- Notes provided by Sony Pictures -

What does it mean to truly love another? The complexities of love are explored as the strength of a young couples relationship and their devotion to one another is tested by forces beyond their control in the dramatic romance DEAR JOHN, directed by three-time Oscar(R) nominee Lasse Hallström (Best Director, The Cider House Rules, 1999 and Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, My Life as a Dog, 1985) and based on the bestselling novel by Nicholas Sparks.
John Tyree (Channing Tatum) is a handsome, soft-spoken Special Forces soldier visiting his father in South Carolina while on leave. Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) is a beautiful, idealistic college student from a wealthy Southern family, home for spring break. John and Savannah are from different worlds, but through a chance encounter at the beach, the two meet and are immediately attracted to each other. Their meeting turns into a whirlwind two-week courtship, and their feelings quickly deepen into an all-consuming, passionate love. Each finds in the other something theyd never known they were missing. When John is forced to return to his deployment and Savannah heads back to college, the couple promises to write one another. Through a continuous stream of letters, their love continues to blossom and a deeply romantic love story unfolds.
As time passes, John and Savannah are only able to see one another sporadically. Johns deployment overseas is extended, and Savannahs life back home continues on. As the world becomes a more complicated place, Savannah is constantly worried about Johns safety, and John is torn between his dedication to his work and his desire for a life at home with Savannah. Against steadily increasing tension between their desires and their responsibilities, the couple struggles to keep their commitment firm. But when unexpected tragedy strikes back home, Johns return provokes an emotional confrontation, and the couple is forced to discover whether their love can truly survive.
Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints) and Amanda Seyfriend (Mamma Mia, TVs Big Love) star in DEAR JOHN, directed by Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Chocolat). With a screenplay by Jamie Linden (We Are Marshall) based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, Message in a Bottle), DEAR JOHN co-stars Henry Thomas (E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Legends of the Fall) as Tim, Savannahs protective family friend determined to see Savannah isnt hurt; Scott Porter (TVs Friday Night Lights); and Academy Award(R)-nominee Richard Jenkins (Best Actor, The Visitor, 2007, TVs Six Feet Under) as Johns father.
DEAR JOHN was produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, and Ryan Kavanaugh, with executive producers Jeremiah Samuels, Toby Emmerich, Michele Weiss, and Tucker Tooley. Kenneth Halsband and Linden co-produced, with Michael Disco as associate producer.
The talented behind-the-scenes crew includes director of photography Terry Stacey, ASC, production designer Kara Lindstrom, editor Kristina Boden, composer Deborah Lurie, music supervisors Happy Walters and Season Kent, and costume designer Dana Campbell.
DEAR JOHN has been rated PG-13 for SOME SENSUALITY AND VIOLENCE. The running time is 102 minutes.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

The screen version of Dear John found its spark when producer Marty Bowen was given the manuscript of bestselling author Nicholas Sparks novel before it was even published. I found myself completely touched by it, says Bowen. Sparks has a way of writing that allows you to get lost in this world, these characters, and the beautiful Carolina environment he paints. And there were certain twists in the story that I just wasnt expecting.
When I finished the book, Bowen says, my biggest concern was I just didnt feel like there was anybody actor-wise whod really be able to pull off this perfect guy. Part masculine soldier, willing to do whatever he has to do for his country, and then also this softer somebody who can fall in love with a girl completely and possibly be heartbroken by the experience.
Then Bowen thought of Channing Tatum. I had seen Channing in several films, including A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and Step Up, he says. In thinking about it, I was amazed to see he had both of these characteristics. I thought, If Channing would want me to develop this, then it would be a project that would really excite me. We gave the book to his representatives and Channing loved it. It was perfect for him. The film had found its dear John.
With Tatum on board, Bowen and producing partner Wyck Godfrey (the duo also shepherded the blockbuster Twilight film franchise to the big screen) knew theyd found their next project. As the book Dear John became another in an incredible string of publishing hits for Sparks, the film began to gain momentum and take shape.
The producers turned to screenwriter Jamie Linden to adapt the novel for the big screen. Theyd admired Lindens We Are Marshall and thought hed bring great perspective to the adaptation. Interestingly, however, Linden actually initially passed on the project, not having had the experience of (and not being entirely comfortable with) writing a love story. But I kept thinking about it, Linden says, and couldnt get it out of my head. The film is by and large a romance, but what ultimately captivated Linden and became the way into the story for him was the relationship between John and his father, Mr. Tyree. Linden thought of a different way to handle the climactic father/son scene from the book, and that made him want to tackle the entire screenplay.
In the book, [that scene between father and son] had been done in a very straightforward manner, where theyre very open about their feelings, says Linden. Instead, he came up with the idea of furthering the storys use of letter writing by having John write a letter to his father; he then reads the letter to his father in their most emotional encounter. I really wanted to see that scene get put on film, Linden says. So to get that done, I had to do the entire movie. Lindens participation in the film was a go.
Dear John is a love story between John and Savannah, Linden continues, but its also a love story between John and his dad. In that respect, I think its got some depth, scope, and character that make it resonate.

DEAR DIRECTOR

With a screenplay in place, the project took another great leap forward when the producers were able to sign veteran helmer Lasse Hallström to direct. Hallströms celebrated films are known for their rich look and feel as well as their characters pervasive embrace of lifes wonders, surprises and disappointments. Dear Johns John and Savannah share some of the characteristics and resilience of such Hallström characters as the boy Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) in Hallströms first international success, My Life as a Dog; Gilbert (Johnny Depp) in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape; Homer (Tobey Maguire) in The Cider House Rules; and Vianne (Juliette Binoche) in Chocolat all films that skirt easy sentimentality while still bringing great emotion to the screen.
Says Bowen, If you have a script that has a strong emotional arc and you want the film to be powerful and moving, yet not fall into the world of melodrama, then theres one director you want to get: Lasse Hallström. Hes uniquely untroubled with the notion of trying to make things overly intellectualized, overly self-important, or overly melodramatic. Being in touch with emotions and being able to deliver that in an honest fashion as opposed to trying to arc it for film are what make him really, really special.
Describing what attracted him to the project, Hallström says, Mostly my interest in Dear John was in the people, the story of these two kids who fall in love. He also says it was to be able to tell an epic love story on a grand canvas, to portray the scope of it all.
I'm always interested in character-driven stories, Hallström continues. I'm interested in strong emotion and interested in trying to stay away from sentimentality, but I do like strong sentiment. It's a fine line, and I love to walk that line and see if I can handle it. I want to root it in reality and have it stay as real and as honest as I possibly can.
The entire cast sings Hallstroms praises. Channing Tatum describes how he was thrilled when Lasse came in and loved the script. Hes so sensitive and gentle in this brilliant way.
Hes so focused, says Amanda Seyfried. He listens to and sees everything that happens. And hes European, she laughs. Theres something about those Swedish people.
Richard Jenkins says, Lasse wants to explore and find things that are not obviously there. Hes a generous man who collaborates and is interested in performances that are really alive and real. Thats what you always hope for when you begin a project.
The main reason I wanted to work on this film, says Henry Thomas, was because Lasse Hallström was involved in it. In my experience, when you work with big directors the mood is generally heightened, but this set was very relaxed.
And Hallströms collaborative spirit extended through every level of the production. For co-producer/writer Linden, Hallström was the perfect person for this type of story because he has such naturally good instincts. He went through the script removing every moment he was afraid would veer into overt sentimentality. He wanted to allow the characters to speak in their silence and not talk about every little thing that happens.
Production designer Kara Lindstrom admires how Lasse's curiosity created an extra layer of meaning to the whole filmmaking process, which is the basis for real collaboration. Of course he wanted good sets, but the important thing, for me, is that he wanted to know why they were appropriate or why I thought they would work. Once you start discussing at this level, work becomes a real pleasure. A faded sign in the Eastern European streetscape that reads Chocolat and the Swedish flag flying among others over the Afghan base camp are Lindstroms homages to the director.

