There exists a world within our world. A world beneath what we call cyberspace. A world protected by firewalls, passwords and the most advanced security systems. In this world we hide our deepest secrets, our most incriminating information, and of course, a whole lot of money. This is the world of Swordfish.

Gabriel Shear (JOHN TRAVOLTA), a charismatic and dangerous spy wanting to finance his own brand of patriotism, needs to get inside this world. If he can get in, billions in illegal government funds wait for the taking. To actually steal the money, however, he’ll need a superhacker, someone whose talents make even the most airtight security systems of the world look like child’s play.

That’s where Stanley Jobson (HUGH JACKMAN) enters the picture. One of the two best hackers on the planet, Stanley has been forbidden to get within 50 yards of the nearest electronics store after doing time for wreaking havoc on the FBI’s controversial high-tech cyber surveillance operations. Now Stanley is living out his life in a broken-down trailer, penniless, alone and without the one thing that gives his life meaning — his daughter Holly, whom he lost in a divorce.

Gabriel and his beautiful partner Ginger (HALLE BERRY) lure Stanley into their clandestine world, baiting him with the one thing he can’t have — a chance to reunite with Holly and start a new life. But once Stanley enters their world, he realizes that nothing in this operation is what it seems and he has become a pawn in a plot that’s a lot more sinister than a high-tech bank heist.

From producer JOEL SILVER, who has brought to the screen some of today’s most successful and acclaimed films, including the Oscar-winning smash "The Matrix," and from JONATHAN D. KRANE, whose roster of over 40 films began 20 years ago with the two "Pink Panther" movies and continues with the recent critically acclaimed box office hits "Phenomenon," "Face/Off" and "The General’s Daughter," comes a dark counter-espionage action thriller about power, money, sacrifice and 21^st-century breaking and entering.

Academy Award-nominated superstar John Travolta ("Pulp Fiction," "Get Shorty"), Hugh Jackman ("X-Men," "Someone Like You") and Halle Berry ("X-Men," Golden Globe Award winner for "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge") star in "Swordfish," directed by DOMINIC SENA, who helmed the fast-paced action thriller "Gone In 60 Seconds." The film is written by SKIP WOODS ("Thursday"), who also serves as co-producer.

The film also stars DON CHEADLE ("Traffic," the upcoming "Ocean’s Eleven"), VINNIE JONES ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," "Snatch") and award-winning writer, director, producer and actor SAM SHEPARD ("All the Pretty Horses," "The Pledge"), as well as newcomer CAMRYN GRIMES ("The Young & the Restless") and ZACH GRENIER ("Donnie Brasco"). DAN CRACCHIOLO ("Romeo Must Die," "Exit Wounds") co-produces the film.

The distinguished behind-the-scenes team is led by director of photography PAUL CAMERON ("Gone in 60 Seconds"), production designer JEFF MANN ("Gone in 60 Seconds") and special effects coordinator MIKE MEINARDIS ("Gone in 60 Seconds"). STEPHEN RIVKIN, A.C.E. ("The Hurricane") is the editor. The music is composed by CHRISTOPHER YOUNG ("Sweet November," "Wonder Boys") and PAUL OAKENFOLD (TV’s "Big Brother").

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment, a Silver Pictures/Jonathan D. Krane production, starring JOHN TRAVOLTA, HUGH JACKMAN, HALLE BERRY, DON CHEADLE, VINNIE JONES and SAM SHEPARD. The film is directed by DOMINIC SENA, written by SKIP WOODS, produced by JOEL SILVER and JONATHAN D. KRANE, and co-produced by DAN CRACCHIOLO and Skip Woods. PAUL CAMERON is the director of photography; JEFF MANN is the production designer; STEPHEN RIVKIN, A.C.E. is the editor; and the music is composed by CHRISTOPHER YOUNG and PAUL OAKENFOLD.

"Swordfish" is a Silver Pictures/Jonathan D. Krane/ Village Roadshow production to be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and, in select territories, by Village Roadshow Pictures.

This film has not yet been rated.

"Swordfish" unfolds in a world in which nothing is what it seems and every character’s allegiances are obscured. "The central question in ‘Swordfish’ is what these characters are really up to and why," says producer Joel Silver, who has scored in recent years with such back-to-back hits as Oscar winner "The Matrix," "House on Haunted Hill," "Romeo Must Die" and "Exit Wounds." "The circumstances are constantly in question. Who is bad and who is good? Gabriel is not the film’s hero, but is he really bad? And Stanley is the good guy, but how good is he really? Everything is changing and shifting and every character has shades of gray."

Two-time Academy Award nominee John Travolta plays Gabriel Shear, a man whose ties seemingly reach deep into covert channels within the government. "Gabriel is clearly a spy of some sort, or former spy," says Travolta. "You get the sense that he is someone other than who he presents himself as. He has this look of a European playboy type with the haircut and soul patch, but that’s not necessarily who he is. In fact, in his mind he is not the bad guy at all."

When Gabriel sets his sights on a hidden cache of funds accumulated in a Drug Enforcement Agency money-laundering scheme — code-named Swordfish — nothing will get in his way of stealing it. "It has just been sitting there, gaining interest," Travolta explains. "And Gabriel thinks this money is really nobody’s money. It’s bad money, basically. So, why not take it for good use?"

"Gabriel is a patriot of sorts," Travolta continues. "He has his own ideas that are very strong about how to handle international terrorism. But you need money to do it, lots of money. And that’s where this slush fund comes in."

Gabriel’s plan to raid the DEA slush fund involves storming the bank in broad daylight using a dozen mercenaries, massive weaponry and hostages. But to pull off a cyber-heist of this magnitude requires the services of one of the top hackers in the world. "Computer hackers have extraordinary power and because they’re young and rebellious the damage they can do is amazing," says Hugh Jackman, who shot to international attention as Wolverine in "X-Men."

