- Notes provided by 20th Century Fox. -

"I don't know you who you are. I don't know what you want. If you're looking for a ransom, I can tell you, I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills acquired over a very long career in the shadows, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you. And I will kill you."
With these chilling words to a member of a band of kidnappers, former government operative Bryan Mills begins the longest 96-hours of his life - and the hunt for the fearsome organization that has taken his daughter Kim.
Mills had only recently given up his government career as what he calls, a "preventer" - "I prevented bad things from happenings," he says - to be near Kim, who lives with Bryan's ex-wife Lenore and her new husband. To make ends meet, Bryan joins some former colleagues for special security details (like guarding a pop diva), but most of his time and energy are spent reconnecting with Kim.
Bryan's familial goal is nearly derailed when Kim requests his permission to spend time in Paris with a friend. All too aware of the dangers that could lie ahead for Kim in a foreign land, Bryan says no, but Kim's disappointment leads him to very reluctantly relent.
Bryan's worst fears are realized when Kim and her friend Amanda are suddenly abducted
- in broad daylight - from the Paris apartment at which they've just arrived. Moments before Kim is dragged away by the as yet unseen and unknown assailants, she manages to phone Bryan, who begins to expertly piece together clues that will take him to the darkness of Paris's underworld, and to the City of Light's plushest mansions. He will face nightmares worse than anything he experienced in black ops - and let nothing and no one stop him from saving his daughter.
In TAKEN, Liam Neeson stars as Bryan Mills, an ex-government operative who has less than four days to find his kidnapped daughter, who has been taken on her first day of vacation in Paris.
According to the film's co-screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen, it was co-writer and producer Luc Besson who came up with the idea for TAKEN. "Luc had met with a Paris police officer who told him about this underworld of kidnappers who take young women," Kamen recalls. "The girls would then be auctioned off in these gorgeous mansions just outside of Paris."
Besson and Kamen turned this idea into a compelling story, with big set pieces, practical action, martial arts, and what Kamen calls "crazy/crazy" stunts - and very few computer generated effects. "It's the same mix we've used in films like 'The Transporter' and 'Kiss of the Dragon,'" he adds.
Their protagonist's history as a former government operative appealed to Kamen, who had read about the startling exploits of several real-life operatives when Kamen was doing graduate study work in Afghanistan. "I learned about guys doing covert operations - real 'cuckoo stuff' - in that part of the world. I was particularly impressed with their self-reliance and skills. They're not the kind of guys who call the police when they're in a jam. They look at problems as things to be solved, as opposed to getting someone else to solve them for them. They don't adhere to the conventions of society."
Kamen and Besson wrote Bryan Mills with many of these qualities in mind. Bryan doesn't seek help - not even from an inner circle of covert ops pals - when Kim is kidnapped. Bryan relies only on his own skills, and he makes good use of them all hunting down her kidnappers.
To direct TAKEN, Besson hired Pierre Morel, who had helmed the internationally acclaimed action film "District B13," which introduced the martial art parkour - a gorgeously choreographed, propulsive fighting style - to movie fans around the globe; Besson had produced and co-written the 2004 release. (Morel was also a noted cinematographer, who had shot "Unleashed," also written and produced by Besson.)
Morel's on-set demeanor impressed Kamen, who likens it to that of his lead character, Bryan Mills. "Pierre is really calm and cool," Kamen notes. "He comes in, knows what the job is, and knows what he has to do to make it happen."
Morel, though, says that along with that calm comes a responsibility to keep the energy high on the set. "Even though a lot hinges on the editing, the rhythm has to be there when you're shooting. If it's not, there's no second chance. I always ask the actors to keep up a high tempo and to be as realistic as possible. And personally, I'm really charged up in the way I shoot, so I think a lot of the movie's energy comes from that. If you take your time over things, when you start to edit, you have to trim it back down and so you lose the rhythm."
Liam Neeson, who has worked with renowned directors like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas and Ridley Scott, says he was impressed with the young filmmaker. "Pierre has had movies in his blood for a long time and is hugely experienced, especially as a director of photography. I particularly liked the originality of 'District B13,' which showed he had a director's eye and an incredible sense of rhythm and energy, which was vital on the set of TAKEN. I also liked the fact that Pierre operates the camera himself."