DEAR JOHN

When thinking about his acting career, Channing Tatum hadnt pictured himself starring in many romantic films. When youre growing up, you imagine yourself running around shooting and jumping from buildings, he says. There arent that many amazing love stories seen through the guys point of view, so I thought this was a really interesting opportunity.
Nicholas Sparks work is very beautiful, Tatum continues, but this story also had an edge to it that some of the other books didnt have. I figured it would be a lot of fun to do something a little softer, a little more quiet just sitting and acting for once, he laughs.
In speaking about why John develops such a deep, quick connection with Savannah once they meet, Tatum says, For the first time, he found someone that made him open up. Ive met people in my life that have made me happy all the time, and I think thats what Savannah is for him. Theyre the people you cant stop thinking about you want to be around them all the time.
Tatum did a lot of character preparation to take on his role. In exploring the films characters and explaining why the taciturn John and vivacious Savannah are the way they are, Tatum points out that the defining differences between them are extensions of their different social and economic backgrounds. Because his dad is [undiagnosed] autistic and anti-social, I dont think John learned a lot of social skills, says Tatum. Hes always been a sort of loner. In a way, he joined the Army to get away from everything he knew growing up maybe even to get away from his father. I had the unique opportunity to work on an earlier army movie, G.I. Joe, and I got to know many soldiers. So many of them are just normal guys. They have a sort of quietness about them theres always some stillness in their eyes. Tatum let his experiences with these soldiers inform his portrayal of John onscreen.
In addition to his military and character training, Tatum discovered a new love in his preparations for the role: surfing. John is surfing when the film opens, and Tatum wanted to do the surfing himself. Im from Florida, he says, but Ive just never been a surfer. It was amazing to go out for the first time with Mark, my coach. He said, Theres not very much I can teach you other than just time time in the water. We would get up every day at five oclock, be at the beach by five-thirty, and surf til nine. It was freezing. It was a real treat, though, to just watch myself get better. Theres no rhyme or reason, you just start to feel it out. Im totally addicted. Ive got two boards of my own now and went out on the weekends while shooting.
For Hallström, who previously guided Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Tobey Maguire in early starring roles, Tatum brings to John the qualities of being very smart and innovative and having a wonderful sense of humor and charm. Hes able to capture a layer of improvisation that isnt in the script; his sense of humor is quite subtle.
In the film, Channing was allowed to show his chops as an actor, Hallström continues. He hasnt always had those kinds of parts where he could show his range, and he really has an amazing range.

DEAR SAVANNAH

Savannah is the female lead in the film, and, as mentioned by Tatum, her background is more privileged than Johns. She attends college and has a loving family affluent enough to own an old plantation with a horse farm and a beach house. But she is also idealistic and unspoiled, someone who volunteers her time she is, in fact, working to help build houses during her Spring Break.
Its a richly-drawn, complicated role, and finding the right Savannah was a challenge for the producers. In addition to being emotionally demanding, they needed to find an actress who could play both the young and, as the story moves to the present, a more mature Savannah. Ultimately, they found their Savannah in acclaimed young star Amanda Seyfried.
As Linden explains, Given the story, we worked hard in the script process to make Savannah as likeable as possible. Amanda is perfect casting in that regard because theres nothing sanctimonious about her at all. Her instinct is to fight the melodramatic moments that could develop in her character, and thats the right instinct.
It needs to be emotional without being sentimental, Linden adds, and Amanda knew exactly how to do that.
Describing her character, Seyfriend says, Savannahs a good girl, a smart, open-minded young woman who doesnt take life too seriously. And shes a romantic, which is why she and John click so well. She falls in love pretty hard right away its a big deal.
I dont think shes ever been in love before she meets this guy, Seyfried continues, and she immediately begins to feel like she completely knows him, which is really beautiful. Unfortunately, she has to then deal with the transition from seeing him every day for two weeks to not seeing him at all, feeling completely alone without him and dealing with the fact that hes a soldier in danger.
Tatum echoes Seyfrieds thoughts in describing their characters attraction. When John comes home and meets Savannah, he says, I think he found for the first time someone who made him open up. Shes someone he cant stop thinking about and wants to be around all the time. Savannahs quirky, and lovable self signifies to John what he loves about the world but doesnt know all that much about. She is pure and good, and hes never felt so accepted.

Of working with his co-star, Tatum says, I just think Amandas amazing and beautiful and brilliant. She came in and performed the audition differently her work almost threw me because she brought in a sense of irony and humor that no one else did.
And shes nuts, Tatum continues. Shes absolutely out of her mind, which I love, he laughs.
Of his lead actress, Hallström says, Amanda did a really great job adding her personality to the character. Her unpredictability was also very rewarding. She just has a way of avoiding clichés and obvious choices.
The filmmaker was thrilled with the performances of his romantic leads and their chemistry together. Its been great to be able to work with fresh new actors, says Hallström. To work with Channing and Amanda is inspiring and he begins to laugh rejuvenating for an old man.
Hallström also appreciated that the duo were open to improvisation, something he likes to explore when directing his films. They enjoyed improvising a little bit throughout the material, he says, so we always tried to do an improvised version of each scene. There are bits and pieces of their own words, their own impulses in the moment that have ended up on screen. Theyre both really honest in their performances, and absolutely real.
I really want to feel that actors are involved on all levels, Hallström continues, that they're free to share ideas and come up with ideas for the script and to improvise if they want to. Whatever it takes to keep a scene alive and fresh that's my 1 rule.
Producer Bowen says, Sparks characters are lovers, but they also seem to be friends. Theres a real connection between Channing and Amanda, not only as actors but as people. Theyre so playful, and when the camera starts to roll that connection is quite touching and very real.
Channing and Amanda both have such a naturalism about them, adds Linden. Nothing ever feels forced with them, and they really like each other. Chemistry is such an organic thing. You cant intellectualize it and theyve got it. Theres something about seeing them together that fits and feels right.