Stanley Jobson (Jackman) is exactly who Gabriel is looking for. Jackman describes Stanley as "sort of a reluctant hero. He’s everyman in a way. He just happens to be extraordinary at what he does, which is being a computer hacker. Stanley didn’t just hack into something for the hell of it; he hacked into an FBI program that was doing Big Brother-like surveillance on Americans. So, he went in and destroyed it."

But the stunt cost Stanley his freedom and caused him to lose custody of his daughter Holly (Camryn Grimes). "The only thing Stanley is living for is his daughter, and he has no access to her," says Jackman. "He can’t see her or talk to her. So when we first meet him in the film, he is in despair."

The other love of Stanley’s life, Jackman points out, is computers — but the terms of his parole prevent him from coming within 50 yards of one. "He has got a Mozart kind of ability with them," says Jackman. "He sees code the way great musicians hear music in their heads."

Only a handful of hackers in the world can hack in and get out as quickly as Gabriel needs to in order to access the DEA money and delete any records of the transfer. And when one operative is apprehended trying to get through customs (and consequently murdered), Gabriel sends his most alluring associate, Ginger (Halle Berry) after Stanley.

"Ginger is a confident, smart and sexy woman," says Berry, who starred as Storm opposite Jackman’s Wolverine in the hit "X-Men" and garnered accolades and a Golden Globe Award for her work in the title role of the HBO telefilm "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge." "When she goes out to get him, she will not take no for an answer. She is a woman who is not afraid to use her sexuality to get what she wants. It takes her three tries, but she gets the guy."

At the same time, Stanley is being watched. Don Cheadle, whose performances in such films as "Traffic," "Boogie Nights" and "Bulworth" have earned universal acclaim, plays burned-out cyber crimes agent Roberts. "This is the fed who used to head the largest task force on cyber crime in the country," Cheadle says. "He was the person responsible for catching Stanley in the first place. But he snapped and became violent on a suspect and his career went downhill from there."

When Roberts sees a surveillance image of Stanley arriving in Los Angeles, "he gets plugged into this plot without having any idea how big it is or how high it goes," says Cheadle.

Meanwhile, as Ginger draws Stanley into Gabriel’s world, their edgy connection deepens. "Ginger is really Gabriel’s right-hand person," says Travolta. "But she seduces Stanley in various ways and he gets confused about what she really is."

When Stanley discovers Ginger wearing a wire, she tells him she is an undercover DEA agent trying to find out whom Gabriel is working for. "Their relationship develops but he never really knows if their connection is real, or if it’s just an act," says Berry. "There are a lot of mixed signals also about her relationship with Gabriel. Are they lovers? Are they partners? What is she in it for?"

Gabriel’s motives are equally enigmatic. "Stanley initially believes that Gabriel is in it for the money," says Silver. "He doesn’t agree with it, but he understands it. At the very end of the piece, he discovers what the heist is really about and it’s far stranger and more complex than he ever imagined. And by then it’s too late to back out. But Stanley is not without a few surprises of his own."

At the moment of truth, when Gabriel, his henchman Marco (Vinnie Jones), Ginger and Stanley, along with a small army of mercenaries, converge at the World Banc Investors Group in West Los Angeles, all hell breaks loose and Stanley learns the truth about what he has done. "Stanley also has an ace up his sleeve," says Jackman. "And when push comes to shove he can pull that little ace out and try to manipulate the situation. But Gabriel is equally smart and a hell of a lot more manipulative, so it really is a fight to the end between them."

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Producer Joel Silver sees "Swordfish" as "unique, innovative storytelling." The veteran producer, currently at work on the "Matrix" sequels, feels the world of hackers and cyber crime is an ideal backdrop for this type of complex thriller. "The Internet allows people with a talent for hacking to do things that ordinary people can’t do," Silver notes. "And if you reach a certain skill level, or have an innate talent for it, no amount of security or encryption can stop you."

For Jonathan D. Krane, whose work with Travolta includes some of the most popular and acclaimed films of the past decade, including the award winning comedy "Look Who’s Talking" and films of virtually all genres such as "Primary Colors," "A Civil Action" and "Michael," the challenge in producing "Swordfish" was to make complex computer issues accessible. "I read an article that described something that is right out of our movie," Krane recalls, "and to me that means our story is not only on the cutting edge but also authentic. We’re pushing the envelope of what the world of computers can do, both good and bad, for people. But we’re also keeping the story within the realm of possibility."

Skip Woods’s screenplay opens in a coffee shop while the bank heist is in full swing and then moves backward and forward in time. Travolta was taken by this scene alone. "I read this scene where I’m sitting at a coffee bar and pontificating about movies, in particular ‘Dog Day Afternoon,’" he remembers. "I knew I loved it immediately. The best blueprint for the whole character was in those first three or four pages."

Silver, who has known Travolta for years, was thrilled to undertake a project featuring a character so perfectly suited for the actor. "John is so charming naturally that when he creates a character like Gabriel, there is an ambiguity that throws you off," says the producer. "It makes it hard to know if he’s bad; you want him to be the good guy. This is such a vital component to the character and only an actor of John’s caliber and charisma could possibly pull it off."

Travolta and Krane were equally thrilled to make "Swordfish" with Joel Silver. "I only feel you should do action films if your guns are loaded, and I mean that metaphorically," says Travolta. "If you have a great action producer, which Joel is, a great director, and wonderful actors that you can work with, like Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry, then you have something that can potentially be phenomenal."

To fulfill the potential of a story infused with a range of intriguing, shaded characters, it was important to select a cast that could express every side to them.

"Hugh Jackman is such a pro," Travolta observes. "To me, he is like the best mix of Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery: he’s a great star as well as a fine actor. I felt very lucky to get him in this movie. And Halle is such a beauty and a terrific actress."

