Based upon the
bestselling book by Yann Martel, LIFE OF PI tells the story of a young man’s
incredible survival at sea against impossible odds. A remarkable technological
breakthrough in 3D epic adventure, PI is an emotionally captivating experience
that will inspire, touch and transport audiences to a place of discovery that
they will never forget.
Winner of the
pretigious Literary Awards Hugh Maclennan Prize for fiction in 2001 and the Man
Booker Prize in 2002, Yann Martel's "Life of Pi" is now a movie
adaptation by 20th Century Fox helmed by filmmaker Ang Lee and is starred by
newcomer Suraj Sharma as the titular character Pi Patel.
When Pi Patel, a
son of a zookeeper turned sixteen, his family emigrate from India to North
America aboard a Japanese cargo ship due to the prevalence of political
unrest. An extraordinary God-loving boy whose passion for stories is
unmatched, has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior and practices his
native Hinduism along with Christianity and Islam.
When the ship
capsized due to a massive storm, Pi finds himself in the company of a hyena, an
orangutan, a wounded zebra and a 450-pound Bengal tiger aboard a lifeboat in
the middle of the ocean. Finally reaching the shores of the coast of
Mexico, the Bengal tiger who goes by the name of Richard Parker flees to the
jungle and Pi left on his own is interrogated by the Japanese authorities who
refuse to believe his account.
On board the
titular character is Suraj Sharma as Pi who debuts in the film. Suraj
Sharma, 17, is a student who lives with his mathematician parents in Delhi,
India. He has no previous acting experience and was cast following an extensive,
months-long search. Over 3000 young men auditioned for the part.
Sharma
landed the role of the lead role after a worldwide talent search headed by the
film’s director Ang Lee, Academy Award®-winning filmmaker for his work in
“Brokeback Mountain.” “Suraj is Pi,” Lee continued. “During his audition,
he filled the room with emotion, much of which he conveyed simply through his
eyes. His natural ability to believe and stay in the world of the story is a
rare treasure.”
Lee, whose many
other honors include an Oscar nomination for his direction of “Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon,” and whose “Sense and Sensibility” was a Best Picture nominee,
shot “Life of Pi” in 3D, utilizing groundbreaking techniques to capture the
story’s epic scope.
Since Ang Lee
came aboard the project at the end of 2008, he has worked to create a singular
vision of Martel’s unforgettable tale. The all-audience experiential
movie event will take us through a young man’s incredible adventure – at turns
thrilling and spiritual; joyous and harrowing; humorous and tragic. Audiences
will follow Pi Patel as he travels from an exotic zoo in India on a voyage
across the Pacific, where he survives a shipwreck and is cast adrift in a
lifeboat with a Bengal tiger as his only company. Adrift in an endess expanse
of ocean, Pi struggles to survive and train his companion, landing on a magical
island that offers the two their only respite on their desperate journey.
Commented Yann
Martel: "I'm thrilled that Ang is adapting “Life of Pi” to film. He's a
brilliant, versatile director, with a stunning visual sensibility. He can
capture the most intimate emotion as well as the most dynamic action. He's the
perfect filmmaker to bring Pi’s epic journey to the screen”
David Magee
(“Finding Neverland”) adapted Martel’s book. Gil Netter (“Marley & Me,”
“The Blind Side”) is producing. The director of photography is Claudio Miranda,
who collaborated with David Fincher on several films, including “The Curious
Case of Benjamin Button.” Miranda recently shot “Tron: Legacy” in 3D. Avy
Kaufman is the casting director.
Commented Ang
Lee: “It has been a daunting and exciting process to develop a motion picture
that brings Yann Martel’s fascinating, mind-boggling story to the big
screen. Casting the sixteen-year old Pi was particularly
challenging. We searched throughout India for a young man who had the
innocence to capture our attention, the depth of character to break our hearts,
and the physicality needed to embody Pi on his journey.
Fox 2000 Pictures
president Elizabeth Gabler stated: “It has been an honor and a privilege
to work alongside Ang Lee as he and his team brings this amazing film to life.
We believe that “Life of Pi,” with its tremendous scope, groundbreaking
visuals, and a story that embraces the triumph of the human spirit will be a
cinematic event for audiences of all ages, all over the world.”
One of the
world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed
Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the
world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following
units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight
Pictures, Fox International, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.
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