DEAR MR. TYREE

The secondary storyline in Dear John but an incredibly affecting storyline is that of Johns relationship with his father, Mr. Tyree. Richard Jenkins plays Mr. Tyree, fresh from his Academy Awardâ-nominated performance in Thomas McCarthys The Visitor.
For his part, Jenkins sees his character as a man who raised John by himself and truly loves his child, but doesnt know how to express it. Hes a strange man, very quiet, not very communicative, not very social. And the relationship between father and son is strained to say the least.
When Savannah enters their lives, Jenkins continues, it becomes something like a triangle. She teaches John about his father. As sometimes happens when someone from the outside seems to understand a family member better than other family members, Savannah begins to open Johns eyes to the fact that his father is not doing anything on purpose, hes not being rude or dismissive. He just doesnt know how to communicate.
What I found fascinating, says Jenkins, is that father and son once shared a common interest in coins that developed when John was a young boy. But then, as all boys grow out of things and move on to girls and sports, the father remained lost in this world of coins and their relationship grew more strained. The character really started to come alive for me when I saw the coins. Thats when I really understood this guys obsession. Hes incredibly focused and with his coins he feels safe and in control. Thats why hes like a magpie when he starts to really open up after Savannah expresses interest in his coin collection.
In speaking about Mr. Tyree, Hallström says, I thought the character that was on the page was interesting, but with Richard, he became even more interesting. He surprised me completely. He has a wonderful eye for detail, for observing human behavior. With no exception, Richards always doing something interesting and especially real that makes the character come alive.

DEAR TIM AND ALAN

Henry Thomas plays Tim, a friend of Savannahs family who takes a very active interest in keeping Savannah from harm. Thomas describes his character as not being an easy person to pin down. He has a son with special needs and hes going through a divorce, about which hes not completely honest with people. But hes a really sincere guy and its important to him that he deal with people in a very honest way.
Living next door to Savannah at the beach house, Thomas continues, he knows her family, she knows his family. But theres also a connection between them that, as the story unfolds, you learn has a strong dynamic. His main objective, as he sees this romance blossoming between John and Savannah, is to make sure that this guy isnt going to take advantage of her. Then you come to see a different side of Tims concern he is actually in love with Savannah, and probably has been for a long time.
Tim is older in the films script than he is in the Sparks novel, notes Linden. He watched Savannah grow up. We wanted our Tim to be a standup guy whos cared about Savannah and been protective of her throughout her life. So later, when he needs help and some protecting himself, he turns to this person hes been there for.
To complicate things, Linden continues, John and Tim have this immediate, unspoken bond, because both Johns father and Tims son have autism. The early friendship and subsequent rift between the two men add to the storys dramatic tension.
Hallström thoroughly enjoyed working with Thomas. Henry is perfect casting for the part of Tim, he says. Real, and very quiet. He felt like a brother, or a cousin I felt strangely familiar working with him, and I want to work with him again.
Tatum also felt the similarity between Thomas and Hallström. Henry Thomas might be the best surprise of this movie, Tatum says. Hes such a brilliantly grounded, gentle person, kind of like Lasse. They have a caretaking quality. I think Lasse and he share a kindred spirit.
When casting the role of Alan, Tims young autistic son with whom Savannah shares a deep bond, the filmmakers decided to take an innovative path. Producer Bowen says, Great filmmaking is about creating the guidelines from which you want the scene to work, and then hoping that something you never expected also happens. Lasse and I thought it would be a really interesting opportunity if we found a young man who was, in fact, autistic to play the role. Then six-year-old autistic boy Braeden Reed was cast in the part.
Braeden is amazing, says Tatum. He was an actor from jump. He knew what he was supposed to be doing and then he played with it. Every once in a while he would do something totally wild and spontaneous and beautiful it was just magic. I wish I could be that free acting. I know how hard his parents have worked with him, and on set I got to talk to his dad, whos so proud of him.
The casting agents found Braeden through Phil Blevins, executive director at Carolina Autism, a non-profit agency that provides services to people with autism in South Carolina and consults to groups nationwide. After discussing their goals with Blevins, they asked if he knew any boys who might be up to the challenge. Braeden came to mind, Blevins says. Wed been working with him since he was two. After his diagnosis, his parents asked if we could help set up some programs to help maximize his potential, to get him involved with his family, with teachers, with the world. So after speaking to the director of his therapy, who seemed to think that he would do well with direction shed been working with him for four years on taking directions I told the filmmakers, I do know a boy that you might want to meet.
During the audition process, says Bowen, we learned that Braedens a naturally gifted actor. He knows his lines, but he also finds other interesting colors in the scene and keeps our actors on their toes, compelling them to react in a real way.
Hallström, who has guided rich and beautiful performances from children throughout his career, says, Braeden brought his own personality to the part it was quite an experience. He was fearless and lacked that inhibition that many kids have in front of the camera. He was charming, always inventive and always unpredictable in a good way.
The cast and crew found Braeden to be professional and enthusiastic. Amanda Seyfried and Henry Thomas were the two actors who worked most closely with the boy. Says Seyfried, Braeden learns his lines, practices, and comes on set and performs them flawlessly. Then, if hes told to change things around, hell decide what hes going to do. Its so liberating to be able to be so free and so open with whatever happens.
Thomas says, Braeden does spontaneous things that Id incorporate into the scene. It provided an interesting way of working that Ive never done before. It breathed a lot of life into the lines on the pages.

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Dear John was shot almost entirely within and around the beautiful and historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. The varied architecture and rich landscape provided settings for Savannahs beach house (Sullivans Island), the pier where the lovers meet (Isle of Palms) and the beach where they argue (Folly Beach). The actual Bowens Wharf Restaurant, the site of their first date, and Mr. Tyrees house, where John grew up, are on James Island. Savannah writes and receives Johns letters at the historic Randolph Hall at the College of Charleston (where scenes from The Notebook, Cold Mountain, and The Patriot were also filmed), and her parents home and horse farm is the Cassina Point Plantation in Edisto.
When we were looking for Savannahs parents house, says Bowen, we wanted a place that gave the audience a sense of family history not necessarily their wealth, but the fact theyd been on this place for generations. It was hard to find one that wasnt grand and didnt take your breath away, but we found a place that doesnt feel ostentatiousand still takes your breath away.
According to Tecla Earnshaw (Cassina Points current owner), the house was built in 1847 by Carolina Lafayette Seabrook (of an old Edisto family) and her husband James Hopkinson of Philadelphia (grandson of Francis Hopkinson, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence for the state of NJ and the reputed designer of the Betsy Ross flag). In its heyday the plantation raised the wildly popular sea-island cotton shipped to Europe. The family lived in the house until 1861 when Port Royal fell to the Federal Navy and Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered area families to evacuate. Union troops occupied the island, leaving graffiti in the houses basement. After the Civil War, the family regained possession of the house and, although it now lived a much-lowered economic status, kept it from deterioration. Electricity was installed in 1951. It remained in the family until 1987; its current owners, Tecla and Bill Earnshaw, who operated the house as a bed-and-breakfast for nine years, are only the third owners. They continue to restore the house.
I love South Carolina, says Channing Tatum. Im from the South, so I have an addiction with it. The food, the people, the lifestyle. Its just so charming. And the Southern fried chicken. The seafood. Barbeque. Jim and Nicks cheese muffins theyre amazing.
Amanda Seyfried loved South Carolina as well. The South is a whole different thing altogether, she says. Its got something an energy. Its romantic. Its just so beautiful. It brings something to a film you cant get anywhere else in the world.
The Charleston area provided logical locations for the scenes set in South Carolina, but a portion of Dear John takes place in foreign countries where soldier John serves. We had to create not only Charleston locations, but Germany, Afghanistan, Africa, the Congo and Eastern Europe all in Charleston, says production designer Kara Lindstrom. The biggest challenge was time and money. The eastern European café is an abandoned elementary school in downtown Charleston. The bombed-out Afghan village [where John is wounded] was shot at a partially demolished cement factory that looked like a bomb had actually hit it in Harleyville, SC, about an hour north of Charleston. We had two different African locations: a military installation on the Congo coast, which was built at Fort Moultrie, an historic site that played roles in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars (including the shelling of Fort Sumter), and a village complete with indigenous animals that was built along a piece of grassland at the cement factory up above the quarry.
You have to be very creative to create locations from around the world in a localized area, says Bowen. It took an incredibly talented production design team to be make audiences believe that theyre looking at Africa and not a fort just outside of Charleston.
Director of photography Terry Stacey was inspired by the locations. When I first read the script, Stacey says, it felt like an old-fashioned classic like A Farewell To Arms, and that widescreen was the way to give the film an epic quality and capture the richness of the many different locations. We wanted to create the world of Charleston as a very lush landscape, using a lot of big moving crane and stationary shots that contrast with the more raggedy, handheld and harsher war scenes.

