WHAT ARE THE CLONE WARS
"General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars."
- Princess Leia, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
For a thousand years, the Old Republic prospered and grew under the wise rule of the Senate and the protection of the Jedi Knights. But as often happens when wealth and power grow too fast and too far, greed-fueled evil soon took root. Commercial interests became over-valued, the Senate became corrupt, and an ambitious politician named Palpatine was voted Supreme Chancellor. Most disturbingly, after a thousand years of seeming absence, a dangerous legion reappeared: the Dark Lords of the Sith.
Amid this turmoil, a Separatist movement was formed by Count Dooku, a charismatic former Jedi. He promised an alternative to the corruption and greed that were running rampant - and he persuaded thousands of worlds to secede from the Republic.
Unbeknownst to most of his followers, Dooku was himself a Dark Lord of the Sith, acting in collusion with his mysterious master, Darth Sidious. Over the years, Sidious had struck an unholy alliance with the greater forces of commerce and their private droid armies, which were unstoppable simply due to their sheer numbers.
Eventually, Count Dooku lured the unsuspecting Jedi into a trap on the desolate planet Geonosis. Little did the Separatists know, the Jedi had discovered their own secret weapon: a massive army of clones that the Republic had secretly commissioned years earlier. The Jedi won the battle of Geonosis - but the victory was short-lived.
Instead of ensuring the Jedi's power, Geonosis became the first battle in a massive war that spread like wildfire across the galaxy, engulfing thousands of different star systems.
It was the start of the Clone Wars.
Now, the Jedi fight to maintain freedom and restore peace to the galaxy, using their army of clones against the massive droid army. Across hundreds of planets, the Jedi and Separatists fight for the future of the galaxy. As this terrible conflict grows ever wider, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano and Padmé Amidala are swept into the turmoil of war ... while Count Dooku, Darth Sidious and Asajj Ventress stop at nothing to ensure the fall of the Republic.
This is STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS.
Star Wars returns to the big screen
STAR WARS RETURNS TO THE BIG SCREEN
All New, CG-Animated Feature Film Event, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, Debuts Aug. 15
In 2005, STAR WARS: EPISODE III Revenge of the Sith brought the live-action, cinematic STAR WARS Saga to a close. But creator George Lucas and the storytellers at Lucasfilm Animation had more stories to tell about the "galaxy far, far away."
On-screen, the expansive, galaxy-changing Clone Wars was only fleetingly glimpsed in Revenge of the Sith and at the end of Episode II Attack of the Clones. But its importance to the STAR WARS galaxy is enormous - causing the Republic to become an Empire, leading to the "period of civil war" famously mentioned at the opening of Episode IV A New Hope.
Since its first reference in a passing remark by Luke Skywalker to Obi-Wan Kenobi more than 30 years ago in the very first STAR WARS movie, the subject has ignited the imaginations of moviegoers:
LUKE
You fought in the Clone Wars?
OBI-WAN
Yes. I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father.
LUKE
I wish I'd known him.
OBI-WAN
He was the best star pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand that you've become quite a good pilot yourself. And he was a good friend.
"For years and years, people have wondered what the Clone Wars were, based solely on this quick mention," says Clone Wars director Dave Filoni. "The live-action movies were really centered on the Skywalker family, and we've never gotten to see the full breadth of the conflict."
Now, with the new animated feature, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, audiences will at last experience the galaxy-changing conflict, which simultaneously expands the scope of STAR WARS beyond anything that had been seen in the previous films, and also introduces new characters, new dramas and new adventures.
The backdrop of the Clone Wars, Filoni says, offers a chance to tell the tale of a struggle that turned a Republic into an Empire and paved the way for a civil war that ultimately resulted in freedom for the galaxy. "We may be dealing with a small window of time, but the scope of war - particularly a galactic war - is pretty expansive," he says. "There's a lot going on - heroes, villains, intrigue, adventure. It's all part of the story we know, but it's always been in the background. Until now."
One of the first steps in bringing STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS to the screen was finding the right entry point. The previous films had been confined to the Skywalker saga, but THE CLONE WARS offered nearly limitless options.
