- Notes provided by 20th Century Fox. -

"THE ROCKER," aka Robert "Fish" Fishman, was the drummer for an eighties hair band. He was living the rock 'n' roll dream... until he was kicked out of the group. Twenty years later, the desperate rocker joins his nephew's band, "A.D.D.," finally reclaiming the rock-god throne he's always thought he deserved -- while taking his much younger bandmates along for the ride of their lives.
In this rockin' mix of physical comedy, heart and garage band/power rock/heavy metal music, "The Office's" Rainn Wilson trades his paper company desk job for rock 'n' roll fame, taking on the role of a big, sweaty, out-of-control -- and sometimes naked -- drummer who gets a second chance at rock superstardom. He's joined by Christina Applegate ("Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy"), Jeff Garlin ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Josh Gad ("21"), pop star Teddy Geiger and Emma Stone ("Superbad").
When we first meet Fish, he and his bandmates from Vesuvius are in full '80s glory -- knocking out headbanging songs and sporting big hair, scarves, and impossibly tight leather pants. Just as Vesuvius is about to break big, Fish is tossed out of the band. Flash-forward twenty years: the ex-drummer extraordinaire, who lived, ate, breathed, slept -- and most of all, sweated -- rock n' roll, works for an insurance company and is living with his sister, brother-in-law and nephew Matt.
In short, Fish is a broken man, stuck in a mid-life crisis. But when he learns that Matt's band, A.D.D. is searching for a new drummer, Fish volunteers -- well, really, he begs -- for a shot. Fish is over two decades older than his bandmates, yet somehow he completes A.D.D.: the brooding, hair-in-the-face singer Curtis; the stiff-as-a-board supernerd Matt; the ironic post-modern punk girl Amelia -- and now the ancient rocker, Fish.
Spurred by Fish's habit of rehearsing in the buff (and hip new moniker "The Naked Drummer"), A.D.D. becomes an internet sensation. They hit the road for their first big tour -- along with Curtis' mom, Kim, as a chaperon. But as Fish once again lives the rock and roll life he thought was almost a birthright, he begins a journey that will take him to a place even he never thought possible: adulthood.
THE ROCKER's theme of second chances resonated with the filmmakers and cast. "THE ROCKER is a heartwarming, character-driven comedy about a guy who is getting a second shot at what he thinks is his birthright and what he knows is his lifelong dream," says producer Tom McNulty, who developed the project with his partner at 21 Laps Entertainment, noted filmmaker Shawn Levy, director of Night at the Museum and Cheaper by the Dozen.
"It's a coming-of-age story, but for a 41-year-old, over-the-hill rock drummer," says Rainn Wilson. Tied into the theme of second chances, adds the actor, is the universal dream of being a rock star. "Everyone --even movie stars -- wants to be in a rock band (and vice versa). It's always been my dream.
"I was in the world's worst high school rock band," says Wilson about his own stint as a wannabe rocker. "I sang, even though I had a terrible voice. We had a band called Collected Moss. We were awful."
If anyone ever needed a second chance, it'd be Fish. Director Peter Cattaneo, who helmed the smash indie hit The Full Monty, notes that the character "has the biggest tumble a guy could ever have, missing out on the greatest opportunity of a life, by a hair."
"Fish is suspended in adolescence because he's never gotten over the moment in his life when he lost his dream," elaborates Ryan Jaffe, who penned the film's story. "He's in a pretty dark place, and joining A.D.D. is a last-gasp moment before adulthood. He stumbles into this amazing second chance at realizing his dream."
"Going to the movies and watching Fish's story unfold -- it's wish fulfillment," Jaffe continues. "You feel like you're part of the dream for two hours." Adds Christina Applegate, who plays Kim, mother to A.D.D.'s lead singer Curtis (and who becomes a potential love interest for Fish): "I think everyone wishes for second chances. People can relate to and enjoy movies about the human spirit and redemption."
Given THE ROCKER's central notions of "what-might-have-been" and second chances, it's no accident that former Beatles drummer Pete Best has a supporting role in the film. Best is renowned for being the Fab Four's first drummer, joining the band in 1960, only to be dismissed two years later when The Beatles were on the verge of super-stardom. (Best now fronts his own successful band.)