Silver, who worked with Halle Berry when she appeared in "Executive Decision," wanted the actress from the beginning. "People are blinded by Halle’s beauty but in fact she is a formidable actress with great talent," says Silver. "Now, with her Golden Globe and Emmy Awards, she is coming into her own and people are beginning to see what she can do. She brings so much conflict, wisdom and raw sexiness to Ginger. She is the ideal counterpoint to John and Hugh."

The final piece in the puzzle was the character of Roberts, the FBI cyber crimes agent whose history with Stanley draws him into Gabriel’s plot. To portray Roberts, Silver called on Don Cheadle, who has turned in acclaimed, standout performances in such films as "Boogie Nights," "Traffic" and the telefilm "The Rat Pack," for which he was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe. "Don is among the finest actors of his generation and we are thrilled to have him in this film," Silver says. "He brought so much intelligence and intensity to Roberts and truly elevated the role, creating a character that, like Stanley and Gabriel, has more going on than you initially might think."

Rounding out the cast are British actor Vinnie Jones, an English soccer star who shot to international attention in the Guy Ritchie films "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch," as Gabriel’s top operative, Marco; and Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and acclaimed actor and director, as Senator Reisman, who has a hidden connection to Gabriel.

The filmmakers brought in director Dominic Sena, who made an impact on audiences with the fast-paced, auto-theft thriller "Gone In 60 Seconds," to helm. Silver admired the work of Sena and his team from the earliest stages of production. "Dominic comes with his baggage, which in this case is very good," says the producer. "He works with the incredible cinematographer Paul Cameron and production designer Jeff Mann. The incomparable work of the three of them gives this movie a feel like you’ve never seen before. They created a Los Angeles for this movie using all physical locations and minimal soundstage work, that is at once completely authentic and yet totally unique. It is a breathtaking vision."

"Swordfish" began production on location in Bend, Oregon, where the filming kicked off with an exciting aerial sequence involving John Travolta and Sam Shepard. Gabriel flies over Reisman in his jet-black helicopter, buzzing the Senator as he is fishing in the river. The scene took several days to complete with the crew spending most of their time wading back and forth across the swift-running river. Shepard is an ardent fly-fisherman and not only enjoyed partaking of his favorite pastime and getting paid for it, but he also caught several trout between takes.

After wrapping work in Oregon, the crew moved back to home ground in Los Angeles. One of the most significant locations utilized was Main Street, Ventura, which stood in for a swank West Los Angeles street corner. For nearly four weeks the production commandeered an intersection, a feat that has rarely been achieved in Southern California. This location was chosen because the production was able to construct the exterior and interiors of the bank and coffee shop sets on opposite sides of the street as required by the script. The location for the stylish coffee shop set is, in reality, a bookstore. The store’s owners agreed to let the filmmakers rent their building and completely revamp it. "I wanted the coffee shop to have a very high-end, corporate look, versus your neighborhood beatnik poetry reading coffee shop," explains production designer Jeff Mann.

The company then moved into a grueling night schedule in downtown Los Angeles, where a thrilling car chase sequence involving Travolta and Jackman was shot. The stars were filmed while driving an exclusive British sports car called a TVR, which is manufactured in the U.K. and was imported especially for the production. Prior to the chase, Travolta and Jackman spent time working with the stunt coordinator to hone their driving skills until they were able to perform the majority of the chase sequence themselves. Jackman particularly enjoyed the experience. "I did five days full-time training," he reports. "I’m now fully registered as a stunt-driver and I can do 90s, reverse 180s, back up at 130 miles an hour and not lose control of the vehicle. I had a lot of fun with the car."

The film’s intricate, elaborate and dangerous stunt sequences presented unique challenges to the crew, and demanded the collaboration of the visual effects, stunts and special effects departments. "There’s a kind of synergy when all this talent comes together to do something that hasn’t been done before," says visual effects supervisor Boyd Shermis. "Or, to give a familiar visual a new twist or take it to a new level. It makes it very exciting."

Jeff Mann, who collaborated with director Dominic Sena on "Gone in 60 Seconds" and many of his music videos and commercials, was instrumental in creating the film’s finale — an incredible stunt involving a Sikorski helicopter and a bus full of hostages. "At the climax of the film, Gabriel has loaded the hostages on the bus and they are surrounded by SWAT teams," Mann explains. "There doesn’t seem to be any way out. I envisioned a spectacular escape that Gabriel and his operatives would have planned months before. This massive sky crane appears like some huge insect and swoops down, plucking them off the ground and depositing them on the roof of a skyscraper."

At the time Mann pitched the idea to Sena, they didn’t know if it was actually feasible to do the scene physically. "When we started to do the research," says Mann, "we were taking a 7,000-pound liberty."

Mann met with representatives from Erickson Sky Crane, a firm that specializes primarily in putting out fires, transporting lumber and positioning large air conditioning units on very tall buildings. To execute such tasks, the company designed a custom rig that counter-balances and stabilizes heavy equipment so it doesn’t twist dangerously while being hoisted through the air.

After numerous discussions, the filmmakers decided that it was feasible to fly a bus through downtown L.A. using the special crane, but there were too many liabilities and insurance issues to set the bus down on an actual rooftop. After initially considering a graphic solution, it was decided it would be simpler to build a rooftop set.

Mann created an exact replica of a downtown rooftop and built it in the mountains above Chatsworth. One of the considerations in choosing the location was that they needed a clear vista looking west and south.

In order to pull off the unprecedented flying bus stunt, explains Boyd Shermis, "We did a pre-visualization of the bus’s flight path by creating a very detailed version of the area, in a virtual sense, so we could literally put ourselves on top of any number of buildings along that pathway and know exactly what we were going to see and how we could place the cameras."

Shermis placed a virtual camera on just about every rooftop along the bus’s flight path and was able to give director Sena a range of options in terms of their positions and lenses. "There were legions of cameramen," says Sena. "It was sort of like Napoleon’s army. We had 14 or 16 cameras shooting at a time."