Neeson, a distinguished actor and multi-award nominee, is a fascinating and unconventional choice to portray an action hero. But at the same time, the gravity and complexity he brings to the role of Bryan Mills provides added depth to TAKEN, which constantly flirts with the codes of the genre. In a manner that's original for a thriller, Bryan is initially defined by his love for his daughter rather than his past as a secret agent. This aspect of the character and of the story was a significant factor in Neeson agreeing to take on the role. "I liked the idea of making a thriller that had good pace and aimed high on an emotional level," he says. "Above all, we see Bryan as a father who idolizes his daughter. But then, even though it's never been a fantasy of mine to play [an action hero], one gets a real kick out of shooting real movie baddies and driving like a racing car driver."
Neeson empathized with his character's horrific situation. "As a father, you can't imagine anything worse [than your child being put in danger]," says Neeson. "Of course, you wonder what your own reaction would be in that situation. You picture what you'd do to her kidnappers and you soon come to the conclusion that you'd do anything in your power to save your child. I found this particularly interesting territory, because I'm traditionally against violence, especially the kind of violence Bryan resorts to in the movie. But it's a case of 'them or me' and Bryan takes that situation to its logical conclusion. "
The actor enjoyed bringing to life the character's physicality, for which he underwent a rigorous program prior to the start of production. "I keep pretty fit, but I had to crank up the level and intensity of my training," he says. "Action scenes are particularly tricky. You have to pay close attention to how you move, your body position, and never take your eyes off your scene partner. It requires a lot of energy, besides the safety issues. Each time, it's a real challenge.
"The little boy in you comes out with all the hand-to-hand combat scenes we filmed. With good stuntmen, especially, the fight becomes a dance that you perform with great pleasure."
To bring maximum impact to these combat and action set pieces, Morel carefully rehearsed them with Neeson. "We did a huge amount of rehearsal for Liam, because I wanted him to do as much as he possibly could without resorting to stunt doubles," says the director. "Of course, he doesn't jump off the bridge or throw himself in front of cars, but he did all the fight scenes after spending hours rehearsing each routine. It was particularly demanding for him because I didn't want to speed up the action too much in the camera. Liam really did learn to fight strong."
In addition to making sure that Neeson had the requisite physical skills to convey Bryan's impressive martial abilities, Morel and Neeson worked hard to realize the overwhelming emotions Bryan experiences when Kim ("Lost's" Maggie Grace) calls him with the shocking news of her imminent kidnapping. Neeson's Bryan is in Los Angeles and Grace's Kim is in Paris - and Morel shot the sequence in both locales. He explains: "We started in Los Angeles by shooting Liam's reaction, as if he was listening to events live. Maggie Grace came on the set and said all her lines up to the scream, when she's kidnapped, standing by the camera, which enabled Liam to react in real time. It was magical. The timing that was laid down gave me much greater freedom in Paris. I could adapt the physical action of the kidnapping, but I needed to have Liam's emotions in a single shot, that he gave me in just two takes."
Morel avoided a stylized or what he calls a "cosmetic" look for the Paris-based sequences. "I wanted Paris to look the way it really is," he explains. "The idea was to be as realistic as possible, to achieve a kind of unlit look. I wanted a kind of faux picture-postcard view of Paris, avoiding the usual clichés of a character posing in front of the Eiffel Tower or Trocadéro, but ensuring that it was immediately obvious that the action was set in Paris. So, we looked for typically Parisian locations while avoiding the tourist traps. That meant we ended up filming on the Champs Elysées the day after the presidential elections, with half the streets blocked because the new president decided to parade down the avenue. We filmed the scene surrounded by riot police."
Filming in Paris, much of it at night, and almost all of it involving action and stunts, was certainly challenging for Neeson. But as he points out, working in the French capital -and for the first time with a French crew - also had an important upside. "One good point of working in Paris is the greater female presence in the crew. I'm very sensitive to the energy men and women combine to create on the set, but British or American crews are almost always overwhelmingly male. I was also grateful for French working hours, which are very civilized. Between fight scene rehearsals and filming, my days were pretty exhausting, but we had a whole night to recover. Not to mention the pleasure of the quality of life in Paris."