While the filmmakers point out that THE ROCKER is not Best's story, his life does have interesting parallels to the fictional tale of Fish. So, Best was invited to appear opposite Wilson in a key scene early in the story. Best read the script and, appreciating its humor and characters, agreed to take the role.
But before Best's participation was secured -- even before principal casting was underway -- producers Tom McNulty and Shawn Levy, of 21 Laps Entertainment, carefully guided THE ROCKER through development. McNulty brought in Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarksy to work on the script. The screenwriters, whose work includes a stint on "The Simpsons," brought verisimilitude to the project, as well as laughs. "They grew up in the rock business and love it," says McNulty.
As work continued on the script, Cattaneo came aboard to direct. Rainn Wilson happened to be a fan of Cattaneo's The Full Monty, and he was delighted when Cattaneo took the reins of THE ROCKER. "I think what Peter did with The Full Monty is pretty remarkable," says the actor. "It seemed entirely real, like you had stepped into this working-class English town and you were going on this journey with these characters. When we met about THE ROCKER, I could tell immediately that he just got the humor and tone of the film, and we've been on this enormous roller coaster ever since."
The filmmakers' first order of business for the filmmakers was to catch their Fish: Rainn Wilson. "We wanted Fish to be a recognizable character," says Shawn Levy, "a relatable protagonist who comes unleashed -- who becomes the dream version of himself. Rainn has that kind of contained vibe, but he also struck me as someone audiences would enjoy watching come unhinged."
Wilson embraced the character and story, which he says "possesses the perfect combination of good rock n' roll fun and a lot of heart. It's an epic odyssey for a rocker-turned-insurance guy-turned-reborn rock god."
If Fish is the prototypical wild man of rock, then his opposite number would be Curtis, the heart and soul of A.D.D. and the band's lead singer. The two bandmates -- generation gap notwithstanding -- form an affecting bond. "Curtis is kind of introverted," says Geiger of his on-screen persona. "He's in his own world, writing songs and singing, but not really enjoying himself. Fish helps bring him out of his shell."
Curtis' burgeoning social skills facilitate a tentative relationship with Amelia, A.D.D.'s bassist. But true love is never easy, especially within a band. The intra-band dynamic and cross-generational hijinks intrigued Emma Stone, who portrays Amelia. In THE ROCKER, the 40-year-old drummer wants to party all night and live the rock-star lifestyle, while the teenagers just want to go home and rest up after each gig. "It's a fun idea and it should appeal to a broad audience," says Stone. "If you're a teen, then you'll think THE ROCKER is a fun rock movie with a cute guy [Geiger] and a weird older guy galling over his drums. If you're an adult, you'll think, oh, man, I know what Fish is going through. It's an inspirational story to anybody who's had a dream that seemed far¬fetched, but maybe wasn't."
The fourth member of A.D.D. is Fish's nephew Matt, who serves as the group's bassist. Like his bandmates, Matt undergoes some big changes after his uncle arrives on the scene. "Matt is shy and reclusive," says Josh Gad of his character. "Thanks to Fish, Matt discovers a new side to his personality, and he is able to focus his energy into something productive, like his music."
Also playing key roles are Jeff Garlin as Fish's brother-in-law Stan, who watches Fish's ascendancy with awe and wonder; Jane Lynch, as Fish's put-upon sister Lisa; Jason Sudeikis as an obsequious A&R man who becomes A.D.D.'s manager.
As you can guess about a movie called THE ROCKER, music was a critical element. Cattaneo, who says it was the film's potential to incorporate great music that drew him to the project, insisted on getting the songs right. To that end, all the tunes -- encompassing A.D.D.'s garage-band vibe and Vesuvius' power-rock, heavy metal sound
-- had to be original.
Composer Chad Fischer and music supervisor Patrick Houlihan were charged with the formidable task of rockin' THE ROCKER, with Fischer handling most of the songwriting. "A.D.D.'s sound had to feel fresh and real," notes Fischer. Adds Houlihan: "It's kind of like Fountains of Wayne meets Ben Kweller with some influences from The Cars and Weezer."
Fischer and Houlihan similarly pushed for authenticity for Vesuvius' sound. The group's signature hit, "Promised Land," is a big rock anthem that also reflects the film's emotional and thematic beats about second chances. "We needed to come up with a song that [in the film] becomes the biggest heavy metal song of the '80s and through the '90s -- that would put Vesuvius into the realm of Guns n' Roses," says Fischer. Other potential breakout hits from THE ROCKER soundtrack include "Bitter" and "Tomorrow Never Comes."
In keeping with the filmmakers' desire to mix the laughs with verisimilitude, Wilson, Stone and Gad were assigned special coaches to prepare them for A.D.D.'s on-stage musical numbers. According to producer Tom McNulty, the coaching really paid off. "Rainn, Emma, Josh and Teddy became a real band," he says. "They were A.D.D., with Teddy on lead guitar and singing, Emma playing the bass line, Josh on keyboards, and Rainn on drums."
Wilson's training, under veteran drummer Stuart Johnson, was especially intensive. His lessons started with him learning some basic beats from classic bands such as AC/DC and Smashing Pumpkins. Equally important as attaining the necessary level of musicianship, says Johnson, was for Wilson to project a certain attitude behind the drums
-- larger than life, hair-flipping, whiskey-spitting, and stick-twirling. "We wanted to transform Rainn into [legendary Who drummer] Keith Moon," says Fischer. "Moon was a total animal behind the kit. He would be bombastic, and he broke a lot of rules by just playing too much. But he made it work perfectly."
A highlight for everyone on the production was shooting the big, climactic concert scene, in which A.D.D. shares the bill with superstar rockers Vesuvius. The light show circling the arena and the legions of screaming fans/extras, made it feel like a real concert. For the actors, many of whom, as we've already learned, probably harbor deep-seeded dreams of music superstardom, it was a fantasy come to life. "It's awesome to get to play and pretend to be a rock star," says Wilson. "We got to play in big arenas and really rock out to the songs."
As it was with the music, it was critical to get the costumes right. Fish's eclectic wardrobe includes a kimono, cowboy boots, leather pants, sweat bands, headbands, glitter, lamé, leopard prints -- and sometimes nothing at all. (See www.IOnlyDrumNaked.com for details.) For the pre-stardom Vesuvius, circa the 1980s
-- "the decade that time forgot," jokes costume designer Christopher Hargadon -- flea markets were a key source of inspiration. "Their look had to have a homespun not-quite¬right feel, like maybe their Moms had sewn it for them," says Hargadon. For the contemporary rock god-like Vesuvius, a higher class of attire was warranted. "A band that big would have its designer, creating a distinctive look," explains Hargadon. Adds Cattaneo, with a laugh: "I don't know where Christopher found those leopard skin pants, but they were perfect!"
For key makeup artist Elizabeth Gruszka, "it was all about the eyes...and the hair." And sweat -- lots and lots of it, because Fish's drumming is characterized by a strong beat, a full-throttle, in-your-face attitude, and prodigious amounts of perspiration. To achieve the necessary "wet look," Wilson underwent an interminable bout of what Gruszka calls "rocker sweat torture." For simple sweat-soaked hugs, drenching Wilson with a steady stream of water sufficed. But for scenes set on-stage, Gruszka employed a simulated sweat product; petroleum jelly combined with sprayed water did the trick -- "it's beautiful because the jelly makes the water bead," she says.
"My heart went out to Rainn," Gruszka adds. "Imagine being stuck in a rainstorm for hours on end, being constantly spritzed with...well, whatever we could get. Imagine that happening to you for hours each day. You'd feel incredible tired and weak. But Rainn was a real trooper."
Fox Atomic presents a 21 Laps production, a Peter Cattaneo film, "THE ROCKER," starring Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Jeff Garlin, Josh Gad, Teddy Geiger and Emma Stone. Peter Cattaneo directs from a screenplay by Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky and a story by Ryan Jaffe. The film is produced by Shawn Levy and Tom McNulty. Anthony B. Richmond, ASC / BSC is the director of photography, and the film is edited by George Folsey Jr. A.C.E. The co-producer is Lyn Lucibello-Brancatella, the original songs & score are by Chad Fischer, and the music supervisor is Patrick Houlihan.
Twentieth Century Fox releases "THE ROCKER" in theaters everywhere July 30.
ABOUT THE CAST
RAINN WILSON (Fish) recently wrapped his fourth season on The Office, the Emmy® and Screen Actors Guild Award® winning series on NBC. Endearing himself to millions, he earned his first Emmy nomination last year in the Supporting Actor category for his portrayal of Dwight Schrute, an eccentric paper salesman whose ego knows no bounds, dreams of being "#2," and fervently torments his colleagues in his own lovable, pathetic fashion.
It has been said that the continual ratings growth has been in part due to a grass-roots effort spawned by the cast's Internet blogs. Wilson, writing as his character Dwight, spends his on-camera work time scripting a hysterical recounting of "Office" events, discussing everything from the inter-office antics to the differences -- per Dwight -- between men and women. Wilson continues to write the blog at least once a month during the season and it can be viewed through the show's link at www.nbc.com.
Wilson was recently seen in the fantasy family feature The Last Mimzy. In Bob Shaye's resurgent directorial project, Wilson starred as Larry, a science teacher who gets caught up in a fantastical science-fiction ride when two of his students uncover a box of ultra-advanced toys with magical capabilities to bring them into the future. Other film credits include Ivan Reitman's comedy My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Sahara, Baadasssss, Full Frontal, Almost Famous, America's Sweethearts, House of 1,000 Corpses and Galaxy Quest.
Prior to "The Office," Wilson was best known for his role as Arthur Martin, the pitiable mortician's apprentice on HBO's Emmy Award winning television series "Six Feet Under." He guest-starred on "CSI," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Dark Angel," and "Monk," and he co-starred in the TV movie "When Billy Beat Bobby."
Wilson honed his skills on stage. Credits include performances in two Broadway plays, "London Assurance" and "The Tempest." He has also performed off-Broadway in "The New Bozena," "Plunge," "Venus," "Titus Andronicus," and "Twelfth Night." He attended the graduate acting program at New York University.
Wilson currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, fiction-writer Holiday Reinhorn, their young son, Walter, and their two pit bulls, Oona and Harper Lee.
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE (Kim) has received critical praise for her strength and versatility as an Emmy winner ("Friends"), and a Tony® (Sweet Charity) and a Golden Globe® ("Samantha Who?") nominated actress in theater, film and television.
After receiving accolades for her performance starring alongside Cameron Diaz and Selma Blair in the raucous comedy The Sweetest Thing, Applegate's range of skill landed her numerous roles in both independent and studio projects. Her feature film credits include Surviving Christmas for director Mike Mitchell, the DreamWorks comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Lionsgate's Wonderland, Miramax's View From the Top, and Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.
This summer, Applegate continues production on her hit ABC television comedy "Samantha Who?" which debuted to primetime audiences in the fall of 2007. She returned to television, this time as a producer and star playing the title character, Samantha Newly, who woke up from an eight-day coma after a hit-and-run car accident with retrograde amnesia. As she pieces together her former life and continues to discover her "new" self, she learns that she may have been a horrible person prior to her accident. With only parts of her old life and memories intact, her character moves forward living and learning as she creates a new life for herself and readjusts to daily life. Applegate's performance in this role has been applauded by critics and fans and has garnered her nominations for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award(tm). In addition, the show won a People's Choice Award in the Favorite New TV Comedy category during its first season.
Applegate first gained widespread attention as the sexy and sarcastic Kelly Bundy on the long-running Fox series, "Married With Children." After a very successful 11¬season run, she furthered her television success by starring in her own NBC comedy series, "Jesse." In 1999, the highly rated show garnered Applegate a People's Choice Award as Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series and a Golden Globe nomination in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical.
In 2004, Applegate returned to television as a guest star on "Friends" as Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) younger sister Amy. Her performance earned her an Emmy Award in the category of "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series" for her role. She was nominated for an Emmy once again the following year for her witty performance.
In 2005, Applegate made her Broadway debut in the revival of Sweet Charity, in the starring role of Charity Hope Valentine. For her role, Applegate was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical as well as a Drama Desk Award in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Sweet Charity ended its run in January 2006. Her other stage credits include an appearance in John Cassavetes' Los Angeles production of The Third Day with Gena Rowlands, The Axeman's Jazz, Nobody Leaves Empty Handed, The Run-Through, and The Grass Harp.
In March of 2005, Applegate appeared in the telefilm, "James Patterson's Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas," based on the author's best-selling novel. The project was directed by Richard Friedenberg.
Applegate currently resides in Los Angeles.
JEFF GARLIN (Stan) is a writer, producer, director, actor, and stand-up comedian. Garlin both co-stars and executive produces the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The unique comedy, which is one of the rare television shows to become part of the national zeitgeist, stars "Seinfeld" creator Larry David with Garlin portraying his loyal manager. The critically acclaimed series has won numerous awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy, The Danny Thomas Producer of the Year Award from the Producers Guild of America, and the AFI Comedy Series of the Year award.
Born and raised in Chicago and then South Florida, Garlin studied filmmaking and began performing stand-up comedy while at the University of Miami. He has toured the country as a stand-up comedian, is an alumnus of Chicago's Second City Theatre, and has written and starred in three critically acclaimed solo shows ("I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With," "Uncomplicated" and "Concentrated"). Garlin recently had his first film I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With released to critical acclaim. Garlin has also directed "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and both Jon Stewart ("Unleavened") and Denis Leary ("Lock-n-Load") in their HBO specials.
Garlin has extensive feature acting credits, including a starring role opposite Eddie Murphy in the Columbia/Tristar comedy Daddy Day Care. He recently voiced the role of The Captain in the Pixar film WALL-E.
Garlin lives with his wife, two sons and two dogs in Los Angeles. His hobbies include eating puddin' and taking naps.
JOSH GAD (Matt) recently co-starred in the sitcom "Back to You," opposite Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. He began his career in theater, graduating from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. He then turned his sights to comedy, joining the famed Groundlings Improv troupe and later founding his own group, the Lost Nomads Comedy Troupe.
Gad appeared in the hit feature film 21, a drama based on real events starring Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne and Kevin Spacey, about six MIT students trained to become experts in card counting who subsequently take over Las Vegas casinos for millions in winnings. Upcoming is a dramatic feature, Crossing Over, a multi-character drama about immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. The film stars Harrison Ford, Sean Penn, Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd.
On Broadway, having huge shoes to fill in the Tony Award-winning production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Gad received rave reviews for his portrayal of the disheveled, "magic-foot"-using spelling champion. Other theater credits include All in the Timing, The Crucible, Skin of Our Teeth and Axis of E. Previous screen credits include a guest role on "ER" and the independent feature Watching the Detectives with Lucy Liu.
TEDDY GEIGER (Curtis) makes his feature film debut in THE ROCKER. He recently appeared in the hit series "Love Monkey" (CBS/VH1), but Geiger is best known as a singer/songwriter for Columbia Records. After independently releasing his Step Ladder EP at 15 to unexpected chart recognition, Geiger came into 2006 with the release of his acclaimed debut Underage Thinking. The album debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard charts (#8), also winning Best Album of the Year at the Annual Musiqtone Awards. His first single, "For You I Will," sold a million downloads (Platinum in the USA) and entered the Top 10 at radio in several countries, including the Hot AC chart - a feat for a 16 year old at the time. The song was also nominated for a Nickelodeon Teen Choice Award (Favorite Love Song), and in February 2007, the video won MTV Australia's Best Spankin' New Artist award, complimenting his Gold sales status Down Under.
Geiger's songs have appeared in countless movies and TV shows, including "Prison Break," "Aquamarine" and "Beautiful People," among others. Geiger became the first male in five years to grace the cover of Seventeen magazine, and was dubbed The Hottest Guy in America by the publication.
Geiger is currently on tour and is giving his fans their first taste of 33 newly-recorded, original songs, with the opportunity to listen, rate and vote on which they'd like to see on Teddy's forthcoming album. Teddy's self-named and loyal "TedHeads" will make history as they decide which songs will make up his second album.
EMMA STONE (Amelia), with her striking beauty and sincere talent, is quickly emerging as one of Hollywood's most sought after actresses. She was recently seen as Jonah Hill's love interest in the Judd Apatow comedy Superbad.
