"If you're looking for a sci-fi family lark, you might want to roll the dice on Zathura." Larry Ratliff SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS "An action-packed, family-friendly film that everyone can enjoy." Susan Granger MODAMAG.COM "A wild buckle-up-and-blast-off adventure that plunges every corner of kids' favorite subject." Peter Debruge MIAMI HERALD "Favreau again delivers that rare beast -- a family film that even childless adults can enjoy." John DeFore HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "After watching the kids play Zathura in Zathura -- a crackling family adventure in which sibling rivalries play out against a backdrop of Robbie-like robot assaults and devouring gila monsters -- all I can say is, let me at it." Amy Biancolli, HOUSTON CHRONICLE

"With two screaming boys yelling at each other for most of the film, you really want to smack both of them, tell them to shut the hell up and play the game." Stefan Halley HERO REALM "Clever space adventure with dazzling special effects. " Victoria Alexander FILMSINREVIEW.COM "Favreau is one of those rare directors who remembers his own childhood and can actually re-create what kids might want to see in a film." Jeffrey M Anderson COMBUSTIBLE CELLULOID "Zathura is that rare movie that keeps the game enjoyable from beginning to end. Nobody will be inclined to pack up the pieces before the finish line is reached." Terry Lawson DETROIT FREE PRESS "Favreau is good at mixing humor and humanity, giving us characters and situations we can enjoy and appreciate. This big kid did." John Larsen LIGHT VIEWS

The Inside Story

"The unofficial sequel to 1995’s "Jumanji", "Zathura" stands alone and could even rate as a future children’s classic. The offbeat laughs and lightning pacing make this homage to vintage sci-fi a guaranteed winner for adults as well." Lachlan Marks FILMINK

