight. Pic drew a positive reception, and one potential buyer said that indie film execs were looking twice: 'It's not really a Sundance film,' he said. 'It's a commercial movie. Sometimes that throws people, and they need to see what to do with it.'". From tomorrow's "Docu sales slow at fest": "Edward Norton starrer 'The Illusionist' was drawing keen interest from Universal on Tuesday and was being screened in Hollywood for studio bosses by the Yari Film Group." There is also an excellent article (no spoilers) in the Toronto Star called Making magic on a budget which focuses heavily on The Illusionist as the new type of independent film: one made on a small budget but looks like an Hollywood studio picture. It also mentions in the article that the film received a standing ovation at its screening.

EN is in NY rehearsing for Pride and Glory and, therefore, was unable to make the Sundance premiere.

From Variety review:

A bizarre story of intrigue, magic and murder in turn-of-the-century Vienna casts a considerable spell in "The Illusionist." Impeccably crafted second feature from writer-director Neil Burger(2002's "Interview With the Assassin") will be tricky to position commercially, since i t will strike some arthouse types as pulpy and conventional, and may prove too aristocratically rarefied for the general modern public. But an enterprising distribdistrib could locate an appreciative audience for the mesmerizing aspects of this classy and well-acted period melodrama.

[Further down in article]

Title character is deliberately presented as remote and unknowable. His powers, and the intellect that enables them, seem superhuman, but he is driven above all by a lost love. Working within these strictures, Norton creates a commanding figure, one who would never attempt anything he thought he couldn't accomplish.

Jan 23 2006 EN was a no show at Sunday's world premiere of The Illusionist (if he was there, he managed to avoid all the photographers - talk about a magic trick!). Co-stars Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel and director Neil Burger were on hand. To be fair, I had never seen it mentioned anywhere that he definitely would be attending (last evening, I was going through the coverage on the Salt Lake Tribune website I found that his name conspicously absent among the list of celebs confirmed to be promoting their films). But the fact that he is not currently in the middle of filming and that the The Illusionist has been receiving a lot buzz and looking for a buyer made me think that it was all but certain he would be there. I've been waiting for the Variety and Hollywood Reporter reviews as well as the Sundance daily newsletter, but none of them have yet come out.

The first three video clips from The Illusionist are available through VarietyVision. [Thanks to Susanne for the info!!!]

Jan 20 2006Today's Variety includes an article on underground trading of screeners. The Illusionist has been one of the films that has apparently made the rounds. This also is one of the items mentioned in the lawsuit (see Jan 18 update). So if a rough cut of the film is floating around, will it make it to the Internet? Who knows. Here is the Variety article "Sneaks hit peak at Sundance fest":

At Sundance each year there is both snow and subterfuge. This weekend, for example, many potential buyers complained there was nothing worth seeing, while others candidly admitted they had already seen almost everything.

That's because the underground trading in screeners, which acquisitions execs float around in advance to get a leg up, has reached frenzied proportions.

This year, many acquisitions pros said that they saw more pics than ever before via screeners coming into the festival. For buyers left out of those circles, the mere thought of a seller preferentially screening a pic to some companies and not others can create major paranoia: When Bob and Harvey Weinstein preemptively bought "Wolf Creek" before it screened here a year ago, the competish cried foul and accused the pic's sales agent, Arclight, of slipping "Creek" to the brothers in advance. The Weinsteins contended they bought the buzz title sight unseen.

This time around, "The Illusionist" -- starring Edward Norton, and produced by Bob Yari, Michael London and "Ocean's Thirteen" scribes Brian Koppelman and David Levien -- has generated similar scuttlebutt.

As buyers scrambled to get sneak peeks at as many pics as they could before the fest, "Illusionist" was one title that routinely came up as having been seen. That was news to the pic's producers -- who had pledged to keep a lid on the film after a test screening went well. When rampant rumors began floating around town that the pic was being pooh-poohed, London said, he began some detective work to see if there had been a leak.

"The head of one company saw an unfinished cut of our movie, probably from a DVD that was stolen or copied during post-production," said London, whose previous credits include "Sideways." "He loved the movie and asked me to convey a preemptive offer to buy the movie before Sundance to Bob Yari. At the time I was so horrified by the whole conversation that I just kept it to myself."

London told the exec he'd have to wait till Sundance to bid on "Illusionist" along with everyone else -- and fended off requests from other rival distribs to get a look-see -- but even more murmurs emerged that the film was being actively screened by other companies.

"Within a couple of weeks, word got around about the potential buyer, and all of a sudden there were a dozen people at other companies claiming that they'd seen the movie as well," London said. "None of it was ever substantiated. It seemed to be a lot of people with their own agendas trying to either hurt our prospects or help their own job prospects. Or both. We had to go reassure the heads of each company that no one has been shown the movie and that no one would be negotiated with before Sundance."

Still, buyers from a few companies contend they have seen the movie, and Yari has filed a lawsuit against producer Cathy Schulman, claiming, amid allegations over the pic "Crash," that she interfered with the sale and promotion of "Illusionist" by prematurely releasing early cuts of the film.

Meanwhile, the producers of other buzz pics were scrambling to play down hype on their titles: When the lineup was being crafted, one rep even asked the fest to move his pic out of the opening weekend so as not to get caught in the maelstrom.

But even if a pic leaks, acquisition and distribution execs say that they like to see how a film plays on the bigscreen before making up their minds. "We don't like to watch those Avid output tapes," said one studio distribution topper, who added he had not seen "Illusionist."

Away from the controversy, but perhaps sensing the palpable frenzy for titles this year, Sundance honchos Geoffrey Gilmore and Robert Redford were telling the press corps Thursday not to get swept up in the buzz ahead of a pic's actual screening.

"It's hard to talk about the festival when you guys haven't seen the films yet," Gilmore told the press at the Kimball Arts Center while introducing the opening-night pic, Nicole Holofcener's "Friends With Money." "Hold your judgment about what the festival is until you get through the festival," he added.

"We provide, you decide," said Redford. "We don't program for commerciality. We program for diversity."

With organizers characterizing this year's lineup as substantially more "indie" -- and following decidedly mixed reactions by buyers to Cannes, Toronto and the American Film Market -- the studios' specialty execs seemed more tetchy than ever as they jockeyed for position and planned to screen top priorities.

There are a few pics pegged in advance as "commercial" in a weekend frontloaded with buzz titles: "Little Miss Sunshine" today, "The Night Listener" on Saturday and "The Illusionist" on Sunday. Adding to the logjam will be Michel Gondry's "The Science of Sleep" and Robert Downey Jr. starrer "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," among others.

Behind the scenes, an elaborate dance was playing out Thursday as blase acquisitions execs downplayed interest, nervous sales reps managed expectations to avoid overhyping their projects and animated agents pumped pics in which their clients were starring.

Such divergent outlooks -- a festgoer can be led to believe the event is either an imminent dud or a bonanza, depending on whom one runs into in the Park City Marriott lobby -- seem more intense this year than ever, as execs at retooled studio banners hope to fill their slates and impress their bosses and fewer projects are tagged as obvious targets.

In the end, it's the weekend screenings that will make or break the films rather than any espionage.

"The circus surrounding the higher-profile titles this year has been especially bizarre because of all the new competition among the specialized divisions," London said. "The bottom line is that come Sunday night, each of them will sit and make up their own minds about the movie and hopefully come out very enthusiastic. Nothing else matters."

Jan 19 2006 Today is the opening day for the Sundance Film Festival. As a result, The Illusionist is gathering more attention. In today's Variety The Illusionist is included in a list of films that are apparently receiving a lot of buzz. Variety also includes an interview with Illusionist director Neil Burger ((10 Directors to Watch). The Daily Bruin has posted an interview with Illusionist producer (and UCLA professor) Cathy Schulman Outlook: Sunny

Jan 18, 2006 With The Illusionist set to make its world premiere in a few days at the Sundance Film Festival, you might think the producers would be dancing on air. Not exactly. Today's Variety reports that producer Bob Yari has filed suit against producers Cathy Schulman and Tom Nunan. Since this is not my area of expertise, I've included the entire text of the article below

Moneyman and prolific producer Bob Yari has sued producers Cathy Schulman and Tom Nunan, claiming they siphoned off funds owed to his production company Bull's Eye Entertainment.

The suit also alleges that Schulman wrongly claimed that she and not Yari made the decision to produce the film "Crash" and that she interfered with the sale and promotion of "The Illusionist," the high-profile film starring Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, which will have a special screening at this week's Sundance Film Festival.

Schulman's attorney, Melvin Avanzado, denied the allegations in the lawsuit and said some charges in the complaint were "demonstrably false."

Claiming that motion picture credits are very valuable and that denying entitlement to such credits is like stealing, Yari's suit seeks to dissolve Bull's Eye on the ground that "Schulman's antics are so disruptive that the parties cannot do business together." The suit also seeks damages of at least $1 million.

According to the suit, which was filed earlier this month in L.A. Superior Court, Sony Pictures Television was to pay advances to Bull's Eye, but actually paid the money to Schulman's attorney, who in turn distributed it directly to Schulman and Nunan. Yari claims that under an oral agreement, Schulman and Nunan received an advance from Bull's Eye for their producing services, but that Yari is the sole owner of the company until he recoups his investment.

The bulk of the complaint alleges that Schulman took credit for producing "Crash" and that she claimed Yari was not a producer under Producers Guild of America rules.

According to people familiar with the case, the suit was triggered after Yari lost a guild arbitration over producer credit on "Crash." Yari and three other producers had their credits removed, leaving Schulman and writer Paul Haggis as producers.

Yari's attorney James Wohl denied that there was any connection between the guild arbitration and the lawsuit.

Less directly, the allegations on "The Illusionist" also seem to involve credit stealing, with Yari claiming that Schulman prematurely released early cuts of the film, and interfered with the promotion of the film at Sundance by getting all the festival passes for herself.