The day finally arrived and the filmmakers’ dream became reality. The massive sky crane sat in a downtown parking lot as the crew looked on expectantly. As the rotor blades began to rotate, an ungodly noise filled the air and spectators covered their ears. The huge machine slowly rose and dust and debris filled the air. It hovered above the bus as the cables were attached. As it swept by base camp, a violent wind buffeted the onlookers and they turned away covering their faces trying to stay upright as the wind reached almost hurricane force.

"This thing would knock you to the ground and just hold you there," Sena notes with a laugh. "The rotors seemed to be about 80 feet across, and the rotor wash was devastating if you were under it. I made the mistake of doing that once as it was hovering to take off on North Hope, and it just sucked the breath out of my lungs."

The following Sunday, the bus was hoisted up from the 1st Street Bridge and flown through the downtown streets of Los Angeles. It was lifted to building height, which is about 15 stories from street level, and traveled down the street in close proximity to the adjacent buildings, sometimes with a mere 40 inches on either side. Cameras were set on platforms on the edges of skyscrapers and as the sky crane made its turn, the bus swung in a curve within a few feet of the lens.

"This is a sequence that could have been done with CGI, but we felt it was important to actually do it live; nothing like this has ever been seen before, and that cutting-edge feeling was what we were after with this movie," Silver enthuses. "We wanted to make it bigger, better, more exciting and thrilling and give people a real wild ride. And if we’ve done that, then we’ve done our job."

Safety was obviously the primary concern, and although the majority of the flying bus sequence was a physical effect, some elements were turned over to the visual effects team. There was a certain amount of blue screen work involved, mainly for the interior of the bus and the view from inside the bus. (In the story, the hostages are still inside the bus when it is airlifted through the canyons of the city.) A blue screen was erected at the TWA hangar at Los Angeles International Airport to accommodate the huge set. The bus was hung 60 feet off the ground from a crane so it could swing free.

The interior shots presented a challenge for stunt coordinator and 2nd unit director Dan Bradley. "What I needed to do was to match the energy inside a bus flying throughout downtown L.A. in a hostage situation," Bradley relates. "We needed people to react in broader ways." Bradley spent days working out the logistics with special effects coordinator Mike Meinardus.

One of the most important things to determine was how much weight the bus would hold. "We did test after test," says Bradley. "As the bus dropped, everybody goes weightless and we needed to create that effect. As the bus traveled through its arc, they got a lot of negative and positive G’s, floating out of the seats, starting to crawl back. Then when it hit the bottom of the arc, they’re turned upside down. It’s very disorienting."

It was also a very small space in which Bradley’s stunt team could do their work. "We didn’t want to do a straight fall; we wanted to do a tumbling fall of about twelve feet over the tops of the seat," he says. "We spent almost a full week rehearsing and rigging it." In addition to his stunt men, Bradley also coordinated the cast members’ action. The members of the principal cast that were actually inside the bus had to be invisibly harnessed to protect them from harm.

Visual effects supervisor Shermis especially relished one challenge presented by the opening scene of the film, during which a hostage wired with explosives steps out of the safe range. For this, director Sena wanted to use some of the innovative camera techniques pioneered in Silver’s groundbreaking smash "The Matrix." "During that scene, police cars are exploding, guys are flying through the air, and it had to be timed so that when we got to camera number 125, this guy had to be flying in the frame. I’d never seen a more difficult shot to set up. It was just all the layers and passes. One layer for the explosion, one layer for the car being thrown through the air, one layer for the people who were supposed to be next to the car. That was a separate pass so that nobody got hurt. So it was just layers upon layers. To get one 30-second shot took days."

The shot involved using the multi-cam system, a specially designed rig created by Bill Gill which is able to hold 135 still cameras.

This one shot took roughly three months of planning. Shermis started with an extensive computer graphic pre-visualization. The area was mapped out very specifically to about a half-inch so they knew exactly where to place the cameras and the components were exactly where they needed to be. The timing was literally scheduled to the millisecond and the special effects and stunt teams had to make sure everything happened exactly as planned.

Although a certain amount of this sequence was rendered using CGI, over 85% of the shot was done physically. The only elements to be computer-generated were those that would be safety hazards, such as the flying ball bearings and shattering glass at close proximity to the cast and crew.

Stunt coordinator Bradley utilized an amazing rig in order to achieve the spectacular flips and turns required by the shot. The rig utilizes a cable system, which is attached to harnesses worn by the stunt men and which literally hoists them into the air and flips them. It enables them to perform moves that haven’t been seen before.

"Every sequence presented its own challenge," says Sena. "And we would use a different technique for each. One had to be very formal and locked off; another might have been a complicated dolly move; and yet another needed to be hand-held to give a rough and imperfect feel."

When it came to creating the overall look of the film, Sena wanted to give Gabriel’s world a high sheen of glamour, while not being afraid of color. "We were constantly mixing gels and the color palette is pretty strong," Sena explains. "Each location had a color palette assigned to it and the practical lighting dictated the light we would use on the actors. For instance, if there was a green lantern, the light on the faces would be green instead of trying to create perfect flesh tones. It looks glossy and sexy, which is the right look for this picture."

An example of this approach is a scene in which the mercenaries are preparing for a heist on the bank. Originally, the scene was set in a warehouse. "I had this vision of it being in an old, decrepit theater downtown," says production designer Mann. "I felt it was the perfect setting for the grandeur and theatricality of John Travolta’s character. We scouted and found a place downtown that hadn’t been shot to death in every music video in the universe. I was very happy with the result; it was visually a lot more interesting and really set up the character well."

Finding an appropriate setting to express the characters is a very important element of production design. To this end, Jeff Mann chose a house in Chatsworth, designed by the architect responsible for the Transamerica building in downtown Los Angeles, to serve as Gabriel’s compound. The house was originally built for Robert Young in 1951; later it was owned by Lucille Ball and then Frank Sinatra.