MILITARY AUTHENTICITY

John is member of the US Armys Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, which describes itself on its website as a unique, unconventional combat organization of highly trained and seasoned professionals. The most versatile Special Operations soldiers in the world, they are an elite, multi-purpose force for high priority operational targets of strategic importance.
Dear John military advisor Gavin McCulley served as a captain during two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, May 2001 - May 2008; he also plays Sparks, Johns fellow soldier. Starting in pre-production, he says, I gave advice on scenarios and how this particular Special Forces team would be able to get to each intended location within the constructs of the story. From there I worked with the production design team, props, and wardrobe to ensure that everything was accurately portrayed. We were able to show how a Special Forces team operates independently and sometimes very differently from the regular Army. Nuances, such as the relationships between soldiers of different ranks and how team members interact, were given special consideration.
McCulley and a group of Special Forces soldiers also worked with Channing Tatum and the other actors who played soldiers in his unit on how to move with a weapon, how to indicate with each other, how to move shoulder to shoulder through a building. McCulley particularly praises Tatums dedication to authenticity. Channing was out there with us and got right in there, he says. Hes a hard-charger and brings a great level of intensity.
McCulley recruited active duty Special Forces soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg, NC, to train the cast and play background roles in the film. I called my friends from 7th Special Forces Group, where I was assigned, and asked if they wanted to be in the movie, he says. It was through them that we were able to get all the Special Forces specific gear, like the proper body armor, helmets, etc.
Lt. Colonel Gregory W. Bishop, the films liaison with the US Army, helped with script notes, coordinated Army equipment and troops, and provided technical support on the set as well. Lasse and Channing were very dedicated to capturing the nuances of soldiering in this film, says Bishop. It was my job to help them get it right.
Costume designer Dana Campbell says, Everythings very accurate, from the patches and insignias to the tucking of pants into the boots. Because we start back in 2001, with the Special Forces we went through three different uniforms: BDUs (Battle Dress Uniform/green camouflage), DCUs (Desert Combat Uniform/desert cammo), ACUs (Advanced Combat Uniform/digital cammo). She notes that the production was lucky to be able to borrow uniforms from Army Wives, which shoots in Charleston.
Though the films soldiers are present day, the filmmakers were careful to keep the film specifically out of Iraq or Afghanistan the film is not making a statement on current U.S. conflicts. One of the things that appealed to all of us, says Linden, was that you could lift the characters and story line and put them into another generation. It could be a World War I or WWII movie. This isnt a political movie. It has nothing to do with the larger political environment that were living in thats why we wanted to keep John out of Iraq. By putting him in the Special Forces we could literally send him anywhere in the world, since the Special Forces go everywhere.
Hallstrom was grateful for his experience in depicting the military aspects of the film. I certainly learned so much about the military and have a much deeper respect for what they're doing, he says. Having spent a half year in their world as a visitor, I learned a lot and really respect the work they do and the guts it takes to do it.

P.S

Overall, Tatum says, For me this movie is about John feeling and finding that its possible to love. I dont know if he ever really felt love before, and to me this movie is just about the ability to open up and find love. And then to fight for it. And if you lose it, its what you do afterwards that defines you.
Seyfried says, I hope audiences get completely lost in the story, and are just overwhelmed with how much people can love each other and what people will do for that.
Im very happy with the result of this movie, says Hallstrom. It's strong emotionally and it has an epic scope to it that I really love. Its everything that I love in going to a movie, and Im proud of it.

ABOUT THE CAST

CHANNING TATUM (John Tyree), with his growing list of films, has captured the attention of critics and audiences alike. He most recently starred in the summers box office hit G.I. Joe, directed by Stephen Sommers, and also starred opposite Terrance Howard in Fighting, reteaming with his A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints director Dito Montiel. Tatum received Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award nominations for his role in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, which won the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Performance as well as the dramatic directing award for Dito Montiel at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Montiel, the film was based on Montiels 2003 memoir of the same title.
In March 2006, Tatum starred opposite Amanda Bynes in Shes the Man, directed by Andy Fickman and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner; the film was inspired by the Shakepeare play Twelfth Night. Later that year, Tatum starred in the box office hit Step Up, directed by Anne Fletcher and produced by Adam Shankman. Tatums other credits include Stop/Loss, Coach Carter, Havoc and Supercross.
Tatum was born in Alabama and grew up in Florida. He began modeling at age 21, and at age 23 he starred in an international Pepsi commercial for director Tarsem and two popular national Mountain Dew commercials directed by Kinka Usher. His natural charisma and athleticism in these commercials brought him to the attention of both extreme sports fans and Hollywood industry executives. He was then signed by a talent agency and started taking acting classes with Harold Guskin and at the Dena Levy Acting Studio.
Tatum currently resides in Los Angeles.

AMANDA SEYFRIED (Savannah Lynn Curtis), with her notable roles in film and television, has quickly captured the attention of audiences and established herself as a breakout star. Seyfried notably showcased her vocal and dancing skills starring opposite Meryl Streep in the worldwide box office smash Mamma Mia!, which grossed over $500,000,000 internationally. Most recently, she starred alongside Megan Fox in Jennifers Body, written by Diablo Cody (Juno) and directed by Karyn Kusaman.
On television, Seyfried has received critical praise for her starring role in the Golden Globe(R) Award-nominated drama Big Love. She plays Sarah, the oldest teenage daughter of Bill (Bill Paxton) and Barb Hendrickson (Jeanne Tripplehorn), struggling to grow up in a polygamist family. Big Love returns for its third season in 2009.
Seyfried, a Pennsylvania native, started her career modeling at age 11. She soon turned to acting and landed her first contract role as Lucy Montgomery on As the World Turns in 2000. In 2002, All My Children signed her to the contract role of Joni Stafford. Her TV credits also include a heart-wrenching performance on Law and Order: SVU; a role as the girlfriend of an ill young man on House; Justice, where she played a young woman who accidentally kills an older man whom shed been dating; and a role in the Veronica Mars pilot.
Seyfrieds breakthrough role was in Mean Girls, the Tina Fey-written hit in spring 2004; she co-starred with Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. The trio won the Best On-Screen Team Award at the MTV Movie Awards that year. In 2005, she starred in Nine Lives, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival to great acclaim. Written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, the film also starred Sissy Spacek, Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Robin Wright Penn, and Dakota Fanning.
In 2006, Seyfried appeared in Alpha Dog, directed by Nick Cassavetes, also starring Justin Timberlake, Sharon Stone, Emile Hirsch, and Bruce Willis. Also in 2006, she starred in American Gun with Donald Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, and Marcia Gay Harden.
Amanda currently divides her time between Los Angeles and New York.