Jan 4 2006RopeofSilicon.com has posted eight brand new pictures from The Illusionist. Plus, the Sundance website has posted a summary of the film which I've included below. With only weeks before the film premieres at Sundance, we should be seeing more and more about the film [Thanks to ChewieDC for the info!].

Are you the kind of person who scrutinizes magic tricks, or do you surrender yourself to the thrill of the moment? Either way, The Illusionist will keep you on the edge of your seat and transport you to a time that embraced the supernatural. Set in 1900 Vienna, this stunning romantic thriller is the story of Eisenheim, a brilliant mysterious magician bent on solving a puzzle that has eluded him since childhood. His ability to mesmerize crowds and his apparent attraction to the crown prince's fiancée–Duchess von Teschen–threatens the prince and ignites suspicion from Chief Inspector Uhl. When the duchess is murdered, Eisenheim summons extraordinary powers in a desperate attempt to overcome Uhl, prove the prince guilty, and bring down the monarchy before it destroys him. At its heart, Neil Burger's film is about social position and the will to challenge it. Eisenheim, a cabinetmaker's son, iconoclastically dares to love a noblewoman and ridicule the prince. Uhl, on the other hand, believes royal fealty is his only ticket to power. From Eisenheim, he learns to listen to his inner sense of justice. With its glowing amber palette, splendid spectacles, and nuanced performances, The Illusionist explores art and technology as populist forces. Eisenheim's otherworldly conjurings, which create a "protocinema," stir his audiences to question authority, while he enlists acts of magic to serve the power of true love.— Caroline Libresco

Dec 1- The lineup for the 2006 Sundance Film Festival was announced yesterday. The Illusionist will be making its world premiere at the Festival. Sundance official site

Jun 15- A May 29th post on the IMDB Illusionist Message Board stated that "...principal schooting ended yesterday in Krkonose, Czech Republic." Another post mentions sightings of Illusionist co-stars Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel in Los Angeles.

Jun 13- Is The Illusionist still filming? An article posted today on the Hollywood Reporter's website ('Quiet' guy role speaks to Maguire) stated that producer Michael London "recently completed filming the romantic comedy 'The Family Stone' for Fox 2000 and 'The Illusionist,' which stars Edward Norton as a magician who manages to secure the love of a woman above his standing." I checked the production listings in the June 7-13, 2005 edition of Hollywood Reporter. It still lists The Illusionist and doesn't have it as one of the films wrapping this week.

Jun 9- New pic from Hollywood Reporter May 2005 Cannes 2005

Jun 2- Time Magazine has an article on Paul Giamatti called The World's Best Character Actor

May 24- In an interview SciFi Wire Paul Giamatti talked a little bit about The Illusionist. Here's some of the new info:

Giamatti said that The Illusionist will have fantastical elements as well. "It does," he said. "Without giving too much of it away, it does. It's undercut in some ways, but it's ambiguous about what's real and what's not and what's actual. ... Not necessarily just magic, but there's all sorts of weird stuff with spiritualism and spirits being summoned and stuff like that. How much of it is real and how much of it is not is left somewhat ambiguous in the end."

May 18- Premiere magazine (June 2005 edition with Batman Bale on the cover) "The Slate" secion has a little more on The Illusionist:

At another end of the time-space continuum - Vienna, circa 1900 - Edward Norton's "master mesmerist, hypnotist, illusionist, magician guy" in The Illusionist has weighter concerns - namely, seducing a princess and undermining the royal house of Austria. "They put the chief inspector of secret police on his trail to destroy his reputation," says Paul Giamatti. "I play that guy."

May 1 Coming Soon! has posted pictures of the set. The set was built in the historic town of Tabor, Czech Republic. Secrets of The Illusionist Set Revealed Illusionist consultant. Ricky Jay brings "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" to D.C. for 15 performances starting on May 4. Ricky Jay official site

Apr 18- Several new pics of EN from the set of The Illusionist have appeared on WENN, as well of one of co-star Jessica Biel. Unfortunately, they're not all that large and they contain watermarks, but they give you a taste of what to expect. Also, check out the Vue2Sewell message board and the IMDB Illusionist message board Some onlookers in Prague have been posting about the production. [Thanks to Grace from Vue2Sewell]

Apr 10 Super.cz has posted the first pic of EN in costume. I'm very relieved to see his costume does not include a cape nor a turban. There are also two other photos of Paul Giamatti. [Thanks to Luke, Kara, and Grace for the info!!!]

Mar 28 Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell have joined the cast of The Illusionist. Filming is now set to start April 4 in Prague. Ricky Jay is consulting on the film. Biel, Sewell Appear in 'Illusionist'. [Thanks to Kara for the casting info!]

Feb 10- Today's Variety reports that Paul Giamatti will join the film.

Feb 4 - Today's Hollywood Reporter has an article (Distribution next step for red-hot mogul Yari) which includes more info, specifically the budget and the exact start date: "...the $17 million period drama "The Illusionist," starring Edward Norton, starts filming April 1."

Jan 14- EN's involvement announced in today's Variety

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