"Zathura" is the screen adaptation of author Chris Van Allsburg childrens book. This is the third of his books to make it to the big screen. The first was the highly popular "Jumanji" which starred Robin Williams in the lead role as Alan Parrish a young boy trapped in a game he couldn't end. He is rescued when years later the game is discovered and played by two children who unleash a stampede of African animals upon an unsuspecting world. It all ended well thankfully. In this latest adaptation of a Van Allsburg tale, deemed a sequel by many, two squabling pre-teen brothers and their unsuspecting older sister are drawn into a deadly game of survival called "Zathura". Unlike "Jumanji", this game takes place in outer space. It is visually exciting thanks to great work by Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. All the elements required to hold the attention of both children and adults alike are here. Spectacular vision of the rings of Saturn; the terror of plummeting towards our fiery Sun; a fierce Robot; the deadly Zorgon's who home in on the infinitesimal source of warmth, and a chance encounter with a floating Astronaut. Immediately after he conceived the idea for the book "Zathura", Van Allsburg and his producing partner William Teitler took it to Columbia Pictures. "We brought it to Amy Pascal, Matt Tolmach and Amy Baer and they flipped. They absolutely loved it," recalls Teitler. "Once Chris finished writing the book, the screenwriters David Koepp & John Kamps read it and felt they had a very clear vision of how it should be adapted it to the screen." That job was made easier because "Van Allsburg’s books follow a time-honored format for children’s literature. Each book is extremely concise, 32 pages long with 14 illustrations." That allowed plenty of room to move for the two screenwriters who came up with an impressive script. "When I first read the script, I was immediately taken by how sincere the depiction of the characters was," says director Jon Favreau. "David Koepp and John Kamps preserved a great deal of the emotion and imagery of Chris' book." Also impressed was producer Mike De Luca who agrees with Favreau, adding, "It’s a wonderful screenplay. It expands on the book’s themes and turns it into an exciting, breathless adventure built around the story of these two bickering brothers." Favreau says there were a number of reasons why he chose "Zathura" as the followup to his last project, "Elf". He says he was "looking for a film that would be a technical challenge, but one that still enabled him to tell a rousing, spirited story with a meaningful message at its core. I wanted Zathura to work first and foremost on a visceral level, very much in the way Steven Spielberg’s early Amblin movies did. Films like "E.T." and "Close Encounters" and George Lucas' "Star Wars" movies are the kind of sci-fi stories I grew up loving and that’s something I was eager to explore with this film." But those weren't the only reason he chose the project. "I have two children now, I watch a lot of movies that are geared towards kids and this one really appealed to my sensibility," he revealed. "As a filmmaker, a big part of your job is to put energy into getting a message out into the world that you believe in. I like stories that offer hope and films that have responsible themes. When you’re making a movie for young people, there should be a little aspirin in the applesauce. There should be a nice message at the core." Teitler says it was very rewarding to hear that Favreau, who had a big hit with "Elf" was keen on the project. "As a producer, you work really hard on a project, because you love it," he says. "Part of the process is getting a strong director attached who feels as passionately about it as you do. When we heard that Jon really wanted to do the movie, it was like, Yes!" With a great script comes a greater responsibility. Finding the right cast is critical. "We had to find kids who would make you believe in this incredible flight of fancy," says producer Michael De Luca. "So the casting was a critical, critical part of the process." "I wanted young actors who could improvise and react in an honest way to the circumstances," says Favreau. "I didn’t want kids who were just going to hit their marks and scream when the monster arrived. They had to be able to expand on what was written and find the reality in it. When you’re entrusting an entire film to two young boys, you have to find the very best actors out there." The process of finding the two boys would involve going through tapes sent to them, travelling to five US cities and doing live auditions with five hundred boys for each of the two parts. In New York City the team found their Danny and Walter. Twelve-year-old, Kentucky-based Josh Hutcherson was cast as Walter while seven-year-old New York-born Jonah Bobo, who was cast as Danny. "Josh is as good an actor as any I’ve ever worked with," says Favreau. "He came in after we had seen hundreds of other kids his age and it was like getting to drive a Ferrari after having only been behind the wheel of Volkswagens. He was able to incorporate even the most subtle direction." Of Jonah Bobo Favreau states, "Jonah is pretty new to acting but he already has a presence and a core of honesty. You can teach acting, but presence and honesty cannot be taught." Favreau took time out to make sure that both the boys and their parents knew what they were in for when shooting started. "I wanted to make sure that everyone was aware that there would be real stuff chasing the boys, that dust would be flying, wood shattering and fires on the set," he explained to them. For fourteen year old teenager Kristen Stewart her role as the boys older sister would present a different challenge. "I have an older brother, so I'm not really used to dealing with smaller children," she confessed. "When you're so used to being the younger sister, being bossed around and doing everything for your older brother, it's an interesting swap to be the one in charge. And I have to say, I kind of liked it." Favreau remembers how impressive the teenager [who starred alongside two time Academy Award ® winner Jodie Foster] was when it came to her audition. "She was just so luminous," he recalls, "and so very talented as an actor. She was so wonderful, that you just couldn't take your eyes off of her. I knew she had to play Lisa." When it came to an actor for the role of the childrens father, Favreau only had one in mind. He wanted Oscar ® winner Tim Robbins. "Tim was our first choices. He’s got a family, so I think the film was appealing to him. And when he does comedy, he always brings a lot of heart and soul to it." And that's what sums up "Zathura". It has a lot of heart and soul. At A Glance - Academy Award ® Winner Tim Robbins Actor Tim Robbins is a UCLA Honors graduate [1981]. After graduating from UCLA, he made his professional debut on TV's "St Elsewhere". In 1982, he co-founded the Actors’ Gang, the highly acclaimed and respected Los Angeles theater ensemble dedicated to the production of original and provocative theatre. He is currently its Artistic Director. The Actors’ Gang has received more than 100 awards including Dramalogue, L.A Weekly and Ovation awards, as well as the prestigious Margaret Hartford Award for 'continued excellence'. Robbins himself was honored with the LA Weekly Award for his direction of the Gang’s debut production, a midnight performance of "Ubu Roi", and earned a nomination for Best Director from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle for the group’s production of Brecht’s "The Good Woman of Szechuan". The Actor’s Gang debuted his play "Embedded" at the New York Public Theater and other recent productions include "Mephisto", "The Seagull", and "Orlando". The Actor’s Gang has also developed educational outreach programs in the arts with local schools. Robbins has appeared in many noteable films including "Top Gun" [1986], "Bull Durham" [1988], "The Shawshank Redemption" [1994], "Dead Man Walking" [1995], "Arlington Road" [1999] and "Mystic River" [2003] for which he was awarded an Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor as well as a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild and Broadcast Film Critics Society Award. The 1992 film "The Player" earned him Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. The 1993 Robert Altman film "Short Cuts" earned him another Golden Globe Award. Robbins, the tallest actor [195.5cm] to win an Oscar ®, lives in New York City with his partner Susan Sarandon and his children Miles & Jack. Cast & Crew Bytes "ZATHURA" stars .......
Jonah Bobo ["The Best Thief in the World", "Around The Bend" and "Strangers With Candy"]; Josh Hutcherson ["American Splendor", "Motocross Kids", "The Polar Express" and "Kicking & Screaming"]; Dax Shepard ["Hairshirt", "Cheaper By The Dozen", "Without a Paddle" and "Sledge: The Untold Story"]; Kristen Stewart ["The Safety of Objects", "Panic Room", "Cold Creek Manor" and "Catch That Kid"]; Frank Oz ["The Great Muppet Caper", "Trading Places", "Spies Like Us" and "Labyrinth"]; John Alexander ["Baby's Day Out", "Mighty Joe Young", "Planet Of The Apes" and "Men in Black I & II"] Derek Mears ["The Demolitionist", "Ultraforce", "Cursed" and "Dragon Wars"] and Academy Award ® winner Tim Robbins ["The Shawshank Redemption", "The Truth About Charlie", "Mystic River" and "War of the Worlds"] as Dad.
"ZATHURA" was .......
directed by Jon Favreau ["Made" and "Elf"]; screenplay by David Koepp ["Toy Soldiers", "Spider-Man", "Secret Window" and "War of the Worlds"] and John Kamps ["The Borrowers"]; adapted from the book "Zathura" by Caldecott Medal Aaward winner Chris Van Allsburg ["Bad Day At River Bend", "Two Bad Ants" "Jumanji" and "The Polar Express"]; costume design by Laura Jean Shannon ["Drop Dead Rock", "Requiem for a Dream", "The Safety of Objects", "Made" and "Elf"]; production design by J Michael Riva ["Bad Boys", "Lethal Weapon I, II & IV", "A Few Good Men" and "Charlie's Angels I & II"]; edited by Dan Lebental ["The Chili Con Carne Club", "Eat Your Heart Out", "From Hell" and "Elf"]; cinematography by Guillermo Navarro A.S.C ["The Long Kiss Goodnight", "Jackie Brown", "Spy Kids" and "Hellboy"]; original music by John Debney ["Liar Liar", "Bruce Almighty", "Elf", "Welcome to Mooseport", "Sin City" and "Cheaper by the Dozen 2"] produced by Michael De Luca ["Rush Hour 2", "Life As A House", "I Am Sam" and "S1m0ne"], Scott Kroopf ["Runaway Bride", "Teaching Mrs. Tingle", "Le Divorce" and "The Last Samurai"] and William Teitler ["Mr Holland's Opus", "Jumanji", "The Hurricaine" and "The Polar Express"]. What It's All About