Mann also created an incredible nightclub set. "In the script, the nightclub was named ‘Prague,’" says Mann, "and the description refers to the Euro-trash club-goers that frequent the place. We designed this club that had a kind of oppressive, bunker-like feel to it."

Costume designer Ha Ngyen’s first thought when she read the script was that she wanted John Travolta to look very different than in any other role. "He came from Europe and was someone with lots of money," explains Ngyen. "I wanted him to be quite stylish and have very expensive things, but many of them would be custom-made for him."

The complexity of Stanley’s character gave Ngyen greater freedom in designing for Hugh Jackman. "He is always doing something unexpected," she explains. "There is a whole different side to what he appears to be on the surface."

Ngyen also designed the majority of the clothes for Halle Berry. "Her character is quite aggressive for a woman," explains Ngyen. "She knows who she is and exactly what she wants. I wanted her clothes to be very bright and to have strong colors. Many of the dresses were made of matte jersey which clings to her figure."

Although Don Cheadle’s character Roberts is a conservative FBI agent, Ngyen added unusual touches to his wardrobe, such as mauve or mustard colors, to make Roberts more intriguing.

Clothes are very important to Vinnie Jones and Ngyen incorporated his personal style into Marco’s wardrobe. "I looked at the kind of clothes that he liked and adapted them to the role. He wears his clothes almost like a uniform."

For the nightclub, Ngyen used a combination of ‘70s and ‘80s clothes to create the Euro-trash style required, which was also in keeping with her prediction of fashion for 2001.

ABOUT THE CAST

JOHN TRAVOLTA (Gabriel Shear) has been honored twice with Academy Award nominations, most recently for his riveting portrayal of a philosophical hit man in Quentin Tarantino’s "Pulp Fiction." He also received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for the highly acclaimed role and was named Best Actor by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, among other distinguished awards.

He was equally praised as a Mafioso-turned-movie producer in the comedy sensation "Get Shorty," garnering a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. In 1998 Travolta was honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts with the Britannia Award. Also in 1998, Travolta received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chicago Film Festival.

Travolta won the prestigious Alan J. Pakula Award from the U.S. Broadcast Critics Association for his performance in "A Civil Action," based on the best-selling book and directed by Steve Zaillian. Last year, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in "Primary Colors," directed by Mike Nichols and co-starring Emma Thompson and Billy Bob Thornton.

He previously starred in some of the most monumental films of our generation. He earned his first Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his role in the blockbuster "Saturday Night Fever," which launched the disco phenomenon of the late 1970s. He went on to star in the big screen version of the long-running musical "Grease" and the wildly successful "Urban Cowboy," which also influenced trends in popular culture. Additional film credits include the Brian DePalma thrillers "Carrie" and "Blowout," as well as Amy Heckerling’s hit comedy, "Look Who’s Talking."

Travolta starred in "Phenomenon" and took a diverse turn as an action star in John Woo’s top-grossing action thriller, "Broken Arrow." He also starred in the classic "Face/Off," opposite Nicholas Cage, and "The General’s Daughter," co-starring Madeleine Stowe.

Most recently Travolta starred in "Battlefield Earth," based on the best selling novel by L. Ron Hubbard, and "Lucky Numbers," opposite Lisa Kudrow, on which he re-teamed with Nora Ephron, having starred in the hit comedy "Michael," which Ephron directed and co-wrote.

HUGH JACKMAN (Stanley) made his U.S. screen debut in the box-office smash "X-Men," in which he starred as Wolverine. He most recently was seen opposite Ashley Judd in the romantic comedy "Someone Like You." Jackman will next be seen in "Kate & Leopold" opposite Meg Ryan.

The Australian actor was last seen on stage as Curly in Trevor Nunn’s revival of "Oklahoma" in London’s West End. His performance garnered an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. His past credits include lead roles in the Australian independent feature films "Paperback Hero" and "Erskineville Kings," for which he received the Australian Film Critics Circle’s Best Actor Award as well as a nomination for Best Actor by the Australian Film Industry. Jackman has appeared in the Australian television series "Corelli" and "Halifax f.p.," as well as in lead roles in stage productions of "Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast" and "Sunset Boulevard."

Jackman was named Australian Star of the Year for 1999 at the Australian Movie Convention (AMC), which is equivalent to ShoWest. He twice received the MO Award (which is the Australian equivalent to the Tony, for Best Actor in a Musical), once for "Sunset Boulevard" and once for "Beauty and the Beast."

Golden Globe Award winner HALLE BERRY (Ginger) recently captured audiences’ imaginations when she starred as Storm in the smash hit "X-Men." Most recently, Berry starred in and executive produced HBO’s acclaimed film, "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," for which she received an Emmy, the Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award and three NAACP Image Awards, including Entertainer of the Year.

Prior to that, she starred opposite Warren Beatty in the political comedy, "Bulworth," and in the Frankie Lymon biopic "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." Berry’s other feature film credits include her film debut opposite Samuel L. Jackson in Spike Lee’s "Jungle Fever"; "Losing Isaiah," with Jessica Lange; "Executive Decision," for which she won the Blockbuster Award for Best Actress in an Action Drama; the international hit live-action version of "The Flintstones"; and Reginald Hudlin’s "Boomerang," with Eddie Murphy.

On television, Berry starred in the miniseries "Oprah Winfrey Presents: The Wedding"; Showtime’s original telefilm "Solomon and Sheba," opposite Jimmy Smits; and in the title role in Alex Haley’s miniseries "Queen," which became the highest-rated sequel in television history. Berry’s performance earned her the NAACP Image Award for Best Actress, as well as the Best Newcomer Award from the Hollywood Women’s Press Club.

In 1998, in honor of her achievements as an actress, the Harvard Foundation at Harvard University honored her as Cultural Artist of the Year. Berry continues her work as an international spokesperson for Revlon.

Next up for Berry is "Monster’s Ball," with Billy Bob Thornton and Wes Bentley.