"A war, by nature, is a patchwork of untold stories," says STAR WARS creator George Lucas. "What's fascinating to me is that there are people motivating these far-reaching events, and that those individuals are so often overshadowed by the big picture, by the events themselves. We know what happens to the galaxy, but we don't know exactly how it all came to pass. These are the stories behind the story."
Taking an entirely fresh approach to a film series that is forever imprinted on the minds of generations of fans, Lucas sought to create a distinct visual style that would evoke the spirit of the films, while at the same time bring a unique, distinctive look to the first animated STAR WARS movie.
"We didn't want it to look photo-realistic," Lucas explains. "We were working with animation, and we wanted to really utilize the format. That meant shifting our thinking a bit. It's a whole different way of telling stories, and it gives us the freedom to do things that just aren't possible in live-action."
While overseeing the project as executive producer, Lucas brought in Dave Filoni - a veteran of Avatar: The Last Airbender and numerous animation projects - to serve as director. With a deep-rooted fandom and a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the STAR WARS universe, Filoni proved the perfect choice to take the reins.
"I've been dreaming about STAR WARS since I was a kid, playing with the toys in the backyard with my brother," Filoni notes. "Actually working on a STAR WARS movie is beyond anything I could have imagined. It's great to work in this world that I love so much, and to do it with George Lucas. Coming from a fan perspective, I also realize how important it is to do it right."
With an entirely new story and a cast of characters that grows in significant ways, Filoni says STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS holds true to the films that came before it, while bringing a new sense of adventure and excitement to the STAR WARS galaxy. "There's one thing we knew we had to deliver above all else - a STAR WARS movie," Filoni says. "The characters are distinctly stylized, while their environments come to life in a much more realistic way, very much creating the kind of immersive worlds people expect to see in a STAR WARS movie."
All New, CG-Animated Feature Film Event, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, Debuts Aug. 15
In 2005, STAR WARS: EPISODE III Revenge of the Sith brought the live-action, cinematic STAR WARS Saga to a close. But creator George Lucas and the storytellers at Lucasfilm Animation had more stories to tell about the "galaxy far, far away."
On-screen, the expansive, galaxy-changing Clone Wars was only fleetingly glimpsed in Revenge of the Sith and at the end of Episode II Attack of the Clones. But its importance to the STAR WARS galaxy is enormous - causing the Republic to become an Empire, leading to the "period of civil war" famously mentioned at the opening of Episode IV A New Hope.
Since its first reference in a passing remark by Luke Skywalker to Obi-Wan Kenobi more than 30 years ago in the very first STAR WARS movie, the subject has ignited the imaginations of moviegoers:
LUKE
You fought in the Clone Wars?
OBI-WAN
Yes. I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father.
LUKE
I wish I'd known him.
OBI-WAN
He was the best star pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand that you've become quite a good pilot yourself. And he was a good friend.
"For years and years, people have wondered what the Clone Wars were, based solely on this quick mention," says Clone Wars director Dave Filoni. "The live-action movies were really centered on the Skywalker family, and we've never gotten to see the full breadth of the conflict."
Now, with the new animated feature, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, audiences will at last experience the galaxy-changing conflict, which simultaneously expands the scope of STAR WARS beyond anything that had been seen in the previous films, and also introduces new characters, new dramas and new adventures.
The backdrop of the Clone Wars, Filoni says, offers a chance to tell the tale of a struggle that turned a Republic into an Empire and paved the way for a civil war that ultimately resulted in freedom for the galaxy. "We may be dealing with a small window of time, but the scope of war - particularly a galactic war - is pretty expansive," he says. "There's a lot going on - heroes, villains, intrigue, adventure. It's all part of the story we know, but it's always been in the background. Until now."
One of the first steps in bringing STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS to the screen was finding the right entry point. The previous films had been confined to the Skywalker saga, but THE CLONE WARS offered nearly limitless options.
"A war, by nature, is a patchwork of untold stories," says STAR WARS creator George Lucas. "What's fascinating to me is that there are people motivating these far-reaching events, and that those individuals are so often overshadowed by the big picture, by the events themselves. We know what happens to the galaxy, but we don't know exactly how it all came to pass. These are the stories behind the story."
Taking an entirely fresh approach to a film series that is forever imprinted on the minds of generations of fans, Lucas sought to create a distinct visual style that would evoke the spirit of the films, while at the same time bring a unique, distinctive look to the first animated STAR WARS movie.
"We didn't want it to look photo-realistic," Lucas explains. "We were working with animation, and we wanted to really utilize the format. That meant shifting our thinking a bit. It's a whole different way of telling stories, and it gives us the freedom to do things that just aren't possible in live-action."
While overseeing the project as executive producer, Lucas brought in Dave Filoni - a veteran of Avatar: The Last Airbender and numerous animation projects - to serve as director. With a deep-rooted fandom and a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the STAR WARS universe, Filoni proved the perfect choice to take the reins.
"I've been dreaming about STAR WARS since I was a kid, playing with the toys in the backyard with my brother," Filoni notes. "Actually working on a STAR WARS movie is beyond anything I could have imagined. It's great to work in this world that I love so much, and to do it with George Lucas. Coming from a fan perspective, I also realize how important it is to do it right."
With an entirely new story and a cast of characters that grows in significant ways, Filoni says STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS holds true to the films that came before it, while bringing a new sense of adventure and excitement to the STAR WARS galaxy. "There's one thing we knew we had to deliver above all else - a STAR WARS movie," Filoni says. "The characters are distinctly stylized, while their environments come to life in a much more realistic way, very much creating the kind of immersive worlds people expect to see in a STAR WARS movie."
Star Wars takes on a dazzling new look
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
As more star systems become swept up in the Clone Wars, the valiant Jedi Knights struggle to maintain order. Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano, embark on a fateful mission that brings them face-to-face with Jabba the Hutt. Plotting against them is the evil Count Dooku and his sinister agent, Asajj Ventress, who will stop at nothing to ensure the Jedis fail. Meanwhile, Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi lead the clone army against the forces of the Dark Side.
Production notes
STAR WARS takes on a dazzling new look in the first-ever animated feature from Lucasfilm Animation - STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS.
As the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy, the heroic Jedi Knights struggle to maintain order and restore peace. More and more systems are falling prey to the forces of the dark side as the Galactic Republic slips further and further under the sway of the Separatists and their never-ending droid army.
Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano find themselves on a mission with far-reaching consequences, one that brings them face-to-face with crime lord Jabba the Hutt. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents, including the nefarious Asajj Ventress, will stop at nothing to ensure that Anakin and Ahsoka fail at their quest. Meanwhile, on the front lines of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda lead the massive clone army in a valiant effort to resist the forces of the dark side...
The voice cast features Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker; Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano; James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi; Dee Bradley Baker as Captain Rex and the Clone Troopers; Tom Kane as Yoda; Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress; Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine; Anthony Daniels as C-3PO; Christopher Lee as Count Dooku; and Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu.
The Lucasfilm Ltd. production of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS is directed by Dave Filoni; written by Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching and Scott Murphy; and produced by Catherine Winder. George Lucas serves as executive producer.
The movie features a score by Kevin Kiner, with original STAR WARS themes and scores by John Williams. The creative team for STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS also includes editor Jason W.A. Tucker; supervising sound editor Matthew Wood; and animation directors Jesse Yeh and Kevin Jong. Gail Currey is the Lucasfilm Animation executive in charge of production.
As more star systems become swept up in the Clone Wars, the valiant Jedi Knights struggle to maintain order. Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano, embark on a fateful mission that brings them face-to-face with Jabba the Hutt. Plotting against them is the evil Count Dooku and his sinister agent, Asajj Ventress, who will stop at nothing to ensure the Jedis fail. Meanwhile, Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi lead the clone army against the forces of the Dark Side.
Production notes
STAR WARS takes on a dazzling new look in the first-ever animated feature from Lucasfilm Animation - STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS.
As the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy, the heroic Jedi Knights struggle to maintain order and restore peace. More and more systems are falling prey to the forces of the dark side as the Galactic Republic slips further and further under the sway of the Separatists and their never-ending droid army.
Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano find themselves on a mission with far-reaching consequences, one that brings them face-to-face with crime lord Jabba the Hutt. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents, including the nefarious Asajj Ventress, will stop at nothing to ensure that Anakin and Ahsoka fail at their quest. Meanwhile, on the front lines of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda lead the massive clone army in a valiant effort to resist the forces of the dark side...
The voice cast features Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker; Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano; James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi; Dee Bradley Baker as Captain Rex and the Clone Troopers; Tom Kane as Yoda; Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress; Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine; Anthony Daniels as C-3PO; Christopher Lee as Count Dooku; and Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu.
The Lucasfilm Ltd. production of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS is directed by Dave Filoni; written by Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching and Scott Murphy; and produced by Catherine Winder. George Lucas serves as executive producer.
The movie features a score by Kevin Kiner, with original STAR WARS themes and scores by John Williams. The creative team for STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS also includes editor Jason W.A. Tucker; supervising sound editor Matthew Wood; and animation directors Jesse Yeh and Kevin Jong. Gail Currey is the Lucasfilm Animation executive in charge of production.
Disaster Movie Production Details
With their own inimitable and imaginative satirical style, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer – the filmmaking team behind Scary Movie, Date Movie, Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans - take on one of the biggest and most bloated movie genres of all time: disaster films.
Slyly named DISASTER MOVIE, the comedy/drama/adventure/romance/action film not in 3D centers on a group of ridiculously attractive twenty-somethings who are trying to make their way to safety as every known natural disaster - asteroids, twisters, earthquakes, the works - hits the city on one fateful night. The story follows these friends on their comic misadventures as they face catastrophic events while they simultaneously try to bring an end to the destruction by solving a series of mysteries. DISASTER MOVIE takes aim at everything and everyone, from Sex and the City and Iron Man to Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, lampooning movies, pop culture icons and public figures along the way.
“Every possible disaster you can think of – both of natural causes and man made – that can occur in a twenty-four hour period are included in the film,” says Friedberg. “There is nothing too outlandish to have some fun with, be it a weather catastrophe or an individual with an oversized persona. Everything is fair game.”
DISASTER MOVIE spoofs some of the biggest hits and names-in-the-news of the year. With the jokes coming fast and furiously, the film opens with a parody of 10,000 BC by depicting a dim-witted prehistoric man running for his life from a dinosaur. While trying to escape, he runs into both Wolf from American Gladiators, who challenges him to a fight, and Amy Winehouse, who he mistakes for a saber tooth tiger. She drunkenly removes a lap top from her beehive hairdo to check her Facebook profile.
Two of the leading characters - Juney and Enchanted Princess - are also parodies in themselves. Juney has an uncanny similarity to the pregnant teenager Juno, with her witty and clever quips. The Enchanted Princess is a spoof on Enchanted. Even with her vulgarity and promiscuity, she is straight from a fairy tale. Other outrageous spoofs include the cast breaking into a High School Musical like performance and Hannah Montana being killed by a falling asteroid.
To bring these over-the-top situations and personalities to life, the film needed confident, no-holds-barred actors and crew. The stars of the movie, in particular, were a truly creative force with their own individual wit and charm.
Leading the cast is Matt Lanter (“Heroes,” STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS) as “Will Jones,” whose romantic troubles propel the story forward. Lanter, who has been seen on television, in film and even on the theater stage, make his first foray into the genre with DISASTER MOVIE.
Says the actor, “I've never done a spoof movie so it's my first experience working with the guys and this kind of story. I've always wanted to do this sort of film, having grown up on movies like Hot Shots and the Naked Guns. They're my favorite movies of all time. This is a dream come true.”
In traditional spoof style, the film pokes fun at many of the icons of the day. “When my character Will’s girlfriend gets lost, the film takes the rest of the group on this wacky journey through a bunch of other stuff. I can't even list it all! I also play the guy from 10,000 BC which is the opening of the movie. I’ve got the beard and the dreads. It's gonna be huge! I even play Zac Efron from High School Musical. I've got the High School Musical songs in my head and I can't get them out.”
Returning to the spoof fold is siren Carmen Electra, who rejoins Friedberg and Seltzer in yet another of their movies. Vanessa Minnillo and Kim Kardashian both make their motion picture acting debuts with DISASTER MOVIE. Rounding out the cast Tad Hilgenbrink and a cavalcade of improvisational comedians, including Nicole Parker, Crista Flanagan and Ike Barinholtz, all of “Mad TV” fame, and Gary “G-Thang” Johnson.