ABOUT THE CAST
LIAM NEESON (Bryan) has become one of today's leading international motion picture actors. Whether it is his Academy Award® nominated role of Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg's highly acclaimed "Schindler's List" (1993), his award-winning portrayal of legendary Irish Republican hero in "Michael Collins" (1996), or his role as controversial sex therapist Alfred Kinsey in the critically acclaimed "Kinsey" (2004), Neeson continues to display an acting range matched by few.
Neeson recently finished shooting Richard Eyre's "The Other Man" opposite Laura Linney, and he is currently filming "Five Minutes of Heaven" for BBC Northern Ireland. In May 2008 Neeson appeared in Disney's box office success "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," where he reprised his role as the voice of the Lion, Aslan, in the sequel to the 2005 hit "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."
In 2006, Neeson graced the screen in the classic revenge drama "Seraphim Falls" opposite Pierce Brosnan. In 2005, he appeared in Ridley Scott's Crusades epic "Kingdom of Heaven." He also co-starred that year in "Batman Begins," directed by Christopher Nolan.
Neeson's portrayal of Alfred Kinsey in Bill Condon's "Kinsey," co-starring Laura Linney, garnered him a Best Actor award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Prior to that, Neeson co-starred with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, and Keira Knightly in the Working Title film "Love Actually" (2003), written and directed by Richard Curtis.
Neeson returned to Broadway in 2002, co-starring with his friend Laura Linney in Arthur Miller's classic "The Crucible." Mr. Neeson's performance as John Proctor earned both he and Miss Linney a Tony® Award nomination.
In 2001, he starred opposite Harrison Ford in the true story of Russia's nuclear submarine tragedy entitled "K-19: The Widowmaker," and starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the black comedy "Gun Shy" (2000).
Neeson starred in the box-office phenomenon "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (1999) in the role of Qui-Gon Jinn, the Master Jedi Knight who bestows his Force-ful wisdom upon Obi-Wan Kenobi and the young Anakin Skywalker. That same year, he starred opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones in Jan De Bont's "The Haunting" (1999).
In addition, he starred as Jean Valjean in the screen adaptation of Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables," also starring Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman and Claire Danes. Also that year, Neeson played Oscar Wilde in David Hare's new play, "The Judas Kiss," which opened in London's West End and subsequently on Broadway.
Neeson starred in the title role in Neil Jordan's "Michael Collins" (1996), for which he received Best Actor honors at the Venice Film Festival, a Golden Globe® Best Actor nomination, and London's prestigious Evening Standard Award for Best Actor. The film also received the highest honor in Venice -- The Golden Lion Award.
It was in 1993 when Neeson received worldwide attention for his starring role in the Academy Award winning film "Schindler's List." In addition to winning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, he was nominated for a Golden Globe® and BAFTA Award.
The Irish-born actor had originally sought a career as a teacher after attending Queens University, Belfast and majoring in physics, computer science and math. Neeson set teaching aside and in 1976 joined the prestigious Lyric Players Theatre in Belfast, which Neeson calls "the best training any actor could have." He made his professional acting debut in Joseph Plunkett's "The Risen People." After two years with the Lyric Players, he joined the famed National Theatre of Ireland, the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Neeson appeared in the Abbey Theatre Festival's production of Brian Friel's "Translations," and in a production of Sean O'Casey's "The Plough and the Stars" for the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, England.
In 1980, John Boorman spotted Neeson playing Lennie in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" and cast him in the epic saga of the Arthurian legend, "Excalibur." Following this motion picture debut, Neeson has appeared in more than 40 films demonstrating a wide range of characters, including Dino DeLaurentiis' epic remake of "The Bounty" (1984), directed by Roger Donaldson, also starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins; the critically-acclaimed "Lamb" (1986) for which Neeson received an Evening Standard Drama Award nomination for his haunting portrayal of a priest tormented by doubts about his faith; Andrei Konchalovsky's "Duet for One" (1986), also starring Julie Andrews; as a political terrorist in "A Prayer for the Dying" (1987) with Mickey Rourke and Bob Hoskins; and as a Jesuit priest in Roland Joffe's "The Mission" (1986), also starring Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons.
Neeson received critical acclaim starring opposite Cher as a deaf and mute Vietnam veteran in Peter Yates' courtroom drama "Suspect" (1987); as the passionate Irish sculptor opposite Diane Keaton in "The Good Mother" (1988); and as scientist Peyton Westlake, whose disfiguring accident forces him into hiding in Sam Raimi's fantasy-thriller "Darkman" (1990).
Neeson next starred in David Leland's gritty contemporary drama "Crossing the Line" based on William McIlvanney's acclaimed novel, The Big Man, about an unemployed Scottish miner desperate for money that is thrust into the high-stakes world of bare-knuckle boxing.
In 1992, he starred as both a Nazi engineer in David Seltzer's adaptation of Susan Isaac's best-selling novel "Shining Through" opposite Michael Douglas; and as a disgraced policeman accused of murder in the erotic thriller "Under Suspicion."
Neeson then continued to star in a succession of films, most notably playing the sensitive art historian vying for the affections of Mia Farrow and Judy Davis in Woody Allen's controversial "Husbands and Wives" (1992).
His other credits include "Ethan Frome" (1993) with Joan Allen, Michael Apted's "Nell" (1994), starring opposite Jodie Foster and Natasha Richardson; "Before and After" (1996) with Meryl Streep; and the title role in Michael Canton-Jones' "Rob Roy" (1995), co-starring Jessica Lange.
Neeson made his Broadway debut in 1993 receiving a Tony Award nomination in the Roundabout Theater's revival of Eugene O'Neill's 1921 drama "Anna Christie," co-starring Natasha Richardson.
MAGGIE GRACE (Kim) starred last year in the indie dramedy "The Jane Austen Book Club," opposite Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Hugh Dancy and Amy Brenneman. She starred opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar in "Suburban Girl," based on the best selling novel, The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing. Grace is currently shooting the title role in "Malice in Wonderland," from the producer of "The Cooler.'
The Ohio native already has an enviable list of credits in her relatively short career. She is known worldwide for her starring role as Shannon Rutherford n the first two seasons of the hit series "Lost." She made an impressive television debut as Martha Moxley in the USA Network film "Murder in Greenwich." She also starred in the highly rated CBS-TV film "12 Mile Road" opposite Tom Selleck, in which she played a spoiled city kid forced to live with her estranged father on a farm. In addition to playing a recurring role on "Oliver Beene" on Fox, she guest-starred on "Law and Order: SVU," "Cold Case," and "CSI Miami."
LELAND ORSER (Sam) came to prominence in David Fincher's "Seven" and has maintained a busy career, working with many of today's greatest directors. He helped save the world in "Independence Day," directed by Roland Emmerich, and portrayed a pilot in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan."
Orser starred in Phillip Noyce's thriller "The Bone Collector," with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, and in Peter Berg's ensemble black comedy "Very Bad Things," with Jon Favreau, Cameron Diaz, Christian Slater, Daniel Stern, and Jeremy Piven. He has also appeared in Michael Bay's "Pearl Harbor"; "Escape from LA," for director John Carpenter; Phillip Kaufman's "Twisted"; and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Alien: Resurrection." His additional film work includes "Confidence," "Daredevil," "Runaway Jury," "Resurrection" and "Excess Baggage."
Orser has a recurring role as surgical attending Dr. Dubenko in the long-running hit "ER," and starred in the NBC pilot "Homeland Security." In addition, he guest starred on "Law & Order: SVU," "CSI" and "Wonderland."
JON GRIES (Casey) is a veteran actor who has appeared in numerous films and television productions. His big screen credits include "Napoleon Dynamite," "The Rundown," "Men in Black" "Stick It," "The Astronaut Farmer" and the upcoming "Manure."
He had a memorable guest starring role on "Lost" as Ben Linus' (Michael Emerson) father. He guest starred on two episodes of "Seinfeld" and was a series regular on "The Pretender." He also guested on the series "ER," "24," "Carnivale," "Las Vegas," and many others.
DAVID WARSHOFSKY's (Bernie) feature film credits include "There Will Be Blood," "The Best Thief in the World" (Sundance 2004) "Personal Velocity" (Sundance best film 2002), "Welcome to Collinwood" (Cannes 2002), "Last Exit to Brooklyn," "Born on the Fourth of July," and "G.I. Jane." Warshofsky's television appearances include "ER," "The Sopranos," and numerous "Law & Order"episodes. He can be seen in the HBO mini-series "Generation Kill."
On Broadway, he has appeared in "Biloxi Blues," "Carousel" and "On the Waterfront." Other stage credits include "Henry V" at the New York Shakespeare Festival, "Blue Window" at Manhattan Theatre Club, "Romance Language" at Playwright's Horizons, and the national tours of "Biloxi Blues" and "South Pacific." He originated the role of Swetts in the world premiere of Tony Kushner's "A Bright Room Called Day," directed by Oskar Eustis at the Eureka Theatre.
KATIE CASSIDY (Amanda) recently starred in "Black Christmas," a remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name, and in "Live!," a mockumentary following an ambitious TV network executive (Eva Mendes) trying to produce a controversial reality show where contestants play Russian Roulette.
Her additional film credits include "Click," "When a Stranger Calls," "Walk the Talk" and "You are Here." On the small screen, she was recently seen on "Supernatural" for the CW, starring as Ruby, a demon-hunter sent to help out the Winchester brothers. Her debut on the show was much anticipated, and she was named one of fall TV's top 15 faces to watch, by aol.com.
Cassidy's previous television credits include a recurring role as Zoe on the WB's long-running series "Seventh Heaven," and guest starring turns in "The Division" and "Sex, Love and Secrets."
Prior to her acting career, Cassidy briefly modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch and Rock & Republic. Born and raised in Southern California, Cassidy currently resides in Los Angeles.
HOLLY VALANCE (Sheerah) shot to fame in the internationally syndicated Australian soap "Neighbours" (airing in 57 countries), playing Flick Scully. In 2002 she transitioned into a singing career, resulting in three international hit singles including the number-one smash "Kiss Kiss," as well as "Down Boy" and "Naughty Girl."
Valance's debut album "Footprints," released by Warner Bros. Music UK, went multi-platinum. In late 2003 she released the album "State of Mind," which included the top 10 single of the same name. After releasing that album, she returned to acting and relocated from London to Los Angeles.
Additionally, Valance has enjoyed several high profile commercial campaigns, including one for Pepsi in Australia and South East Asia.
She appeared in the film thriller "D.O.A," and is a recurring character on the series "Prison Break." She has guest-starred on "Entourage," "Shark," "Moonlight," "CSI: New York" and "CSI: Miami."
FAMKE JANSSEN (Lenore) refuses to fill a stereotype. By taking on a wide range of roles in both studio and independent features and working with some of Hollywood's best directors, she has proven herself to be not only one of the most beautiful actresses in the business, but also one of the most talented and diverse.
Janssen's latest project, "Turn the River," the Screen Media independent film that was released in May, truly showcases her dynamic talent. Written and directed by Chris Eigeman, Janssen played a pool hustler striving to make enough money to flee to Canada with her son, to escape her abusive ex-husband. Janssen was awarded with the Special Jury Best Actress Prize at the Hamptons Film Festival for her role in the film.
She has also wrapped filming the starring role in Grand Illusions' "100 Feet," shot in Budapest. She starred with James Gandolfini in "Kiddie Ride" and appeared in Jonathan Levine's "The Wackness."
In 2000, Janssen created the on-screen role of Jean Grey in Bryan Singer's blockbuster "X-Men." She reprised the role twice, for Singer's "X2" and again for "X-Men: The Last Stand," directed by Brett Ratner. The all-star cast of the trilogy included Sir Ian McKellan, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, James Marsden and Anna Paquin. Janssen received a Saturn Award for best supporting actress for her work in "X-Men: The Last Stand." In addition to her film work, Janssen made a splash on the silver screen with her role on FX's original drama series "Nip/Tuck." As a "life coach" to Joely Richardson's character, Janssen received a Movieline Breakthrough Award for her star turn on the show.
In 2006, she appeared in the independent film "The Ten," which premiered at Sundance in January 2007. That same year, she filmed the independent film "The Treatment" opposite Sir Ian Holm. Janssen was awarded with the Golden Starfish Award for Career Achievement in Acting at the Hamptons Film Festival as well as the Susan B. Anthony "Failure is Impossible" Awards at the High Falls Film Festival.
In 2005, Janssen starred in "Hide and Seek," a psychological suspense thriller opposite Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning for Twentieth Century Fox. Previously, Janssen co-starred in the Lionsgate film "Eulogy," which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and was released October 2004. The film also stars Piper Laurie, Ray Romano, Rip Torn, Debra Winger, Kelly Preston and Zooey Deschanel.
In 2002, Janssen starred opposite Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson in "I Spy" for director Betty Thomas. Janssen starred in Gary Fleder's thriller "Don't Say A Word" opposite Michael Douglas for Twentieth Century Fox/New Regency, and in Jon Favreau's "Made," in which she co-starred with Favreau and Vince Vaughn. The film was released by Artisan Entertainment in July 2001.
Janssen earned critical-acclaim for her star-making performance opposite Jon Favreau in Valerie Breiman's "Love and Sex," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000. Previous credits include "House on Haunted Hill," "The Faculty," "Rounders," and "Celebrity." Janssen starred as the lasciviously lethal assassin Xenia Onatopp in the James Bond megahit "Goldeneye."
Born in Holland, Janssen moved to the United States where she now resides. She majored in writing and literature at Columbia and studied stagecraft with Harold Guskin.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
PIERRE MOREL (Director) helmed the acclaimed action-thriller "District B13," which introduced global audiences to the propulsive thrills of the martial art known as parkour. The film was produced and co-written by TAKEN producer/co-writer Luc Besson.
Morel was cinematographer on the thriller "Unleashed," produced by Besson and starring Jet Li and Bob Hoskins; and on the action film "War," starring Jet Li and Jason Statham.
LUC BESSON (Producer, Co-Writer) was born in Paris on March 18, 1959, and spent most of his childhood living in the idyllic settings of various Mediterranean hideaways where his parents worked as diving instructors.
With Besson's surroundings and family influences, it seemed assured that he would embark on a similar maritime career. From the age of 10, after an encounter with a friendly dolphin, Besson was determined to become a marine biologist, specializing in the study of the species.
Besson studied for this life plan throughout his teens until, at 17, a diving accident prevented him from ever diving again. His long-held dream cut short, Besson redirected his sights, deciding that he would become a filmmaker.
Besson dropped out of school to seek work in the French film industry, and started making his own experimental films in super-8. At the age of 19, he moved to Los Angeles, where he lived for three months working in the American film industry. In 1983, after three years of experience as an assistant director, Besson made his first feature, "Le Dernier Combat." Selected for competition in the Avoriaz Science Fiction Film Festival, the film won two major awards from the festival jury, which included Alan J. Pakula and Jean-Jacques Annaud among its members. It was nominated for a Cesar Award and went on to win 12 awards around the world.
Besson's second film, "Subway," starred Christopher Lambert in a Cesar-winning performance (one of 13 Cesar nominations garnered by the film), as a thief on the run who becomes involved with a fantastic subculture of Parisians living in the city's underground. The film gained Besson an international reputation, and is today regarded worldwide as a cult classic. Besson's 1988 film "The Big Blue," expressing the dreams of Besson's Mediterranean youth, cast Jean Reno as an Italian diver with an unquenchable love for the sea. Besson's first film to be made in English, boasting an international cast, was distributed in the U.S. in a version that suffered various unauthorized alterations, including a changed ending and changes to Eric Serra's score. The intact version of Besson's film, nominated for seven Cesars, was a huge success throughout most of the world and is one of the top five films in French history. His original director's cut was released on DVD last year.
Besson's "La Femme Nikita" was the director's first global sensation, a film that inspired remakes in both the U.S. and Hong Kong. The story of a feral, drug-addicted girl forced to train as a government hit-woman made international stars of leads Anne Parrilaud and Jean Reno, and spawned a new form of thriller: the neo-noir action film. This influence still reverberates throughout world cinema.
In 1991, Besson's "Atlantis," hailed by U.S. critics as an undersea Fantasia and an aquatic dream, was filmed in 16 months all around the world. An exercise in pure film imagery, "Atlantis" dispensed with dialogue and narrative in order to wed Eric Serra's wall-to-wall score to undersea images - a cinematic translation of the filmmaker's own love for the world hidden beneath the ocean.
In 1993, Besson began pre-production on "The Fifth Element," working for over a year refining the script from his own story, and with an international team of artists visualizing its 23rd century setting and characters. When budget concerns put the project at a standstill, Besson turned his hand to another original screenplay, "The Professional." "The Professional" returned to the themes examined in "La Femme Nikita." It starred Jean Reno and Natalie Portman in the story of a hit man who is civilized by his paternal love for a young girl orphaned by a renegade government agent, played by Gary Oldman. The picture was an immediate worldwide success and garnered Cesar nominations for Best Picture and for Besson as Best Director.