HENRY THOMAS (Tim Wheddon) has developed an extensive and diverse list of film and television credits throughout his career. Most recently, Henry stars in Lasse Hallstroms feature film Dear John opposite Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. Relativity Media is releasing this Screen Gems film early next year. He also guest stars on an upcoming episode of CBS hit show C.S.I.
He made his film debut opposite Sissy Spacek and Eric Roberts in 1981 in Universals Raggedy Man. He has also starred in several independent films such as Red Velvet opposite Kelli Garner and Fruit Chans Dont Look Up. He also starred in The End of the Whole Mess in the TNT miniseries Nightmares & Dreamscapes, based on the stories of Stephen King. His numerous other credits include BBC Films I Capture the Castle, Martin Scorseses Gangs of New York, Billy Bob Thorntons All the Pretty Horses, Ed Zwicks Legends of the Fall and Milos Formans Valmont. Last year, he did an arc for CBS Without a Trace.
Henry Thomas is best remembered for his outstanding performance as the young boy Elliott in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, for which he earned a Golden Globe(R) and BAFTA nomination in 1982. He earned another Golden Globe(R) nomination for his performance as Ray Buckey in HBOs Indictment: The McMartin Trial in 1995.

SCOTT PORTER (Randy) most recently appeared in The Good Guy, an independent drama starring Alexis Bledel, Bryan Greenberg and Aaron Yoo, and in Bandslam, directed by Todd Graff, opposite Lisa Kudrow and Vanessa Hudgens. Porter is perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed performance on the beloved drama Friday Night Lights, starring as fallen quarterback Jason Street.
Among Porters recent feature films are Andy and Larry Wachowskis live-action Speed Racer, in which Porter portrayed Rex Racer, and Prom Night, opposite Brittany Snow. His other film credits include Music and Lyrics, starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, and the independent feature The Descent, starring Rosario Dawson.
After moving to New York City in 2005, Porter starred in two off-Broadway productions: Altar Boyz as Matthew (Drama League Ensemble Cast Nominee) and the award-winning Toxic Audio (Drama Desk Award, Most Unique Theatrical Experience).
Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Porter considers that city and Orlando home.

RICHARD JENKINS (Mr. Tyree) is one of the most in-demand character actors in Hollywood. He has made over fifty feature films, including his recent critically-heralded, Academy Award(R)-nominated performance in Tom McCarthys The Visitor. That film premiered to critical acclaim at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival and the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Prix at the 34th Deauville Festival of American Film. Richards performance as Walter Vale, a disillusioned Connecticut economics professor whose life is transformed by a chance encounter in New York City, also earned him the John Garfield Award for Best Actor at the 2008 Method Fest independent film festival, where he was also honored with a career achievement award.
Jenkins other recent film appearances include the Coen Brothers Burn After Reading, alongside George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, and Frances McDormand. That film marked his third collaboration with the writing/directing duo he also appeared with Billy Bob Thornton, James Gandolfini, and Scarlett Johansson in 2001s The Man Who Wasnt There and opposite George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2003s Intolerable Cruelty.
In July 2008, Jenkins co-starred in Adam McKays hit comedy Step Brothers alongside Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and Mary Steenburgen. He received an Independent Spirit Award nomination as Best Supporting Male for his performance in David O. Russells comedy Flirting with Disaster opposite Ben Stiller, Tea Leoni, Josh Brolin, and Lily Tomlin.
In 1986, Richard had his first starring film role in Oscar(R)-winning writer Horton Footes On Valentines Day. Numerous film roles followed, including George Millers The Witches of Eastwick, opposite Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon, Cher and Michelle Pfeiffer; Richard Benjamins Little Nikita, opposite River Phoenix and Sidney Poitier; Sea of Love with Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin; Mike Nichols Wolf, appearing again with Jack Nicholson; with Charlize Theron in 2005s North Country; opposite Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni in the Judd Apatow comedy Fun with Dick and Jane; and in Peter Bergs The Kingdom. Over the years, Jenkins has worked with such esteemed filmmakers as Clint Eastwood in Absolute Power; the Farrelly Brothers in Theres Something About Mary and Me, Myself & Irene, opposite Jim Carrey; and Sydney Pollack in Random Hearts, opposite Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas.
On television, Jenkins is best remembered as Nathaniel Fisher, the deceased patriarch of the Fisher family on the immensely successful drama Six Feet Under. His occasional appearances at the heart of this often-dysfunctional family help earned the cast a Screen Actors Guild nomination in 2002 for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. He also appeared in numerous made-for-television films, including Sins of the Father and the Emmy(R)-winning And the Band Played On.
In theater, Richard has amassed an impressive list of credits as a company member for 14 years at Rhode Islands Trinity Repertory Company. He served an additional four years as its artistic director.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

LASSE HALLSTRÖM (DIRECTOR) recently finished the film Hachiko: A Dogs Story, based on the true story of a loyal dog, starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen. He directed the television pilot for New Amsterdam about an immortal detective in New York City, which premiered the beginning of March 2008. He has many film projects in various stages of development.
The Hoax with Richard Gere was released in April 2007 to much acclaim. His other recent films include Casanova with Heath Ledger and An Unfinished Life with Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman. Hallströms acclaimed adaptation of Joanna Harris Chocolat, starring Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp and Judi Dench, earned five Academy Award(R) nominations, including Best Picture. Hallström received a second Oscar(R) nomination for Best Director for his work on The Cider House Rules, starring Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, and Michael Caine.
This Swedish directors first Academy Award(R) nomination for Best Director came with the 1985 release of My Life as a Dog, which was also nominated for Best Screenplay. In 1993, Hallström directed Peter Hedges Whats Eating Gilbert Grape starring Johnny Depp, earning Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar(R) nomination. Something to Talk About followed, starring Julia Roberts, Dennis Quaid, and Kyra Sedgewick in a story of two generations of a tumultuous Southern family.
Hallström began his career in his native Sweden, working in television and on shorts. In addition, he directed music videos, most notably for the famed Swedish band ABBA.

JAMIE LINDEN (Screenwriter, Co-Producer) was born in Orlando, Florida, and majored in marketing at Florida State University. After moving to Hollywood and getting hired and fired as an assistant at a couple film production companies, he co-wrote a screenplay, Things To Do Before I Die, that sold in 2004. He then wrote and co-produced the film We Are Marshall, starring Matthew McConaughey, which was released in 2006.
Other projects include The Dogs of Babel with John Crowley (Boy A) directing and David Heyman (the Harry Potter series) producing, as well as a screenplay on Olympic Gold Medalist Bill Johnson for producer Basil Iwanyk (We Are Marshall). Jamie lives in Los Angeles.