“I feel so lucky because I’ve been able to work with Aaron and Jason a bunch of times,” says Electra, who previously teamed up with them for Date Movie, Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans. “I just love them – both the guys and their movies. I just feel really comfortable. Honestly, where else can you work with such great guys, with a funny script, and all the fun stuff they put in them?”
For instance, in a wrestling match, spoofing World Wrestling Entertainment, Electra faces off Kim Kardashian with a gleam in their eyes – and practically no wardrobe.
“She is just the sweetest thing ever,” says Kardashian of Electra, “but with this huge wrestling scene between us, it was so intimidating. I’m wearing leotards and basically nothing else and we’re just all over each other. I was nervous because she’s like half my size, but she was amazing, and she really helped me through it. That scene was probably my favorite out of the whole movie.”
Added Electra, “It was just so much fun to shoot. When you watch the movie, you can tell the cast is really having a good time. I think the audience will have as much fun watching it as we did making it. Movies like this…it’s all about having a good time.”
Minnillo is also making her motion picture debut with the film, though she already has a great deal of experience in front of the cameras. “This is my first movie, and I’m super excited it’s with Jason and Aaron,” she says. “I’m a huge spoof movie fan. Actually, it’s funny because I think the girls from ‘Mad TV’ pseudo-spoofed me, and now they are all on the set with me. As long as you have a good sense of humor and a good head on your shoulders, then it’s flattering. So go ahead: spoof away!”
Though Kardashian has become a big reality television star, she had never been in a feature film prior to DISASTER MOVIE. “I definitely want to pursue acting,” she says, “and this was the perfect film to start with. The directors and producer have been so amazing with me and with everybody. Just helping us every step of the way. I’m really fortunate.”
It wasn’t all fun and games, however. At one point, there was real tension on the set when Flanagan, who did a “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” sketch on her show “Mad TV,” was going to meet Kardashian for the first time.
“I was really nervous about meeting her given the sketch I did of her family,” said Flanagan. “I held my breath when I first saw her and thought, ‘Oh, please don't bring it up.’ But Kim walked right up and said ‘I thought that was really funny and cool.’ Ah, crisis averted.”
For Flanagan, the story even gets better. On set, Kardashian had a spider web on her butt, and she yelled, ‘Get it off! Get it off!’ Said Flanagan, “The next thing you know I'm touching Kim's ass! That's so cool, sort of, but weird. The crew couldn’t get over it. Everyone was like, ‘you touched her ass!’ It was a very proud moment.”
The cast and filmmakers are particularly excited about DISASTER MOVIE because, as G-Thang says, “it takes the genre to a whole new level. There’s a lot of stuff going on in the movie. Stuff is falling. Cars are on fire. Buildings are blowing up. There’s never been a spoof movie where there’s been so much action and spectacle but that’s why it’s our job to save the world.”
It was indeed “lunacy on the set,” says Peter Safran, the producer of DISASTER MOVIE with Friedberg and Seltzer. “Pretty much on a daily basis, everybody was weeping with laughter. We had very, very funny people all around us, and the improvs and comic riffs they all did were amazing and ingenious. One of the greatest things about a Jason-and-Aaron production is the relaxed but efficient manner of their sets. They are inherently good guys. They tend to use many of the same actors and crew so there is a short hand of sorts involved. People enjoy working with and for them.”
The filmmakers, per their custom, tend not to like to talk about themselves or their projects. “What are we supposed to say – that we are clever and witty guys?,” says Seltzer who notes that core demographic for their films are teenagers and twenty-somethings – a generation once or even twice removed from their own ages. “What we and our audience have in common is that we are very aware of and interested in pop culture and our love of social and cultural satirization. It’s a very particular type of humor, but one that hopefully resonates with moviegoers.”