DON CHEADLE (Agent Roberts) has made a name for himself as an actor that consistently turns in powerful performances. He made an impact in Steven Soderbergh’s highly acclaimed "Traffic" and is currently shooting Soderbergh’s remake of "Ocean’s Eleven," which also stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and others. He recently appeared as the con-man/angel opposite Nicholas Cage in the Christmas hit "Family Man."

Previously, Cheadle starred with Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins and Connie Nielsen in "Mission to Mars," and had strong supporting roles in Paul Thomas Anderson’s "Boogie Nights," Warren Beatty’s critically acclaimed "Bulworth," "Out of Sight," for director Soderbergh and John Singleton’s "Rosewood." For his portrayal of ‘Mouse’ in "Devil in a Blue Dress," he received The Los Angeles Film Critics Award and The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Cheadle’s television credits include his remarkable portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. in HBO’s "The Rat Pack," which garnered him a Golden Globe award and an Emmy nomination. He received a second Emmy award nomination that same year for his starring role in HBO’s "A Lesson Before Dying."

Cheadle’s other television credits include "Rebound: The Legend of Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault," "Picket Fences" and "Golden Palace," among others.

He will next appear in the films "Manic" and "Things Behind the Sun."

VINNIE JONES (Marco) was previously best known for his athletic ability as a renowned world-class footballer (soccer player). He became a professional player for Wimbledon F.C. in 1986 and won the F.A. Cup in 1988. He signed for Leeds United a year later, winning the first division championship. Jones also played for Sheffield United, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers (where he was a coach as well as player), returning to Wimbledon in 1994.
After seeing Jones in a cameo role on British television, Guy Ritchie asked him to join his cast as Big Chris in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. His performance garnered him numerous awards, among them Best Newcomer from the Odeon Cinemas’ People’s Choice Awards, Best Debut Performance from the Variety Club of Great Britain and Empire Magazine’s Best Newcomer. A natural on screen, Jones officially retired from soccer in 1999 to pursue his acting career. Subsequently, he appeared in "Gone in Sixty Seconds" with Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie, and again worked with Guy Ritchie on "Snatch," which also starred Benicio Del Toro and Brad Pitt. Jones will next be seen alongside James Caan in Adam Rifkin’s "Night at the Golden Eagle."

For close to six years Jones wrote a weekly column for the Sun newspaper (a national edition) and also hosted his own radio and television shows. He appeared in the popular drama Ellington.

Jones was born in Watford, England and raised on an estate where his father was a gamekeeper. He played semi-professional football for Wealdstone before joining Wimbledon.

An award-winning writer, director, producer and actor, SAM SHEPARD (Senator Reisman) has worked in virtually every medium, including film, television and the stage.

As an actor, Shepard’s film credits include an Oscar-nominated performance in "The Right Stuff," as well as "Snow Falling On Cedars," "All The Pretty Horses," "Hamlet," "Safe Passage," "The Pelican Brief," "Steel Magnolias," "Baby Boom," "Crimes of the Heart," "Fool for Love," "Paris, Texas" and "Days of Heaven."

On television, he has starred in "Dash & Lilly," for which he received an Emmy nomination for Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie; "Purgatory," one of the highest-rated films on TNT; "Lily Dale"; "The Good Old Boys"; and "Streets of Laredo".

Shepard’s writing credits include numerous acclaimed and award-winning plays, such as "Buried Child," for which he won a Pulitzer-Prize for Drama in 1979; "Simpatico"; "True West"; "Curse of the Starving Class"; and "Fool for Love"; as well as the feature film screenplays "Far North"; "Fool for Love"; "Paris, Texas"; "Zabriskie Point"; and "Me and My Brother."

As a director, Shepard has helmed "Silent Tongue" and "Far North."

Young CAMRYN GRIMES (Holly) currently stars as Cassie on the long-running daytime drama "The Young and the Restless." In 1998 and 1999 she was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Younger Leading Actress In A Daytime Drama. In 2000, Grimes was again nominated and won, becoming the youngest Emmy-winning actress ever. In 1998 Grimes was nominated for a Young Artist Award in the category of Outstanding Younger Artist In A Daytime Drama.

Grimes’s previous television credits include a starring role in the 2000 telefilm "Sharing the Secret" and a guest-starring role in the daytime drama "Days of Our Lives" when she was a newborn. She has also guest-starred on the CBS program "Wide World of Kids" and has appeared in national commercials.

Grimes enjoys drawing, singing, soccer, white-water rafting, swimming and diving. In fact, she learned to swim at only six months of age and learned how to dive when she was a year-and-a-half.

ZACH GRENIER (Assistant Director Joy) recently appeared in the Showtime production of Neil Simon’s "Laughter on the 23rd Floor." Grenier’s latest film work includes the Civil War drama "Ride With the Devil," directed by Ang Lee; David Fincher’s "Fight Club," starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton; and the soon-to-be-released "Chasing Sleep," with Jeff Daniels and Gil Bellows. He starred in Charles Weinstein’s award-winning "Under the Bridge," playing John, the leader of a community of homeless people living in Brooklyn. He can also be seen in such films as "Donnie Brasco," "Twister," "The Stars Fell on Henrietta," "Tommy Boy" and "The Man Without a Face," as well as the film version of Eric Bogosian’s "Talk Radio," playing the role he originated in the stage production.

On the ABC series "C16: FBI," Grenier played Jack Di Rado, a veteran FBI agent with a rocky past and short temper.

Grenier’s roots are in New York theatre, in productions as diverse as the experimental plays of Richard Foreman and contemporary realist plays produced by New York City’s Circle Repertory Company and Ensemble Studio Theatre, of which he is a member. He has also performed in regional theatres from Maine to Alaska and was proud to be nominated recently for a Joseph Jefferson Award for his performance as Yvan in the Chicago production of Yasmina Reza’s "Art." One of his most treasured theatrical experiences involved participating in the original production of David Rave’s "A Question of Mercy" at New York Theatre Workshop; in recognition of his performance as Dr. Chapman in that play, the Drama League honored him as an Outstanding Artist.