NICHOLAS SPARKS (Writer) was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 31, 1965, the second son of Patrick Michael (1942-1996) and Jill Emma Marie (Thoene) Sparks (1942-1989). His siblings are Michael Earl Sparks (b. Dec. 1964), and Danielle Sparks (b. Dec. 1966, d. June 2000). As a child, he lived in Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Grand Island, Nebraska, finally settling in Fair Oaks, California, at the age of eight. His father was a professor, his mother a homemaker then optometrists assistant. He lived in Fair Oaks through high school, graduated valedictorian in 1984, and received a full track scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.
After breaking the Notre Dame school record as part of a relay team in 1985 as a freshman (a record which still stands), he was injured and spent the summer recovering. During that summer, he wrote his first novel, though it was never published. He majored in Business Finance and graduated with high honors in 1988.
He and his wife, Catherine, who met on spring break in 1988, were married in July 1989. While living in Sacramento, he wrote his second novel that same year, though again, it wasnt published. He worked a variety of jobs over the next three years, including real estate appraisal, waiting tables, selling dental products by phone, and starting his own small manufacturing business which struggled from the beginning. In 1990, he collaborated on a book with Billy Mills, the Olympic Gold Medalist, and it was published by Feather Publishing before later being picked up by Random House. (It was recently re-issued by Hay House Books.) Though it received scant publicity, sales topped 50,000 copies in the first year of release.
Sparks began selling pharmaceuticals and moved from Sacramento to North Carolina in 1992. In 1994, at the age of 28, he wrote The Notebook over a period of six months. In October 1995, rights to The Notebook were sold to Warner Books. It was published in October 1996, and he followed that with Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), Three Weeks with My Brother (2004), True Believer (2005) and At First Sight (2005), all with Warner Books. All were domestic and international best sellers and were translated into more than 35 languages. The movie version of Message in a Bottle was released in 1999, A Walk to Remember was released in 2002, The Notebook was released in 2004, and Nights in Rodanthe was released in 2008. The average domestic box office gross per film was $56 million -- with another $100 million in DVD sales -- making the novels by Nicholas Sparks one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood.
The film rights to True Believer and At First Sight have been sold, and Sparks has written the screenplay for The Guardian, though he has not yet offered it for sale.
Sparks now has five children: Miles, Ryan, Landon, Lexie, and Savannah. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and children.
Sparks ancestry is German, Czech, English, and Irish; hes 510 and weighs 180 lbs. He is an avid athlete who runs daily, lifts weights regularly, and competes in Tae Kwon Do. He attends church regularly and reads approximately 125 books a year. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually.

MARTY BOWEN (Producer) In the spring of 2006, Marty Bowen left his post as UTA Partner and Agent to pursue a career in producing. Bowen partnered with veteran producer Wyck Godfrey, to create their own production company, Temple Hill Entertainment.They secured a deal with New Line Cinema and immediately entered into production on their first film, The Nativity Story from director Catherine Hardwicke. Next, the two went on to produce the Catherine Hardwicke-directed fantasy love story, Twilight, based on the best-selling series of books by Stephanie Meyer. They followed up Twilight with the Sydney Kimmel Entertainment-financed, romantic comedy, Management, starring Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn, which premiered at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival and was released theatrically in May 2009. Bowen and Godfrey released the second film in the Twilight saga, New Moon directed by Chris Weitz this past November.
Temple Hill Entertainment's next production is David Slade's Eclipse, the third film in the Twilight Saga.
Bowen was raised outside of Ft. Worth, Texas. He graduated from Harvard in 1991 and began his career in UTA's Agent Training Program. He resides in Los Angeles.

WYCK GODFREY (Producer) began his career as a creative executive at
New Line Cinema after graduating from Princeton University in 1990
with a degree in English. While at New Line, he worked on such hits as THE
MASK, DUMB AND DUMBER, and various films in the popular HOUSE PARTY
and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchises. In 1995, he switched to Paul
Schiff and Michael London's production company, Horizon Pictures, as
senior vice president of production, where he oversaw their
development slate and staff at 20th Century Fox.
He joined John Davis' Davis Entertainment two years later as an
executive vice president, overseeing the surprise action hit, BEHIND
ENEMY LINES, directed by John Moore and starring Owen Wilson and Gene
Hackman. He was promoted to President in 2001 and later that year
developed and produced for Revolution Studios the family comedy, DADDY
DAY CARE, directed by Steve Carr and starring Eddie Murphy. In 2003,
he produced the summer blockbuster I ROBOT, starring Will Smith and
directed by Alex Proyas and the rousing adventure FLIGHT OF THE
PHOENIX, his second film with director John Moore. He also developed
and served as an Executive Producer on ALIEN VS PREDATOR, directed by
Paul W.S. Anderson. Wyck was a producer on WHEN A STRANGER CALLS for
Screen Gems and also the 20th Century Christmas 2006 tent-pole ERAGON
based on the best-selling novel. In all, he produced or executive produced
eight films between 2002 and 2006.
In February or 2006, Wyck left Davis Entertainment and partnered with
his friend, former United Talent Agency partner, Marty Bowen to
create their own production company, Temple Hill Entertainment. They
secured a deal with New Line Cinema and immediately entered into
production on their first film, THE NATIVITY STORY, from director
Catherine Hardwicke. The modestly-budgeted Christmas-themed movie went
on to gross almost $40 million dollars domestically in December of
2006. Next, the two went on to produce the Sydney Kimmel
Entertainment-financed, romantic comedy, MANAGEMENT, starring Jennifer
Aniston and Steve Zahn, which premiered at the 2008 Toronto
Film Festival and will be released theatrically on May 15, 2009. They followed
up MANAGEMENT with the Catherine Hardwicke-directed fantasy love story,
TWILIGHT, based on the best-selling series of books by Stephanie Meyer.
The film opened on November 21st from Summit Entertainment to a record-
breaking $69.6 million opening weekend.
In addition to DEAR JOHN, Temple Hill Entertainment's most recent productions include the second and third films in the TWILIGHT saga: Chris Weitz's NEW MOON, which was released on November 16, 2009 and David Slade's ECLIPSE, which will be released on June 30, 2010.

RYAN KAVANAUGH (Producer) is not just a successful producer but also a highly regarded expert in film finance through his company Relativity Media, LLC (Relativity). Relativity is a media and entertainment company engaged in creating, financing and distributing first class, studio quality entertainment content and intellectual property across multiple platforms, as well as making strategic partnerships with, and opportunistic investments in, entertainment-related companies and assets.
Kavanaugh has created business and financial structures for a number of studios, production companies and producers, and has introduced over $10 billion of capital to these structures. Past structures/deals include Sony, Universal, Warner Brothers, Marvel and many others.
Kavanaugh has embraced philanthropy with the same vigor he has brought to the entertainment industry. He is an active participant in over 25 charities including Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, Firstar, Best Buddies, Habitat for Humanity and currently serves as Chairman of the Board for The Art of Elysium.
As a producer, Ryan Kavanaugh's personal production line-up includes:
The Spy Next Door starring Jackie Chan; and (as Executive Producer on) Rob Marshall's Nine, starring Daniel Day Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard and Sofia Loren, and the upcoming War of Gods, a film in the vein of 300.
Kavanaugh's recent films include Universal's Mamma Mia, Bruno and Fast and The Furious 4; Sony Pictures' Hancock, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers and The Pursuit of Happyness; and under Relativity's newly acquired Rogue Pictures, Last House on the Left, The Unborn and Strangers.