Slyly named DISASTER MOVIE, the comedy/drama/adventure/romance/action film not in 3D centers on a group of ridiculously attractive twenty-somethings who are trying to make their way to safety as every known natural disaster - asteroids, twisters, earthquakes, the works - hits the city on one fateful night. The story follows these friends on their comic misadventures as they face catastrophic events while they simultaneously try to bring an end to the destruction by solving a series of mysteries. DISASTER MOVIE takes aim at everything and everyone, from Sex and the City and Iron Man to Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, lampooning movies, pop culture icons and public figures along the way.
“Every possible disaster you can think of – both of natural causes and man made – that can occur in a twenty-four hour period are included in the film,” says Friedberg. “There is nothing too outlandish to have some fun with, be it a weather catastrophe or an individual with an oversized persona. Everything is fair game.”
DISASTER MOVIE spoofs some of the biggest hits and names-in-the-news of the year. With the jokes coming fast and furiously, the film opens with a parody of 10,000 BC by depicting a dim-witted prehistoric man running for his life from a dinosaur. While trying to escape, he runs into both Wolf from American Gladiators, who challenges him to a fight, and Amy Winehouse, who he mistakes for a saber tooth tiger. She drunkenly removes a lap top from her beehive hairdo to check her Facebook profile.
Two of the leading characters - Juney and Enchanted Princess - are also parodies in themselves. Juney has an uncanny similarity to the pregnant teenager Juno, with her witty and clever quips. The Enchanted Princess is a spoof on Enchanted. Even with her vulgarity and promiscuity, she is straight from a fairy tale. Other outrageous spoofs include the cast breaking into a High School Musical like performance and Hannah Montana being killed by a falling asteroid.
To bring these over-the-top situations and personalities to life, the film needed confident, no-holds-barred actors and crew. The stars of the movie, in particular, were a truly creative force with their own individual wit and charm.
Leading the cast is Matt Lanter (“Heroes,” STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS) as “Will Jones,” whose romantic troubles propel the story forward. Lanter, who has been seen on television, in film and even on the theater stage, make his first foray into the genre with DISASTER MOVIE.
Says the actor, “I've never done a spoof movie so it's my first experience working with the guys and this kind of story. I've always wanted to do this sort of film, having grown up on movies like Hot Shots and the Naked Guns. They're my favorite movies of all time. This is a dream come true.”
In traditional spoof style, the film pokes fun at many of the icons of the day. “When my character Will’s girlfriend gets lost, the film takes the rest of the group on this wacky journey through a bunch of other stuff. I can't even list it all! I also play the guy from 10,000 BC which is the opening of the movie. I’ve got the beard and the dreads. It's gonna be huge! I even play Zac Efron from High School Musical. I've got the High School Musical songs in my head and I can't get them out.”
Returning to the spoof fold is siren Carmen Electra, who rejoins Friedberg and Seltzer in yet another of their movies. Vanessa Minnillo and Kim Kardashian both make their motion picture acting debuts with DISASTER MOVIE. Rounding out the cast Tad Hilgenbrink and a cavalcade of improvisational comedians, including Nicole Parker, Crista Flanagan and Ike Barinholtz, all of “Mad TV” fame, and Gary “G-Thang” Johnson.
“I feel so lucky because I’ve been able to work with Aaron and Jason a bunch of times,” says Electra, who previously teamed up with them for Date Movie, Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans. “I just love them – both the guys and their movies. I just feel really comfortable. Honestly, where else can you work with such great guys, with a funny script, and all the fun stuff they put in them?”
For instance, in a wrestling match, spoofing World Wrestling Entertainment, Electra faces off Kim Kardashian with a gleam in their eyes – and practically no wardrobe.
“She is just the sweetest thing ever,” says Kardashian of Electra, “but with this huge wrestling scene between us, it was so intimidating. I’m wearing leotards and basically nothing else and we’re just all over each other. I was nervous because she’s like half my size, but she was amazing, and she really helped me through it. That scene was probably my favorite out of the whole movie.”
Added Electra, “It was just so much fun to shoot. When you watch the movie, you can tell the cast is really having a good time. I think the audience will have as much fun watching it as we did making it. Movies like this…it’s all about having a good time.”