In 1997, Besson's sci-fi opus "The Fifth Element," starring Bruce Willis, was released to critical acclaim and box office success. Besson also won a British Academy Award for producing "Nil By Mouth," with Gary Oldman.
Besson's eighth directorial effort, the historical epic "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc," starring Milla Jovovich in the title role, came in 1999. That year, he also produced "Taxi 2," directed by Gérard Krawczyk, and "The Dancer," helmed by Fred Garson. In 2001, he produced "Kiss of the Dragon." Then came "15 Août," "Yamakasi," "les Samouraïs des temps modernes" and "Wasabi," a film shot in France and Japan, starring Jean Reno, directed by Gérard Krawczyk.
He produced the thriller "Unleashed," directed by Louis Leterrier, co-wrote and produced "The Transporter" and "Transporter 2," produced and directed "Angel-A," wrote and produced the adventure "Bandidas," executive produced the acclaimed thriller "Tell No One," produced and wrote "Taxi 3" and "Taxi 4," produced the American remake of "Taxi" and produced, co-wrote the screenplay (based on his book) and directed the animated feature "Arthur and the Invisibles."
Besson's many upcoming projects include the Jim Carrey comedy "I Love You Phillip Morris," on which Besson is an executive producer; and "Transporter 3," which he is co-writing and producing.
He is the founder, with Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, of a European cinema studio named Europa, where he will not only produce between 4-8 films a year, but be involved in film distribution and foreign sales, video, and music publishing.
ROBERT MARK KAMEN (Co-Writer) received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, before setting his sights on Hollywood. Kamen sold his first screenplay, "Crossings," to Warner Brothers in 1978. His first produced feature film was the critically acclaimed "Taps." Kamen then wrote the hugely successful "The Karate Kid," which turned into a three-film franchise, all of which he wrote.
Kamen then wrote the films "Gladiator," "The Power of One," "A Walk in the Clouds," and the blockbuster "Lethal Weapon 3." By the mid '90s, he had established himself as one of the most sought after writers in Hollywood, with credits such as "The Devil's Own" and "The Fifth Element." He also assisted Luc Besson in writing "The Professional."
Kamen co-wrote with Besson "The Transporter," "Kiss of the Dragon," "Transporter 2," "Bandidas," and the upcoming "Transporter 3." He was artistic consultant on "Unleashed."
MICHEL ABRAMOWICZ, A.F.C. (Director of Photography) was cinematographer on the films "The Empire of Wolves," "Michel Vaillant," "Sweat," "April Captains," "La Ballade de Titus," "Vent d'est," and many others.
HUGUES TISSANDIER (Production Designer) previously collaborated with Luc Besson on "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc," "The Transporter," "District B13," "Bandidas," "Arthur and the Invisibles" and "Taxi 4."
FREDERIC THORAVAL (Editing) previously collaborated with TAKEN director Pierre Morel on "District B13," written by TAKEN producer/co-writer Luc Besson. His other credits include "Angel-A," directed by Besson, "Bandidas" (produced and co-written by Besson) and "L'invité."
NATHANIEL MECHALY (Music) completed studies at the National Conservatory of Music in Marseille, Paris and Boulogne in cello, chamber music and electro-acoustic composition. He was the recipient of several awards.
Since 1996, he has composed a large body of original work for television, including title themes for "Cine-Cinema," "Paris Premiere," national network TF1's children's programming "TF1 Kids," the news programming for national broadcaster France 3, and several "Thema" broadcast events for the Arte network. He has also composed for numerous television commercials and short films.
Following fruitful collaboration on many projects with composer Gabriel Yared, Mechaly had his debut as a feature film composer in 2004 with Raphael Nadjari's film "Avanim." Since then, his numerous film credits include "The Guests" by Gidi Dar, "Revolver" by Guy Ritchie, "The Black Box" by Richard Berry, "The Secret" by Vincent Perez, "Melody's Smile" by Alfred Lot, and "The Last Gang" by Ariel Zeitoun.
Mechaly is also a composer for theater and contemporary dance, having collaborated notably with the dance group "le groupe dunes."
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