JEREMIAH SAMUELS (Executive Producer) was most recently co-executive producer of the feature Brothers, directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman. His credits as executive producer include Deck the Halls (directed by John Whitesell; starring Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito), Roll Bounce (directed by Malcolm Lee), Sleepover (directed by Joe Nussbaum) and The Rules of Attraction (directed by Roger Avary; starring James Van Der Beek, Jessica Biehl and Kate Bosworth). He co-produced House of Sand and Fog (directed by Vadim Perelman; starring Ben Kingsley, Jennifer Connelly and Shohreh Aghdashloo), The Horsemen (directed by Jonas Akerlund; starring Dennis Quaid and Ziyi Zhang) and Big Mommas House 2 (director John Whitesell; starring Martin Lawrence and Nia Long). He produced the Sundance Audience Award winner Love Jones (directed by Theodore Witcher) and, with Chris and Paul Weitz and Lloyd Sagan, produced Bickford Shmecklers Cool Ideas (directed by Scott Lew). An industry veteran, Samuels work also includes television pilots and series. He lives in Los Angeles.

TOBY EMMERICH (Executive Producer) is President and COO for New Line Cinema. In January 2001, he was named President of Production and oversaw the most successful period in company history.
Since Emmerich took the production helm, New Line has released such hits as the Academy Award(R)-winning blockbuster The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King; 2005s highest-grossing comedy Wedding Crashers; Elf; The Notebook; Hairspray; Sex and the City; Journey to the Center of the Earth; Hes Just Not That Into You; and Four Christmases.
A long-time studio veteran, Emmerich previously served not only as President of New Line Music, but also as an accomplished screenwriter and producer who wrote and produced New Lines sleeper hit Frequency, starring Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel.
Emmerich joined the company in 1992 as a dual development and music executive. In his position as President of Music, he oversaw the development of Platinum and Gold-selling soundtracks such as Seven; Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery; Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me; Texas Chainsaw Massacre; Elf; Friday; Next Friday; Menace II Society; Love Jones; Freddy vs. Jason; Whos the Man; Above the Rim; The Mask; Dumb and Dumber; and Mortal Kombat, among others.
Prior to his posts at New Line, Emmerich was an A&R representative at Atlantic Records from 1987 to 1992. Emmerich attended the Calhoun School and Wesleyan University, from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1985, with honors in English, and concentrations in Classics and Film.
Emmerich lives in Los Angeles with his wife Julie and their two daughters. An avid motorcycle enthusiast and art collector, he also enjoys long-distance running. Emmerich serves on the board of directors for both the Neil Bogart Foundation and the American Cinematheque, and is on the board of trustees for The Calhoun School in New York City.

MICHELE WEISS (Executive Producer) is a Senior Vice President of Production at New Line Cinema. She joined the company in 2001 and has since been involved in the production of a wide range of film projects.
Weiss most recently served as an executive producer on the feature film adaptation of The Time Travelers Wife starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, as well as Hes Just Not That Into You, with an ensemble cast, including Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson and Justin Long.
Weiss was also a co-executive producer on Mr. Woodcock, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Susan Sarandon, and an associate producer on Todd Fields acclaimed drama Little Children, starring Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly and Jackie Earle Haley. Her earlier credits include serving as an associate producer on the action comedy The Man, and as an executive producer on the romantic comedy drama How to Deal.

TUCKER TOOLEY (Executive Producer) began his producing career in 1997, and over the course of the next decade became one of the most prolific and successful producers in Hollywood. Described by Fade In magazine as the rarest of combinations, his ability to find commercial material which attracts A-list talent has been proven over and over again and is evident in the casting of all the 30+ films hes produced or been involved with as an executive. After a decade of producing films and television, Tucker joined Ryan Kavanaughs Relativity Media as president of production. Along with Kavanaugh, Tooley has built the companys Single Picture Films division into a full fledged studio, fully financing and producing 8 to 10 pictures a year with projects as diverse as 3:10 to Yuma, directed by James Mangold, starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, and The Bank Job starring Jason Statham, as well as The Forbidden Kingdom, starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Tooley oversaw production on all of Relativity Medias recent and upcoming films, including Brothers, directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman; A Perfect Getaway starting Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich and Kiele Sanchez; Season of the Witch, directed by Dominc Sena and starring Nicholas Cage; Rob Marshalls Nine, starring Daniel Day Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard and Sofia Loren; The Spy Next Door, starring Jackie Chan; War of Gods, a sword and sandal action picture from the producers of 300; and Brilliant, a heist thriller starring Scarlett Johansson.

KENNETH HALSBAND (Co-Producer) got his start in 1984, working in production on various studio films in New York City. In 2001, He relocated to Los Angeles with the intention of applying his film production experience to the business side of the film industry. For 3 years, he ran a production company that produced a slate of DVD titles for the studios. In 2006, Ken joined Relativity Media, as Head of Physical and Post Production.

MICHAEL DISCO (Associate Producer) A development executive who has been with New Line since 2000, Michael Disco currently serves as Vice President of Production for the studio.
Mr. Disco recently worked as a Director of Development and Creative Executive overseeing and managing the productions of Fracture, Hairspray, Harold & Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Four Christmases and Hes Just Not That Into You, as well as the upcoming Valentines Day and Going the Distance.
Mr. Disco reports to Production President Richard Brener. He attended Syracuse University.

TERRY STACEY, ASC (Director of Photography), after attending the University of Manchester, England, came to New York in the halcyon days of the early 80s as a still photographer and musician. There he worked at The Collective For The Living Cinema, shooting and editing Super8mm shorts and experimenting in the music video arena.
After traveling through South America with his 16mm bolex, he returned to England to work as a documentary cameraman, journeying from India to Iceland and ultimately back to NY to shoot features in the burgeoning era of true independent film with the likes of Good Machine and the IFC, including Love God, Spring Forward, The Dream Catcher, Jump, Trick, Just A Kiss, The Laramie Project, World Traveler, Things Behind The Sun, Wendigo, and Happy Accidents. This led to work in network television, including Peter Bergs Wonderland and a season of Sex and the City, but except for pilots (such as Michael Cuestas Dexter), it was the challenge of features that he would continue to pursue: American Splendor, The Door In The Floor, Curtis Hansens In Her Shoes, Friends With Money, Winter Passing, and The Nanny Diaries.
Over the years, Terry has written and directed many short films that have been selected by festivals, including The Berlin Film Festival in 1995 with Bad Liver and a Broken Heart (starring Sam Rockwell).
Terry most recently served as cinematographer on Michael Cuestas Tell Tale, Greg Motolas Adventureland, and Michael Dowses Kids in America.