Stone is currently filming New Line Cinema's romantic-comedy, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past opposite Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Breckin Meyer and Lacey Chabert. The film is slated for release in 2009.
Stone can also soon be seen opposite Anna Faris in Columbia Pictures' The House Bunny. Emma stars as Natalie, the president of a sorority, where a sexy new housemother causes interesting complications. The House Bunny is slated for release on August 22, 2008.
Stone's television credits include Twentieth Century Fox's "Drive" and the VH1 series, "In Search of the Partridge Family." She's also guest-starred on series such as "Malcolm in the Middle," "Medium," "Lucky Louie," and "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody."
A native of Arizona, Stone currently resides in Los Angeles.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
PETER CATTANEO (Director), a two-time Academy Award® nominee, is best known for directing The Full Monty, for which he received his second Oscar nomination as a director. His first came in 1991 for Best Short Film, Live Action for Dear Rosie. He most recently directed and co-wrote the Australian Outback drama Opal Dream and directed the comedy Lucky Break, which was released in the U.S. by Paramount Pictures.
MAYA FORBES & WALLY WOLODARSKY (Screenplay) have written for movies and television for over 20 years. Maya Forbes worked on the first four seasons of "The Larry Sanders Show." In her final season, she was co-executive producer. Wally Wolodarsky began his career on "The Tracy Ullman Show." He was an original writer on "The Simpsons," working there through the first four seasons. He has won two Emmys. Wolodarsky appeared in The Darjeeling Limited as an actor. He also plays a character in Wes Anderson's upcoming animated feature Fantastic Mr. Fox. Forbes & Wolodarsky are currently writing Monster vs. Aliens for DreamWorks Animation. It will be released in March 2009.
RYAN JAFFE (Story), after three years in film development working for producer Nick Wechsler (sex, lies and videotape, The Player, Drugstore Cowboy), left the business side of Hollywood to pursue writing full time. After several years grinding towards that first sale (mostly working as a freelance reader and internet producer), Jaffe broke through as the inaugural participant in Twentieth Century Fox's New Writer Program. He was given a two-script deal and his first project was THE ROCKER. Jaffe has another project in development with Fox Atomic entitled Don't Lean on Me. He's also writing the short film Bonnie and Mr. Clyde, which Jennifer Garner will direct for ABC Family. Jaffe has sold pilots to Fox TV, Warner Bros. TV and Touchstone Television. He grew up in Chester, New Jersey and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Communications in 1996.
SHAWN LEVY (Producer) is one of the most commercially successful film directors of the past decade. To date, his films have already grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Levy has honed his craft, seamlessly weaving comedy and heart into captivating stories that resonate with audiences. His youthfully enthusiastic approach to filmmaking is evident in the storylines and characters he creates -- reflecting his joyful intensity for each project at hand.
Levy is currently developing several films to produce through his production company, 21 Laps Entertainment, which is housed at Fox. In 2006, Levy directed and produced Night at the Museum, a blockbuster comedy, starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney. He is currently helming Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian, as well as producing the sequel to his Pink Panther film. He was a producer on Fox's hit romantic comedy What Happens in Vegas, starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher.
Levy directed the 2006 hit comedy The Pink Panther, starring Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Beyoncé Knowles, and Jean Reno. He produced Cheaper by the Dozen 2, the sequel to the blockbuster comedy, starring Steve Martin, which Levy had directed a few years earlier. Previously, Levy directed the hit romantic comedy Just Married, starring Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy. The surprise-hit film grossed over $100 million worldwide. In 2002, Levy directed the family comedy Big Fat Liar, for Universal Pictures with Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti and Amanda Bynes.
Levy graduated at the age of twenty from the Drama Department of Yale University. He later studied film in the Masters Film Production Program at USC where he produced and directed the short film Broken Record. This film won the Gold Plaque at the Chicago Film Festival, in addition to being selected to screen at the Director's Guild of America. Following his well-received student film, Levy spent several years directing, writing and executive producing for television. His pilots for "The Famous Jett Jackson," "So Weird," "In A Heartbeat" (all for The Disney Channel) and "Caitlin's Way" (Nickelodeon) were all picked up to series. Shawn spent two seasons as the executive producer of the hit Disney Channel series "The Famous Jett Jackson." The series, for which Levy also wrote and directed several episodes, culminated in the award winning telefilm "Jett Jackson: The Movie," which Levy produced and directed.