"While it's essentially an action movie, which takes up where 1995's Jumanji left off, the subplot is a very sweet tale of two brothers becoming friends." Kirsten Heysen INSIDE ENTERTAINMENT

Six year old Danny feels left out. His older brother Walter seems to be getting all of their father's attention. It is causing a huge conflict between the youngsters. Left at home while Dad's at work, the in-fighting between the two of them results in Danny taking refuge in the houses dumb waiter. Fed up with his little brothers antics, Walter sends the dumb waiter plunging to the basement. Here Danny discovers a game called "Zathura". Returning upstairs, Danny pesters his brother to play the game with him. Walter decides the best course of action is to ignore him. When Walter makes it clear that he doesn't want to play the game Danny decides to go it alone and makes the first move. The spaceship on the gameboard advances and then comes to a halt. A card is produced. Danny has trouble reading it and asks Walter what is says. It reads: "Meteor shower, take evasive action". The move Danny has made will result in him, Walter and their older sister Lisa becoming stranded in space at the mercy of "Zathura". The only way home is to play the game. The Verdict "While the kids may grate on you after a while, "Zathura" is never the less a stunning and fascinating story punctuated with great visuals and exciting special effects. And yes, it's the same Jon Favreau who starred in "Made" and directed "Elf". Lovers of "Jumanji", SciFi and rollicking space adventures will find "Zathura" a very satisfying watch. Recommended." Who's Who?

Jonah Bobo Josh Hutcherson Dax Shepard Kristen Stewart Tim Robbins Frank Oz John Alexander Derek Mears Douglas Tait Joe Bucaro Jeff Wolfe

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Danny Walter Astronaut Lisa Dad Robot voice Robot Lead Zorgon Zorgon Zorgon Zorgon

The Crew Directed by Jon Favreau Adapted fron the book "Zathura" by Chris Van Allsburg Screenplay by David Koepp & John Kamps Produced by Michael De Luca/Scott Kroopf & William Teitler Executive Produced by Ted Field and Louis D’Esposito Original Music by John Debney Cinematography by Guillermo Navarro A.S.C Film Editing by Dan Lebental Casting by Avy Kaufman Production Design by J Michael Riva Art Direction by David F Klassen & Richard F Mays Set Decoration by Lauri Gaffin Costume Design by Laura Jean Shannon Production Supervisor Robin Mulcahy Fisichella Run Time 101 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2006 - Sony Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2006 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved