Based on the best-selling book by Cornelia Funke, “Inkheart” is a fantasy adventure that sends a father and daughter on a quest through worlds both real and imagined.
Mortimer “Mo” Folchart (Brendan Fraser) and his 12-year-old daughter, Meggie (Eliza Hope Bennett), share a passion for books.What they also share is an extraordinary gift for bringing characters from books to life when they read aloud.But there is a danger: when a character is brought to life from a book, a real person disappears into its pages.
On one of their trips to a secondhand book shop, Mo hears voices he hasn’t heard for years, and when he locates the book they’re coming from, it sends a shiver up his spine.It’s Inkheart, a book filled with illustrations of medieval castles and strange creatures - a book he’s been searching for since Meggie was three years old, when her mother, Resa (Sienna Guillory), vanished into its mystical world.
But Mo’s plan to use the book to find and rescue Resa is thwarted when Capricorn (Andy Serkis), the evil villain of Inkheart, kidnaps Meggie and, discovering she has inherited her father’s gift, demands that she bring his most powerful ally to life - the Shadow.Determined to rescue his daughter and send the fictional characters back where they belong, Mo assembles a small group of friends and family - some from the real world, some from the pages of books - and embarks on a daring and perilous journey to set things right.
Based on the best-selling novel by Cornelia Funke, “Inkheart” stars Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy” films, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”), Paul Bettany (“The Da Vinci Code,”“A Beautiful Mind”), Oscar winner Helen Mirren (“The Queen,”“National Treasure: Book of Secrets”), Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (“Iris,” upcoming “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”), Andy Serkis (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy), Eliza Hope Bennett (“Nanny McPhee”) and Rafi Gavron (“Breaking and Entering”).
A New Line Cinema Presentation, “Inkheart” is directed by Iain Softley (“The Skeleton Key,”“The Wings of the Dove”) from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (“Rabbit Hole,”“Robots”).Iain Softley, Diana Pokorny and Cornelia Funke produced the film, with Toby Emmerich, Mark Ordesky and Ileen Maisel serving as executive producers.
The behind-the-scenes creative team is led by Oscar-nominated director of photography Roger Pratt (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,”“The End of the Affair”), production designer John Beard (“The History Boys”), Oscar-winning editor Martin Walsh (“V for Vendetta,”“Chicago”), costume designer Verity Hawkes (“Snatch”), and Oscar-nominated composer Javier Navarrete (“Pan’s Labyrinth”).
“Inkheart” will be distributed domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
This film has been rated PGfor fantasy adventure action,
some scary moments and brief language.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
“This is the story you’ve been waiting to hear.”
“What are the boundaries between what is real and what is imagined?”asks “Inkheart” director Iain Softley. “That’s something in which I’ve always been interested - the way that fantasy can impinge on the real world.And when you are talking about books and stories,especially in the mind of a child or an adolescent, then those boundaries between reality and imagination are even more fascinating to explore.One of the things that appealed to me about ‘Inkheart’ is that it’s a story that bridges the everyday and fantasy realms.”
The film “Inkheart” is based on a best-selling book of the same name by internationally acclaimed author Cornelia Funke.An instant sensation when it was published in 2004, Inkheart became a #1 New York Times bestseller, spending a total of 70 weeks on the list and going on to be translated into 37 languages.The first novel in Funke’s Inkworld trilogy, Inkheart was followed by Inkspell, published in 2005, and the latest book, Inkdeath, which was just published in 2008.In 2005, Funke, who has written nearly 50 books, was named one of Time magazine’s “Most Influential People of the Year.”
“Inkheart”charts the adventures of Mortimer “Mo” Folchart and his daughter, Meggie, as they battle the evil forces of a fictional world - forces Mo himself inadvertently called forth from the pages of a fantastical story by reading it aloud.
While the thought of characters springing to life at the mere mention of their names could be perceived as a cautionary tale, Brendan Fraser, who plays the part of Mo, counters, “I think ‘Inkheart’advocates the written word read aloud.To have people read aloud to one another is quite powerful - parents to children, children to adults, teachers to children, children to each other... It’s an interesting notion that something real might come out of the story, but if the listener actually believes it in their imagination, it might as well be real.There is always room for a story that relies on the power of literature.”
Producer Diana Pokorny knows exactly how much of an impact the novel has had on young readers. “My daughters are voracious readers and my eldest daughter’s favorite book is Inkheart.She knows the book backwards and forwards and talked incessantly about it, so it really did seem fateful that I would get the opportunity to be a part of the film.For me, it is a story about the love of reading and the power of books, but, more importantly, it is a story about home and family.And as themother of two ardent fans, and as a fan myself, it was quite magical to see those words that we loved to read so much as a family actually come to life.”
