5 August, 2004
AUSTIN, August 5, 2004 – Production began here this week on “The King,” ContentFilm’s drama starring Gael García Bernal, William Hurt, Laura Harring, Paul Dano and Pell James. James Marsh directs the film from an original screenplay by Academy Award-nominee Milo Addica (“Monster’s Ball”) and Marsh. “The King” is produced by Addica and James Wilson, with ContentFilm’s Edward R. Pressman, John Schmidt and Sofia Sondervan serving as executive producers.
“The King” tells the story of Elvis Sandow (Bernal) – a 21 year old just out of the Navy who seeks out the father he never knew, only to find that his father (Hurt) is now the pastor of a thriving Baptist church in Corpus Christi, Texas. With a beautiful wife, Twyla (Harring), and two picture-perfect children, Malerie (Pell) and Paul (Dano), the Pastor wants nothing to do with Elvis, who’s an uncomfortable reminder of his own wayward past. As the story unfolds, Elvis falls in love with his half-sister Malerie and begins to infiltrate the family, and the stage is set for the unleashing of violence and tragedy of truly biblical proportions.
An award-winning director of British documentaries, James Marsh is best known here for his film “Wisconsin Death Trip” – an unusual hybrid of drama and documentary that was originally produced for British television on an ultra low budget. The winner of many awards, the film made a significant impact on the festival circuit and is still touring art house cinemas in the US three years after its original theatrical release. Marsh has been based in New York since 1995, where he has produced and directed projects for HBO and @radicalmedia. In 2000, Marsh began shooting commercial spots and recently directed major TV advertising campaigns for Audi and Coca-Cola. “The King” will be Marsh’s feature film directorial debut.
Milo Addica was nominated for an Academy Award for co-writing 2002’s “Monster’s Ball,” for which Halle Berry won an Oscar for Best Actress. Addica is involved with a number of high-profile projects in addition to “The King,” including a screenplay he co-wrote with Jonathan Glazer (“Sexy Beast”) entitled “Birth,” starring Nicole Kidman and Danny Huston, which Fine Line will release following its world premiere at the upcoming Venice Film Festival. Addica has also written “Iron Cross,” a high profile project for Imagine Entertainment.
ContentFilm’s recent productions include “The Cooler,” the acclaimed dark romance starring William H. Macy and Alec Baldwin, for which Baldwin was nominated for an Academy Award. This spring Fox Searchlight released Ernest Dickerson’s “Never Die Alone” starring DMX and David Arquette. United Artists will release David Gordon Green’s next film, “Undertow,” starring Dermot Mulroney, Josh Lucas and Jamie Bell, October 29th.
“The King” will shoot in and around Austin through mid-September.
For immediate release, please contact:
Jeremy Walker, 212-595-6161