KARA LINDSTROM (Production Designer), in a versatile career, has written as well as designed feature films. Her credits as production designer include Polish Wedding (directed by Theresa Connelly and starring Claire Danes, Lena Olin and Gabriel Byrne), Guy (directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg; starring Hope Davis and Vincent DOnofrio), and Cold Around the Heart (directed by John Ridley; starring David Caruso and Kelly Lynch). As set decorator she contributed to the diverse looks of such films as French Kiss (directed by Lawrence Kasdan; starring Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline), Strange Days (directed by Kathryn Bigelow; starring Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett), When a Man Loves a Woman (directed by Luis Mandoki; starring Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia), In the Line of Fire (directed by Wolfgang Petersen; starring Clint Eastwood), The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (directed by Arne Glimcher; starring Armand Assante and Antonio Bandares), and, most recently, Race to Witch Mountain (directed by Andy Fickman),
Named one of Varietys 10 Screenwriters to Watch, Lindstrom wrote the screenplays for Killing Me Softly (directed by Kaige Chen; starring Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes) and A Time for Dancing (directed by Peter Gilbert), for which she earned an Emmy(R) nomination. Her novel Sparkle Life was published in 2006.

KRISTINA BODEN (Editor) feature film credits include; Lasse Halstroms Hachiko, David Auburns The Girl in the Park, Steven Shainbergs Fur, Ben Youngers Prime; Paul Schraders Autofocus, Forever Mine, Witch Hunt and Light Sleeper, Michael Almereydas Hamlet; Mira Nairs Hysterical Blindness, My Own Country, and Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love; Lodge Kerrigans Claire Dolan; and Brian De Palmas Carlitos Way.

DEBORAH LURIE (Music by) Named by the Hollywood Reporter as one of the top composers to look out for in 2009, Deborah Lurie has repeatedly proven herself to be one of the most versatile composers and arrangers in Hollywood. Her most recent score for Dear John marks the second collaboration between her and director Lasse Hallstrom after their work together on An Unfinished Life. Earlier this year she also scored the Tim Burton produced animated feature 9 and provided music for the highly anticipated LeBron James documentary More Than A Game. Other credits include Mozart and the Whale, Sleepover, and Imaginary Heroes. Deborah is a freqent collaborator of Danny Elfman and has written additional music for Wanted, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Spiderman 3, and the upcoming Alice In Wonderland. In addition to her composition career, Deborah has also become one of the most prominent arrangers in the record and film industry, arranging for such artists as Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, The All-American Rejects, and this year's Idol stars, Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert. Her arrangements are also featured in films such as Dreamgirls and Fame.

HAPPY WALTERS (Music Supervisor), President of Relativity Music, is a veteran of the music business. Creating one of the most successful independent rock labels of the 1990s, Immortal Records, Walters signed such artists as Korn, Incubus, and :30 to Mars and managed Cypress Hill, Wu-Tang Clan, Fleetwood Mac, Rage Against the Machine, Velvet Revolver, and many others. Walters has produced over a dozen feature films and supervised music for more than 50 films, including: Brothers, Dear John, The Fighter, Something About Mary, Spawn, American Pie, Nutty Professor, The Fast and the Furious, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, and The Big Lebowski.

SEASON KENT (Music Supervisor) With in excess of eight years of film music experience under her belt, Season Kent was appointed as Relativity Medias Executive in Charge of Film Music in January 2009. In this position, Ms. Kent oversees the day-to-day Music Supervision for all of Relativity Media and Rogue Pictures productions.
Recent and upcoming projects include: Jim Sheridans Golden Globe(R) nominated Brothers, Dear John, The Spy Next Door, The Fighter,
the adaption of SNLs MacGruber, Dawn of War and Dark Fields.
Seasons previous credits include: The Strangers, Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, Street Kings, 13 Going On 30 and Austin Powers in Goldmember.
Season Kent resides in Los Angeles, CA.

DANA CAMPBELL (Costume Designer) most recently worked on Janky Promoters, which reunited her with Ice Cube and director Marcus Raboy (after having designed the costumes on Friday After Next); The New Daughter, a thriller starring Kevin Costner; and Art of War: The Betrayal with Wesley Snipes. Campbell made her feature film debut as costume designer on Ernest Dickersons Ambushed, starring Courtney B. Vance and Virginia Madsen, and worked with the director again on his next film, Bones, starring Snoop Dogg and Pam Grier. She was also the costume designer on Johnson Family Vacation, starring Cedric the Entertainer and Vanessa Williams. Other wardrobe credits include the films Dead Presidents, Gettysburg, and Sommersby.
Campbell was awarded an Emmy(R) in the category of Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program for her work on the show Dancing with the Stars; Campbell, with Randall Christensen, designed all the outfits seen on the popular show.
Other television credits as costume designer include the Emmy(R) Award-winning series The Corner and All of Us, a comedy inspired and produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith. She received kudos from Variety for the authenticity of her work on the Hallmark Channel miniseries Blackbeard, and recently she worked on Def Comedy Jam and the comedy special Cedric the Entertainer - Taking You Higher. Her period costumes have been showcased in the American Playhouse production of Daughters of the Dust.
Born and raised in South Carolina, Campbell divides her time between Los Angeles and Charleston. Designing exclusively since 2002, she has worked steadily in the costume industry since beginning her career as an intern on the acclaimed mini-series North and South, Part 1.

JOANNA COLBERT, CSA (Casting By) began her casting career in New York City working for Juliet Taylor. In association with Taylor, she conducted the nationwide search for Interview with a Vampire resulting in the discovery of Kirsten Dunst. Colbert went on to work at Universal Pictures as the Manager of Casting and then Senior Vice President of Casting. She formed Joanna Colbert Casting in 2001. Her credits include The Good Girl, Beyond the Sea, Must Love Dogs and Hollywoodland. She and her longtime collaborator, Richard Mento recently formed Colbert/Mento Casting. Their credits include: Remember Me, Dear John, Youth in Revolt, Step Up 2 and 3, and Sundance audience award winner, The Wackness.

RICHARD MENTO, CSA (Casting By) casting career began at LIVENT, the theatrical production company, alongside such musical theatre luminaries as Frank Galati and Graciela Daniele (RAGTIME), Susan Stroman (SHOW BOAT), Gwen Verdon and Ann Reinking (FOSSE), and the legend, Harold Prince (SHOW BOAT, PARADE). Looking to expand his mental rolodex of actors (and add a few that neither sang nor danced), he segued into television casting at CBS and Sony Pictures TV. His association with Joanna Colbert began in 2003 and Colbert/Mento Casting was formed in early 2008. Selected film credits include: The Step Up dance trilogy, Sorority Row, The Wackness (2008 Sundance Audience Award - Drama), and the upcoming Chloe, Youth in Revolt, Cedar Rapids, and Remember Me. Rich would like to thank his family for their continued support, and the casting directors from whom he hopes he has taken the best, while learning and honing his craft: Mark B. Simon, Arnold Mungioli, Todd Thaler, Mark Saks, Ronna Kress, Terri Taylor, and his partner and friend, Joanna Colbert.

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