Apart from a few set images in September we haven’t heard or seen much from the movie adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, which is being directed by The Wachowskis (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), and stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Keith David, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant and Susan Sarandon.

Well a new article by The New York Times takes a look at how the producers raised the $100+ million budget outside the studio system (the movie was deemed too risky by American studios to finance) with backing from China, Korea, Singapore and Germany. It also includes new details from the set, and interviews with Halle Berry, Warner Bros. executive Jeff Robinov, and UK distributor Victor Loewy.

The film follows six storylines ranging from the South Pacific in the 19th Century to California in the 1970s to a post-apocalyptic future, and most of the cast will be playing multiple characters, swapping race and gender in the process.

The article opens with a description of the set in Germany.

…craftsmen on Stage 15 in the Babelsberg studio were hard at work on a recent afternoon building a dystopian Korean slum, the thud of a nail gun and a whiff of sawdust in the air. Next door, Andy and Lana Wachowski, the American-born team behind the “Matrix” movies, were filming black-clad storm troopers from an imagined future…

Those familiar with Cloud Atlas will recognize this from the 5th tale of David Mitchell’s novel which follows Sonmi~451, a genetically-engineered clone (to be played by South Korean actress Doona Bae) who rebels against the capitalist totalitarian society that created and exploited her kind. It could be a movie in itself, but it’s a single (key) segment in the overall story.

Halle Berry was spotted filming scenes in Scotland with Tom Tykwer and Hugo Weaving in September, which confirmed she’d be playing Luisa Rey, a journalist in the 70s who discovers that a much hyped local nuclear power plant is not as safe as it seems. She will also play Meronym, a member of the last remnants of technologically-advanced civilization in the 6th tale, and Berry revealed to the NY Times that her third role will be “a Jewish woman in the 1930s”, which is likely to be a small part as Ben Whishaw takes the lead as penniless musician Robert Frobisher in that one.

In the article Berry spoke about the new experience of working with “two different film units and two different film crews and to go between the two from one day to the next”. She also said it became hard to recognize her fellow cast members due to the extensive make-up (yes, this is Hugh Grant).

“Some days I go into the trailer, I’ll be having a conversation — I won’t even know it’s with Hugh Grant until five minutes in,” Ms. Berry said.

“It’s sort of like guerrilla filmmaking in a way, even though there seems like there’s a lot of money, it’s not opulent. All the money’s going into the screen.”

While Warner Bros. will be distributing the movie in the US sometime next year, Warner Bros. executive Jeff Robinov admitted that taking on “the whole movie, given the expense, would have been a very risky proposition for us.” Earlier this year Tom Tykwer described Cloud Atlas as a “big-scale adult movie”, and with studios rarely putting big money behind projects that don’t attract the young 16-35 male audience it’s understandable why the producers had to find financing elsewhere.

Still, outside financing isn’t a bad thing as The Wachowskis and Tykwer will have a lot more creative control than if a studio was involved (Jim Broadbent said the running time may end up close to 3 hours, though in some places they’ll probably have to wait for the DVD to see the full version). The Wachowskis also got a positive reaction after showing six minutes of footage at the American Film Market in Santa Monica last month.

“It looks phantasmagorical,” said Victor Loewy, a seasoned international film distributor who bid on the United Kingdom rights after watching the clip. “It’s so unlike anything I’ve seen in 40 years in this business.”

I recommend reading the whole article over at The New York Times if you’re interested in how films are financed and made. We can expect to get our first look at Cloud Atlas sometime next year, and filming will wrap later this month.

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Filming is currently under-way on Cloud Atlas, the movie adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel, and we have our first look at Halle Berry and Hugo Weaving on the set. Filming in the middle of Glasgow, Scotland was bound to attract attention, especially if you’ve transformed a street into 1970s California.

The movie follows six storylines ranging from the South Pacific in the 19th Century to California in the 1970s to a post-apocalyptic future, and each actor will be playing multiple characters. In this storyline Halle Berry is playing Luisa Rey, a journalist in the 70s who discovers that a much hyped local nuclear power plant is not as safe as it seems.

From the set images it looks like Keith David is playing Joe Napier, a former cop who helps Luisa Rey, and Hugo Weaving is playing Bill Smoke, a contract killer hunting Rey down. I’m thinking Weaving will play the villain characters in each storyline, having had a lot of experience as the bad guy in movies such as The Matrix and Captain America.

Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) is directing this segment along with two others, while The Wachowskis (The Matrix, Speed Racer) will handle three other storylines set in the present and future. Other than Berry, Weaving and Keith David the movie also stars Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, David Gyasi, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, Chinese actress Zhou Xun and South Korea’s Doona Bae.

You can see more action from the set over at The Daily Mail, Hugonuts and Carly’s Diary.

Read similar posts to First look at Halle Berry and Hugo Weaving on the set of Cloud Atlas at Filmonic

Back in July, while talking about Cloud Atlas getting extra funding, Variety mentioned that Hugh Grant was among the cast, however I assumed the writer had a brain-fart and meant to mention Hugo Weaving instead who previously confirmed he’d play 6 roles in the film. But now a press release to mark the start of filming has been sent out, and Grant’s name is among those confirmed to star.

Here’s the full cast line-up, along with a new plot description:

Producers Grant Hill and Stefan Arndt announce that CLOUD ATLAS will begin filming on September 16th. The ambitious, independently financed film will be co-directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski, directors/writers of the ground-breaking MATRIX trilogy, and Tom Tykwer, director/writer of PERFUME and RUN LOLA RUN.

Academy Award® winners Tom Hanks and Halle Berry lead an all-star ensemble cast that includes Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Keith David and David Gyasi. The film also stars Hugh Grant and Susan Sarandon, with Chinese actress Zhou Xun and Doona Bae from Korea rounding out the internationally acclaimed cast.

CLOUD ATLAS is an epic story of humankind in which the actions and consequences of our lives impact one another throughout the past, present and future as one soul is shaped from a murderer into a savior and a single act of kindness ripples out for centuries to inspire a revolution.

The Wachowskis and Tykwer co-wrote CLOUD ATLAS, an adaptation of the celebrated best-selling novel by David Mitchell. Their unique creative collaboration began several years ago and has resulted in a vision that involves simultaneous filming of two full units that will take them to Scotland, Spain and Germany.

Preparation for filming on the Spanish island of Majorca is under-way, and the Earl of Pembroke (an 18th century wooden barque tall ship built in 1945) was filmed at Port de Soller this weekend.

Shooting will also take place in Glasgow, Scotland on the 16th, with local residents and business being informed of street closures:

Douglas Street and St Vincent Lane are going to play an important role in the film as the main location for the climactic action sequence in one of the six story lines which is set in San Francisco in the 1970’s. Our scenes will involve a car crash and shoot out on Douglas Street (on the junction with St Vincent Lane) followed by a chase down St Vincent Lane.

No release date has been set for Cloud Atlas, but Warner Bros. is expected to release the movie sometime in late 2012. Filming will continue until December.

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Next week cameras will start rolling on the movie adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, which has The Wachowskis (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) co-directing.

While promoting his latest film 3, opening on limited screens September 16th in the US, Tykwer said Cloud Atlas was a “big-scale adult movie”, a type of film which is a “dying species” in today’s fanboy and merchandise-driven world.

From The New York Times:

The film is getting under way after many uncertain years in development, and Mr. Tykwer acknowledged that the opportunity to tackle such ambitious material is rare in Hollywood today. “The big-scale adult movie is a dying species,” he said. “Where are the ‘2001s’ and the ‘Lawrence of Arabias’? You go to all these studios, and you see their framed photographs, the films they’re so proud of, and you wonder: Where are the pictures this year that they want blown up with a nice expensive frame around it?”

He has worked closely with the Wachowskis to distill Mr. Mitchell’s synopsis-resistant book into a coherent and filmable screenplay. “It has so many layers that it’s good to have three pairs of eyes on it,” Mr. Tykwer said.

Tom Hanks, who will take on multiple roles in Cloud Atlas, has been king of adult fare over the years with movies such as Forrest Gump, Apollo 13 and The Da Vinci Code. His directing/writing/producing effort Larry Crowne made average numbers this summer with $52 million, but recent successes such as The Help prove adults will turn up when you have buzz and good reviews.

The Cloud Atlas team are aware of the risks, and are trying to keep the budget low (around $100m) by shooting mainly in Berlin where they’ve received tax breaks and extra funding. The movie, which also stars Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Bae Doona, Susan Sarandon, Ben Whishaw, Jim Sturgess and Jim Broadbent, follows six storylines ranging from the South Pacific in the 19th Century to California in the 1970s to a post-apocalyptic future.

The script I read was very long and very ambitious, and Jim Broadbent said in a recent interview with BBC Radio 5 that the movie may end up around 3 hours long, so adults may need extra padding for their butts when Warner Bros. releases it sometime in late 2012.

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While most of Cloud Atlas will be shot in Berlin starting later this month, The Wachowskis (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) will also be needing other locations for the movie, which follows six storylines ranging from the South Pacific in the 19th Century to California in the 1970s to a post-apocalyptic future.

Today STV reports that production will be heading to Glasgow, Scotland (which said goodbye to Brad Pitt and World War Z this week), and there is a casting call for extras in Majorca (a popular tourist island off the coast of Spain).

Generally news of shooting locations doesn’t interest me that much, but with the cast of Cloud Atlas playing multiple roles (mixing race and gender) this information is helping us to unravel who is playing who.