Minnillo is also making her motion picture debut with the film, though she already has a great deal of experience in front of the cameras. “This is my first movie, and I’m super excited it’s with Jason and Aaron,” she says. “I’m a huge spoof movie fan. Actually, it’s funny because I think the girls from ‘Mad TV’ pseudo-spoofed me, and now they are all on the set with me. As long as you have a good sense of humor and a good head on your shoulders, then it’s flattering. So go ahead: spoof away!”
Though Kardashian has become a big reality television star, she had never been in a feature film prior to DISASTER MOVIE. “I definitely want to pursue acting,” she says, “and this was the perfect film to start with. The directors and producer have been so amazing with me and with everybody. Just helping us every step of the way. I’m really fortunate.”
It wasn’t all fun and games, however. At one point, there was real tension on the set when Flanagan, who did a “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” sketch on her show “Mad TV,” was going to meet Kardashian for the first time.
“I was really nervous about meeting her given the sketch I did of her family,” said Flanagan. “I held my breath when I first saw her and thought, ‘Oh, please don't bring it up.’ But Kim walked right up and said ‘I thought that was really funny and cool.’ Ah, crisis averted.”
For Flanagan, the story even gets better. On set, Kardashian had a spider web on her butt, and she yelled, ‘Get it off! Get it off!’ Said Flanagan, “The next thing you know I'm touching Kim's ass! That's so cool, sort of, but weird. The crew couldn’t get over it. Everyone was like, ‘you touched her ass!’ It was a very proud moment.”
The cast and filmmakers are particularly excited about DISASTER MOVIE because, as G-Thang says, “it takes the genre to a whole new level. There’s a lot of stuff going on in the movie. Stuff is falling. Cars are on fire. Buildings are blowing up. There’s never been a spoof movie where there’s been so much action and spectacle but that’s why it’s our job to save the world.”
It was indeed “lunacy on the set,” says Peter Safran, the producer of DISASTER MOVIE with Friedberg and Seltzer. “Pretty much on a daily basis, everybody was weeping with laughter. We had very, very funny people all around us, and the improvs and comic riffs they all did were amazing and ingenious. One of the greatest things about a Jason-and-Aaron production is the relaxed but efficient manner of their sets. They are inherently good guys. They tend to use many of the same actors and crew so there is a short hand of sorts involved. People enjoy working with and for them.”
The filmmakers, per their custom, tend not to like to talk about themselves or their projects. “What are we supposed to say – that we are clever and witty guys?,” says Seltzer who notes that core demographic for their films are teenagers and twenty-somethings – a generation once or even twice removed from their own ages. “What we and our audience have in common is that we are very aware of and interested in pop culture and our love of social and cultural satirization. It’s a very particular type of humor, but one that hopefully resonates with moviegoers.”
Disaster Movie - The Cast - The Filmmakers
Disaster Movie - The Cast
Matt Lanter Will
Vanessa Minnillo Amy
Gary “G-Thang” Johnson Calvin
Nicole Parker Enchanted Princess
Crista Flanagan Juney
Kim Kardashian Lisa
Ike Barinholtz Wolf
Carmen Electra Beautiful Assassin
Disaster Movie - The Filmmakers
Directed, written, produced by Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer
Produced by Peter Safran
Executive Producer Hal Olofsson
Co-Producer Jerry P. Jacobs
Associate Producer Kenny Yates
Director of Photography Shawn Maurer
Production Designer William Elliott
Edited by Peck Prior
Costume Designer Frank Helmer
Music Supervisor Dave Jordan Jojo Villanueva
Music by Christopher Lennertz
Casting by Amanda Koblin
Matt Lanter Will
Vanessa Minnillo Amy
Gary “G-Thang” Johnson Calvin
Nicole Parker Enchanted Princess
Crista Flanagan Juney
Kim Kardashian Lisa
Ike Barinholtz Wolf
Carmen Electra Beautiful Assassin
Disaster Movie - The Filmmakers
Directed, written, produced by Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer
Produced by Peter Safran
Executive Producer Hal Olofsson
Co-Producer Jerry P. Jacobs
Associate Producer Kenny Yates
Director of Photography Shawn Maurer
Production Designer William Elliott
Edited by Peck Prior
Costume Designer Frank Helmer
Music Supervisor Dave Jordan Jojo Villanueva
Music by Christopher Lennertz
Casting by Amanda Koblin
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