Softley, who also served as a producer on the film,notes, “Cornelia provided us with such rich material that bringing it to life was the easy part.She created a wonderful, magical adventure, and her vivid descriptions and illustrations enabled us to step into her book within a book.”
Funke, who produced the film with Softley and Pokorny, says that she knew Softley was the ideal person to take the helm in bringing her book to the screen. “‘The Wings of the Dove’ is one of my all-time favorite movies, one of the most brilliant film adaptations of a book I’ve ever seen.So when I heard that Iainwas interested in directing ‘Inkheart,’ I was thrilled.I knew he wouldn’t back away from the darker elements of the story, but would nevertheless fill it with warmth.He is an excellent actors’ director, but he’s also one of the most visual directors with an exceptional feeling for texture and color.I could not imagine a better choice for ‘Inkheart.’”
Together with executive producer Ileen Maisel, Funke was also instrumental in the choice of David Lindsay-Abaire to adapt her novel.The author worked closely with him throughout the course of crafting the screenplay, which was “a very interesting process for me as a writer,”she says. “I believe if you stick too closely to a book, it can paralyze you creatively.I knew David loved the book, so I wanted to free him from being too faithful to it.I said,‘Just go for the heart,’and when I finally saw the script, it was a magical moment.It was a thrill for me to see my story through the eyes of another artist.That is the greatest privilege of being a storyteller - to have the opportunity to work with so many incredibly gifted people to tell my story again in a different way.What a kick!”
“I was very eager to work with Cornelia,” Lindsay-Abaire states. “I had read the book a couple of times and relished every page of it.It’s a terrific story, filled with adventure and characters that were wonderfully rich and fun to explore, and I loved how complicated many of the relationships between them are.But I was mostly drawn to what Inkheart says about the power of books and storytelling.I was honored to be entrusted with adapting it and felt a strong obligation to stay true to the spirit and tone of her book.She and I were in constant contact while I was writing the screenplay.Some things inevitably change from page to screen because they are very different mediums, but it was important to me that Cornelia be a part of the process and approve the choices we made.It’s her baby, after all.”
Softley remarks,“One of the things I really look for in a scriptis if I can see the film in my head, and that was definitely the case with this one.As I was turning the pages, I couldn’t wait to know what was going to happen next.The characters leapt off the page, really fascinating, diverse characters, each with his or her own distinct attributes.”
“I prefer a story that has the good sense to
stay on the page where it belongs.”
For Funke, the casting of Brendan Fraser as Mo was the fulfillment of her original vision for the character. “Brendan inspired this character from the very beginning,” the author reveals. “I pictured Mo with Brendan’s face and Brendan’s voice.Hehas an exceptionally beautiful and expressive voice, which is very important for this character.” Very important, because, in the world of “Inkheart,” Mo is known as a “Silvertongue” - someone who can speak the written word into reality.
Fraser recalls being surprised and honored when he was told of his connection to the character long before there was even a screenplay. “I first learned about the book Inkheart when Cornelia sent me a copy with an inscription that read, ‘Thank you for inspiring this character.I hope that you can read it aloud to your kids one day and enjoy it.’ I was so flattered I didn’t know how to respond except to thank her.We became acquainted over the next few months and, needless to say, it was a privilege for me to help her realize the journey of this character.”
Softley relates that as casting for the movie commenced, “Brendan was already part of the project from Cornelia’s point of view.But when he heard I was going to direct the film, he flew to London and said, ‘You’re the director; it has to be your choice.I would like the role, but I don’t want it to be a fait accompli.If you don’t think I’m right for it, I wouldn’t want to do it.’ I thought that was incredibly gracious, but I actually agreed with Cornelia that he was very much the right person for the part.Brendan had all the characteristics that I saw in Mo, and they really shined through.He’s played action hero roles and is an obviously strong presence on the screen.But he also has an incredibly sympathetic quality to him, which is very appropriate for Mo.”
Mo has been hiding a secret from his young daughter, Meggie. “Her mother disappeared under mysterious circumstances nine years ago due to Mo’s strange ability to make real anything printed when he reads aloud,” Fraser offers. “Innocently enough, he was reading Meggie a bedtime story from an obscure book they found called Inkheart...and something terrible happened.Three of the book’s characters came to life and then disappeared into the night.But there was a trade off: his wife and Meggie’s mother, Resa, went into the book.And that’s what sent Mo on his expedition to find Resa and set things right.”
Unfortunately for Mo, the characters releasedfromInkheart stole his only copy of the book.Nine years later, he is still searching through the dusty shelves of bookstores far and wide, hunting for his only hope: another copy of Inkheart.