STV says Halle Berry and Tom Hanks will film in Glasgow between 16 – 18 September and on 26 September. This pretty much confirms Berry will be playing Luisa Rey, a journalist in 1970s California who discovers that a much hyped local nuclear power plant is not as safe as it seem (expect corruption, car chases and murder). Hanks could be playing a number of characters in this story, but he will likely be Joe Napier, a former cop who helps Luisa Rey.

Meanwhile the Majorca Film Commission has sent out a casting call looking for over 200 extras, with the first request asking for men, woman and children of all ages. This is likely for the sixth story which is set on the island of Hawaii in 2321 where life has reverted to the days of tribal living after most of humanity dies during “The Fall”. Zachry, a tribesman, is visited by Meronym (Berry), a member of the last remnants of technologically-advanced civilization.

They also request men between the ages of 25 and 45 with slightly long hair and scruffy beards to play sailors, as well as body doubles for Jim Sturgess and Jim Broadbent. This points towards the story of Adam Ewing in 1850, a lawyer visiting the Chatham Islands off the coast of New Zealand who witnesses the colonization and conversion of the Maori.

The ambitious Cloud Atlas doesn’t have a release date yet, but Warner Bros. will be aiming for a late-2012 or early 2013 release.

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With filming set to begin next month it looks like all of the major players in Cloud Atlas have been announced. The most recent was Jim Sturgess last week, who joins Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Bae Doona, Susan Sarandon, Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent.

So far none of the roles (each actor will play multiple) have been confirmed and we’ve had to go on IMDB listings and speculation from those who have read David Mitchell’s novel, but in a recent interview Ben Whishaw (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) confirmed the three roles he’ll be taking on. One involves learning how to play the piano, and one involves being a woman.

From Vulture:

Let’s talk Cloud Atlas for a moment. Are you learning piano now for the movie?
Yes, I am! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for ages, and it was a lovely excuse to fulfill that dream. I’m really enjoying it. I’m not that bad, but all I can play so far are the pieces in the film. And I’m reading the book now; I guess I’m about halfway through.

One of your co-stars, Hugo Weaving, said he was playing six parts. Who are your characters?
Everyone in the cast is playing at least three parts, some big and some small. I’m doing three: Frobisher in the thirties; a female American in the seventies, in the Luisa Rey section; and a smallish role, where I’m basically an extra, in a modern-day nursing home, in the Timothy Cavendish section. Everybody’s swapping race and gender, so it’s very ambitious and quite fun. I’ll really love playing a woman!

Robert Frobisher is the lead character in the chapter ‘Letters from Zedelghem’ which is set in the 1930s. Frobisher, a penniless young musician, flees from his debtors in England and finds work as an amanuensis to a dying world-class composer (either Jim Broadbent or Tom Hanks) living in Belgium.

Cloud Atlas follows six storylines which range from the South Pacific in the 19th Century to California in the 1970s to a post-apocalyptic future. The Wachowskis (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) are co-directing and will be in charge of different teams to shoot the six storylines. Tykwer will probably handle the period era plotlines while The Wachowskis direct the sci-fi scenes set in the future.

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Jim Sturgess, who can currently be seen opposite Anne Hathaway in rom-com drama One Day, confirmed to USA Today that he will soon be heading to Berlin to shoot the movie adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas alongside Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Bae Doona, Susan Sarandon, Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent.

Cloud Atlas follows six storylines which range from the South Pacific in the 19th Century to California in the 1970s to a post-apocalyptic future. Sturgess didn’t reveal his role to USA Today, but like his fellow cast members he’ll probably be taking on multiple characters. Sturgess spoke about the movie to The Playlist a few weeks ago when there was talk of him joining.

”[All the actors] play a few characters, it’s very clever what [the directors are] gonna try and do. I’m really really really excited about it,” Sturgess continued. “I think it’s going to be bonkers, it’s either going to work or it’s not. I’m really excited to see if we can pull it off, because it’s ambitious what they want to do. And it’s nice, you feel like no one’s ever done that in a film before, it’s like rep theater on a sort of giant movie scale.”

Earlier this week we heard shooting would begin in late-September, with The Wachowskis (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) in charge of different teams to shoot the six storylines. Tykwer will probably handle the period era plotlines while The Wachowskis direct the sci-fi scenes set in the future.

Specific roles haven’t been confirmed, but Halle Berry is expected to play Meronym, a member of the last remnants of technologically-advanced civilization, and South Korean actress Bae Doona (The Host) will likely play Sonmi~451, a genetically-engineered clone in the year 2144. Hugo Weaving revealed earlier this year that he’ll be playing 6 different characters.

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If you’ve been following the movie adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas you’ll know The Wachowskis (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) are co-directing, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Bae Doona, Susan Sarandon, Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent are starring, and Warner Bros. are aiming for a release towards the end of next year.