ABOUT THE CREW

Director DOMINIC SENA is a founding member of Propaganda Films, where he directed countless award-winning videos and commercials. He began his career as a cameraman during the early 1980s. He worked on over 100 music videos and was honored with a variety of awards for his inventive cinematography.

In 1985, Sena added directing to his repertoire, creating videos for David Bowie, Tina Turner, Bryan Adams, Steve Winwood, Fleetwood Mac and Janet Jackson, to name but a few. He earned a Grammy for Best Long Form Video for Jackson’s "Rhythm Nation 1814". His television commercials for such clients as Nike, Saturn, Apple Computer, Acura and IBM have also earned awards. Two of his Nike spots, "Bouncing TV" and "Dueling TVs," and an Apple ad, "Coal Train," helped earn Propaganda Films the Palme d’Or at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes.

In 1991 (Nike, "Heritage") in 1995 (Saturn, "Erin Walling") and again in 1996 (Nike, "Marshall Falk"), Sena’s commercials won top honors in New York’s prestigious AICP awards show and have been made part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Sena made his feature debut with "Kalifonia," starring Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes. The film earned the International Film Critics Jury Prize at the 1993 Montreal Film Festival as well as taking top honors for its cinematography.

JOEL SILVER (Producer) is one of the most successful producers in the motion picture industry today. His films have earned a combined gross of over $3.5 billion worldwide, averaging over $100 million per picture, and his last six pictures have opened at number one at the box office. His 1999 production, "The Matrix," grossed over $456 million worldwide, earning more than any other Warner Bros. Pictures release in the history of the studio. Universally acclaimed for its groundbreaking storytelling and visuals, "The Matrix" also won four Academy Awards, including the award for Best Visual Effects.

Silver began his career at Lawrence Gordon Productions, where he ultimately ascended to president of motion pictures for the company. He associate produced "The Warriors" and, with Gordon, produced "48 HRS.," "Streets of Fire" and "Brewster’s Millions."

Silver’s first independent production under his Silver Pictures banner was "Commando," followed by "Jumpin’ Jack Flash" and "Predator." Silver then produced "Lethal Weapon," "Lethal Weapon 2," "Lethal Weapon 3" and "Lethal Weapon 4," as well as "Die Hard," "Die Hard 2: Die Harder," "The Last Boy Scout," "Demolition Man," "Richie Rich" and "Conspiracy Theory." He executive produced, with Richard Donner, Robert Zemeckis, David Giler and Walter Hill, eight seasons of the award-winning HBO series "Tales From the Crypt," as well as two "Tales From the Crypt" films.

Most recently, Silver produced the hit films "Exit Wounds," starring Steven Seagal and DMX, and "Romeo Must Die," featuring Jet Li and Aaliyah.

Silver has also overseen the successful launch of Dark Castle Entertainment, a new production entity he formed with Robert Zemeckis, with the record-breaking release of "House On Haunted Hill," which opened at number one on Halloween of 1999. Silver and Zemeckis created Dark Castle in the spirit of the late William Castle, who devised enterprising new ways to make and release horror films in the 1950s and 1960s. Silver is presently in post-production on his next film for Dark Castle, a remake of William Castle’s classic 1960 chiller, "13 Ghosts," starring F. Murray Abraham, Shannon Elizabeth, Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davitz and Matthew Lillard.

Silver is currently producing the sequels to "The Matrix," which began shooting in March 2001.

While a student at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey in 1967, Silver and some of his friends invented a game called Ultimate Frisbee. The fast-moving team sport has since become a global phenomenon supported by tournaments in 42 countries. Ultimate Frisbee will be a medal sport in the 2001 World Games in Japan.

Producer JONATHAN D. KRANE, whose roster of more than 40 films includes the most profitable comedy of all times, "Look Who’s Talking," and several other studio hits such as "Face/Off," starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage; the "Look Who’s Talking" sequels; "Blind Date," directed by Blake Edwards and marking Bruce Willis’ film debut; "The General’s Daughter"; "The Man Who Loved Women," starring Burt Reynolds and marking Kim Basinger’s film debut; "Phenomenon," starring Travolta and Robert Duvall (who has starred in three Krane films); "Micki and Maude," starring Dudley Moore; "Michael," starring Travolta and William Hurt; "A Civil Action," starring Travolta, Robert Duvall and James Gandolfini; "Primary Colors," starring Travolta, Emma Thompson and Billy Bob Thornton; "The Trail of the Pink Panther," starring Peter Sellers; "The Curse of the Pink Panther," which was made at the same time with the same crew and schedule; and "Lucky Numbers," starring Travolta and Lisa Kudrow and directed by Nora Ephron.

Krane is also well-known for creating innovative low-budget, high-quality production techniques in the 1980s, which are now commonly used and which allowed him to finance, produce and distribute several critically acclaimed and commercially successful classic films such as "That’s Life," directed by client Blake Edwards and starring Jack Lemmon and clients Julie Andrews, Robert Loggia and Krane’s wife, Sally Kellerman, for $1,000,000 dollars; "The Chocolate War," launching client Keith Gordon’s directorial career (costing a mere $600,000); "Catch Me if You Can," marking the directorial career of client Stephen Sommers ("The Mummy") for $600,000; Sandra Bernhard’s "Without You I’m Nothing," which Krane financed and produced Off-Broadway and then as a film (all for less than $1,000,000); "Getting It Right," which was directed by client Randall Kleiser in an effort to extricate Kleiser from his reputation as a director of "kids’ movies" and which starred Sir John Gielgud, Helena Bonham Carter and Lynn Redgrave (for under $3,000,000); "Convicts," written by Horton Foote, directed by Peter Masterson and starring Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones and Lukas Haas (again for under $3,000,000); and "The Point of Betrayal," written and produced by Krane (for under $1,000,000), which won the Golden Palm Award at the Palm Beach Festival, to name but a few.