Only three years old when her mother vanished, Meggie has no memory of that fateful night.And though she knows Mo is keeping something important from her, she never could have imagined the truth about her father’s amazing gift...a gift she inherited.
Meggie is played by British actress Eliza Hope Bennett, who won the role over hundreds of other young hopefuls.Describing her character, Bennett says, “Meggie is a bookworm like her father, but he does not allow her to read aloud, which frustrates her because she doesn’t know why.She also has a natural curiosity about her mother, but if she ever brings her up to Mo, he instantly shuts her down, so she knows not to push it.She’s always been very dependent on her father because he’s the only parent she’s had, but I think over the course of the film she is forced to become more independent.She grows up quite a lot by the end of the story.”
The close relationship between Mo and Meggie was mirrored by the actors playing them. “When I first met Brendan, I knew it was extremely important that we got on because Meggie and Mo have such a strong relationship.He was so warm and welcoming to me, we got along immediately.I found it really easy to treat him as my father because he treated me as if I were his daughter.He was just so nice and really caring.”
Fraser has equal praise for his co-star, saying, “It was a privilege to be working with a young person who is so intelligent and thoughtful and so enthusiastic about her work.She’s remarkably talented as an actress, which is evident, but as a person, she’s just a terrific kid.It’s going to be exciting to see where she goes from here, but I think we’re going to be seeing a great deal more of her in the years to come.”
Softley agrees, noting, “There is something about Eliza that is very understated, very natural.She was just so effortlessly who Meggie was.And working with her was such a pleasure.She always knew her lines perfectly and was able to take direction very quickly.She was a joy.”
Certainly the filmmakers consideredit one of their biggest casting coups to havesecuredOscar winner Helen Mirren for the role of Meggie’s great-aunt Elinor. “To me, Elinor was a gift of a part - wonderfully amusing and with a great story arc,” says Softley. “Right from the start, Helen was at the top of my list.I’ve always admired her work and wanted an opportunity to work with her.”
Nevertheless, Pokorny admits, the timing might not have worked out following Mirren’s “royal” year. “In the wake of the success of ‘The Queen,’ we were naturally concerned that she would not be available,” the producer recalls. “As it turned out, though, she not only enjoyed the script but also had marvelous ideas for the character of Elinor.We were so fortunate to have her and couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role.”
Mirren says that, in keeping with Elinor’s great love of books, her ideas for her character began with a literary figure. “I based my character on poet Edith Sitwell, who is famously quoted as saying that her hobbies were ‘reading, listening to music and silence.’ I think that’s where Elinor starts out - she’s buried herself inbooks and finds all the excitement she needs there.”
Softley adds, “Helen felt there should be more emphasis on Elinor as a lover of reading as much as a lover of books.Elinor was a collector of books because she wanted to read, not because she loved the artifacts.To me that was a brilliant idea because it brought to the fore something that was very evident in the book - the notion that books offer remarkable worlds to escape into that are in many ways as real as the one that we live in.”
Mirren has that viewpoint in common with her role. “Ultimately, books do have one major advantage over film.Film can lay it all out for you, but there is nothing like the power of your own imagination.So I loved the concept of playing with the whole idea of what is real and what is imagined and blurring the line between the two.Elinor is obsessed with the world of literature, but when that world literally becomes real to her, she thinks it’s outrageous and, of course, she can’t cope with that at all,” Mirren laughs.
The actress reveals that she was a bit nervous meeting Cornelia Funke, having, as she says,“changed the direction of the character somewhat.” But she needn’t have worried.Funke responds, “It was a dream to cast Helen Mirren as Elinor and I absolutely loved her interpretation of the role.”
For another Oscar-winning member of the cast, meeting Funke was something of a surreal moment.Jim Broadbent plays the role of Fenoglio, the fictional author of Inkheart, the book within the film.He describes meeting the author who first created his character as “a strange sort of parallel experience because she was there seeing all her characters come to life in much the same way that Fenoglio is seeing his characters come to life.It was very valuable for me to see her excitement at seeing us and the world that had been designed and built.I could use that in expressing how Fenoglio would react to the situation.For Fenoglio,” Broadbent continues, “it’s a writer’s dream come true because characters he’s created have come into his world and he can interact with them.”
“It was wonderful to have Jim create that almost childlike sense of joy that Fenoglio has when he encounters his creations,” Softley asserts. “The first time I read the script, I said Jim Broadbent should be Fenoglio and everyone agreed.I just think there’s anunderstated eccentricity about Jim that was appropriate for the part.”