In a new interview producer Stefan Ardnt said the movie is now set to begin shooting mid-to-late September at Germany’s Studio Babelsberg with financing and cast deals almost in place. He also said the budget was “definitely lower” than the $100 million – $120 million number which had been thrown around, and revealed the unique filming set-up with Tykwer and The Wachowskis.

From THR:

“Many have called the novel unfilmable, but Tom [Tykwer] and the Wachowskis have found a way to tell these stories in an amazing, linear and very cinematic way,” Arndt said.

Part of the concept of the film will see the actors play multiple roles in the various storylines. Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings will shoot parallel to each other using two separate film crews. Arndt wouldn’t confirm details but it’s expected Tykwer, whose credits include the 18th century-set Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, will handle Cloud Atlas’ period era plotlines while the Wachowskis apply their Matrix mojo to the novel’s sci-fi settings.

Cloud Atlas follows six storylines which range from the South Pacific in the 19th Century to California in the 1970s to a post-apocalyptic future. Over the weekend I tracked down and read the script out of curiosity, and the draft I read was very long and very ambitious. All six stories are told simultaneously, cutting from 2346 to 2009 to 1864 and back again. The payoff is a conclusion which wraps up all the stories in an epic fashion.

Specific roles haven’t been confirmed, but Halle Berry is expected to play Meronym, a member of the last remnants of technologically-advanced civilization, and South Korean actress Bae Doona (The Host) will likely play Sonmi~451, a genetically-engineered clone in the year 2144. Hugo Weaving revealed earlier this year that he’ll be playing 6 different characters.

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According to South Korean news site Sports Chosun (via Soompi) actress Bae Doona (The Host) is in talks to join Cloud Atlas, the adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel which will be co-directed by The Wachowskis (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run).

The site says “Bae Doo Na had meetings with Hollywood producers recently, and they are believed to have finalized on her casting”. The actress is said to be playing the role of Sonmi~451, a character featured in the 5th tale of David Mitchell’s novel:

Nea So Copros (Korea), dystopian near future. Sonmi~451, a genetically-engineered fabricant (clone) server at Papa Song’s diner (a stand-in for McDonald’s), is interviewed before her execution after she rebels against the capitalist totalitarian society that created and exploited her kind. The next character watches Sonmi’s story projected holographically in an “orison,” a futuristic recording device.

Cloud Atlas follows six storylines which range from the South Pacific in the 19th Century to California in the 1970s to a post-apocalyptic future. Each actor in the film will be playing multiple roles, but specific roles have yet to be confirmed. Tom Hanks and Halle Berry are the leads, with Ben Whishaw, Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent joining in supporting roles. Hugo Weaving will also be part of the film, and revealed that he will in fact be playing 6 different characters.

Filming is expected to take place later this year in Berlin, and Warner Bros. are eyeing an October 2012 release.

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Cloud Atlas, which will be co-directed by The Wachowskis (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) gained momentum after Warner Bros. came on-board to produce and distribute earlier this year. Tom Hanks and Halle Berry were confirmed as the leads, with Ben Whishaw, Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent joining in supporting roles. Hugo Weaving also joined the film, and revealed that he would in fact be playing 6 different characters.

With filming set to begin later this year in Germany details have emerged from The Guardian which suggest an October 2012 release date is likely, and Cloud Atlas author David Mitchell seems to be more than happy with the adaptation.

Here’s what he had to say:

Mitchell told the Guardian on Wednesday he had read the “deeply impressive” script nine months ago. “They aren’t attempting merely to film the book, which is why many adaptations come to grief – the novel’s already there, so why spend all that effort on an audiobook with visuals?” he said via email.

“Rather, the three directors have assembled Cloud Atlas and reassembled it in a form which – fingers crossed – will be a glorious, epic thing. The reincarnation motif in the book is just a hinted-at linking device, but the script gives it centre stage to link the six worlds with characters, causes and effects. A novel can’t do multi-role acting: a film can. The directors are playing to the strengths of their medium, just like I try to.”

He said he was determined to be on set when filming starts. “Watch a line I wrote come out of the amazing Jim Broadbent’s mouth? Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”

Asked what he thought about his creation being touted as the most expensive German film of all time, Mitchell said: “I’d be dishonest if I didn’t confess to a tinge of pride. Plus a bit of ‘blimey’ and gratitude that it’s not my job to handle the budget.”

It’s encouraging to see the author getting behind the film and acknowledging that films and books will ultimately differ. Mitchell’s backing, along with the acting talent The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer have managed to assemble, suggests the movie will be one to keep an eye on over the next year or so.

Cloud Atlas follows six storylines which range from the South Pacific in the 19th Century to California in the 1970s to a post-apocalyptic future. Each actor in the film will be playing multiple roles, and while specific roles haven’t been confirmed, Halle Berry is expected to play Meronym, a member of the last remnants of technologically-advanced civilization.

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