Krane was the first film producer-manager, and over the years has managed over 150 actors, writers and directors, discovering, re-inventing and guiding many of today’s most important talent, including John Travolta, Kim Basinger, Drew Barrymore, Robin Wright, Ellen DeGeneres, Kirstie Alley, Theresa Russell, Mariska Hargitay, Howie Mandel, Luis Mandoki, Teri Garr, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lily Taylor, Sandra Bernhard, Peter Medak, Randal Kleiser, Jason Batemen, Billy Zane, Neal Israel, Keith Gordon and Stephen Sommers, to name but a few.

DAN CRACCHIOLO (Co-Producer) began his entertainment career as an agent trainee at ICM under Ed Limato. In 1991, he joined Joel Silver’s Silver Pictures, where his first project was "Lethal Weapon 3." Since then, he has co-produced the feature films "Lethal Weapon 4," "Assassins" and "Conspiracy Theory." He recently co-produced the highly successful "The Matrix," produced "Exit Wounds" with Joel Silver and executive produced "House On Haunted Hill" and "Romeo Must Die."

In addition, Cracchiolo associate produced Silver’s and Richard Donner’s HBO television series "Tales from the Crypt" for three seasons, as well as the two "Crypt" feature offshoots, "Demon Knight" and "Bordello of Blood." He also executive produced the HBO telefilms "Made Men" and "Double Tap."

Texas-born SKIP WOODS (Screenwriter, Co-Producer) recently wrote and directed his first feature, the crime drama "Thursday," which stars Thomas Jane and Aaron Eckhart. He will next write and direct Warner Bros. Pictures’ highly anticipated remake of the ‘70s scifi classic, "Logan’s Run."

PAUL CAMERON (Director of Photography) reunites with director Sena after having made his major motion picture debut as a cinematographer with "Gone in 60 Seconds." He acted as cinematographer on the independent film "Advice from a Caterpillar" and the 1996 Sundance Film Festival entrant "The Last Supper."

Cameron has worked in television, helming the camera department on the pilots "Michael Hayes" for CBS and "Relativity" for ABC. He was also the director of photography on Showtime’s "Parallel Lives" and "Chantilly Lace."

From his first days in film school at SUNY in Purchase, New York, Cameron has not only worked on independent and underground films, but made a name for himself in music videos and commercials. He won an Emmy for Best Cinematography for NBC’s national sports campaign for the Olympics as well as a Silver Clio at Cannes for his work on a series of Healthnet spots. He has created memorable videos for such artists as David Bowie, Billy Joel, Janet Jackson and Puff Daddy.

JEFF MANN (Production Designer) made his feature debut with Sena in "Gone In 60 Seconds." He previously worked as an art director on Sena’s "Kalifornia."

When Mann was a young man, his family and friends encouraged him to develop his artistic talents. Instead he set out to accumulate a series of varied and off-beat experiences that gave him a unique perspective on the world. Contacts Mann made in the art and music scenes led to working in the art department on music videos, which quickly segued into work on television commercials. His natural artistic ability and acquired skills, together with a strong work ethic, helped to catapult him through the ranks. He quickly advanced to assistant art director and by 1995 Mann was busy working as one of the top commercial production designers in the industry.

His resumé of commercials includes many award-winning ads for such well-known directors as David Kellogg, Michael Bay, Herb Ritts, Antoine Fuqua and Dominic Sena, to name but a few. Mann’s client roster includes Kodak, American Express, Nike, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola and many more.

CHRISTOPHER YOUNG (Composer) has scored an impressive number of films in a wide range of genres. His film credits include "Sweet November," "Wonder Boys," "Species," "Murder in the First," "Copycat," "Set It Off," and the true-life drama "The Hurricane."

Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, Young graduated from the Massachusetts Hampshire College and studied with film composer David Raksin ("Laura") while attending U.C.L.A. In addition to his busy film composing schedule, Young teaches film scoring at U.S.C., and serves on the board of The Film Music Society.

Seminal house DJ PAUL OAKENFOLD (Composer) was one of the founding fathers of the acid house scene that swept London in the late ‘80s and paved the way for the rise of electronica in the ‘90s. Today, Oakenfold remains one of the most respected and sought-after DJs/remixers in the business.

Oakenfold has also worked as an A&R consultant for record labels such as Profile and Def Jam. During this time, Oakenfold was responsible for signing hip-hop powerhouses Salt ‘n Pepa and Will Smith.

In addition to his numerous DJ gigs, Oakenfold has spent many hours in the studio remixing songs for the likes of U2, the Rolling Stones, Snoop Dogg, Smashing Pumpkins and Bjork. Oakenfold also established his own highly successful record label, Perfecto Records, home to Grace and Man With No Name, among others.

In 1998, after 10 years of uninterrupted success in the U.K., Oakenfold released his first full-length mix CD in the United States. Tranceport, an 11-track collection of Oakenfold’s best remixes, hit American record stores in early November 1998. That year, Oakenfold was voted "Best DJ in the World" by DJ magazine.

STEPHEN RIVKIN A.C.E. (Editor) most recently cut director Norman Jewison’s "The Hurricane," starring Denzel Washington. He previously worked with Jewison on the films "Bogus" and "Only You." His other feature film credits include "Idle Hands," "Excess Baggage," "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," "Bat-21," and "Hot Dog," as well as "Youngblood" and "The Personals," on which Rivkin also served as associate producer. Rivkin’s feature film credits as co-editor include "Nine Months," "Outbreak," "My Cousin Vinny" and "Fire in the Sky."

Television credits include TNT’s CableACE Award-nominated "Nightbreaker"; HBO’s "The Comrades of Summer" and "El Diablo"; and two films directed by Diane Keaton, Lifetime’s "Wildflower" and CBS’s "The Girl With the Crazy Brother."

© 2001 Warner Bros.

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