TOM McNULTY (Producer) is the president of production at 21 Laps Entertainment, a production company based at Twentieth Century Fox in Los Angeles. McNulty joined 21 Laps Entertainment at its inception with the company's principal, director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) and has set up over a dozen film projects at Fox, Universal, Warner Brothers and New Line. Other 21 Laps films include Cheaper By The Dozen 2, as well as the hit comedy What Happens In Vegas starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher and St. Peter starring Elizabeth Banks and Sam Rockwell. The Rocker marks their first producing effort together.
Prior to joining Levy, McNulty was the executive vice president of production at Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions for over six years. There, he oversaw the development of the entire slate of films, notably Mr. Deeds, Anger Management, 50 First Dates, Are We There Yet, Click and Dickie Roberts Former Child Star.
Prior to joining Happy Madison, McNulty was an executive at Out Of The Blue Entertainment, where he was an executive on Big DADDY and the original Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo.
McNulty arrived in Hollywood as an actor, appearing in Boys on the Side opposite Whoopi Goldberg and Escape from LA with Kurt Russell. McNulty grew up on Long Island and attended The Catholic University of America in Washington DC.
ANTHONY B. RICHMOND, ASC / BSC (Director of Photography) has been a cinematographer for over three decades. His credits include Good Luck Chuck, The Comebacks, Shade, Havana Nights, A Walk On The Moon, Legally Blond, Ravenous, Men Of Honor, The Sweetest Thing, Someone Like You, Just Friends, John Tucker Must Die and Autopsy.
Richmond, an award-winning cinematographer lensed five films for director Nicolas Roeg -- Don't Look Now, for which Richmond won the prestigious BAFTA award, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Bad Timing, Heart of Darkness and Full Body Massage. Some of Richmond's other credits include Candyman, Stardust, Rough Riders, The Eagle Has Landed, and The Greek Tycoon. He also served as DP on Angelica Houston's directorial debut Bastard out of Carolina, and on director Sean Penn's Indian Runner.
Richmond was also responsible for photography on the seminal British music scene of the late 60s. He shot the Rolling Stones classic, Sympathy For The Devil for Jean-Luc Godard, then collaborated with Michael Lindsey Hogg on The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus and The Beatles' Let It Be. His other rock and roll film credit is The Who's The Kids Are Alright.
Born and raised in London, Richmond literally worked his way up through the ranks. He began at the age of 15 as a messenger with Associate British Cinemas and later with Pathe-News, where he was promoted to the camera department. He next worked as assistant cameraman on the films Call Me Bwana, From Russia with Love, Devil-Ship Pirates and Doctor Zhivago.
Richmond served as focus-puller on Casino Royale and on Far from the Madding Crowd, the latter for director John Schlesinger, whom he also later served as Cinematographer of the documentary Israel, made just days after the Six-Day War.
GEORGE FOLSEY JR. A.C.E. (Editor) is the son of the late Hollywood cinematographer and 14-time Oscar nominee George Folsey. Folsey Jr. has edited such comedy classics as Kentucky Fried Movie, Animal House, The Blues Brothers and Coming to America. He also served as editor on the iconic Michael Jackson music video Thriller.
His more recent film editing credits include Unaccompanied Minors, The Pink Panther, Hostel and Hostel: Part II, The Ringer, Cheaper By The Dozen, Basic, and re¬editing Broken Lizard's Super Troopers.
Folsey Jr. also has producing credits on such films as An American Werewolf in London, Trading Places, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Spies Like Us, Clue, Greedy, The Three Amigos, Into The Night, Grumpier Old Men and Coming to America.
LYN LUCIBELLO-BRANCATELLA (Co-Producer) was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her father is Tony Lucibello, a first assistant director, who also managed a film studio in Kleinburg, Ontario during the '70s and early '80s.
Pursuing a career in the film industry, Lyn began working on movie projects during summer vacations at the Kleinburg Film Studios, north of Toronto. In 1983 she moved to Wilmington, North Carolina for four years to work for DEG (Delaurentiis Entertainment Group). As an accountant she worked on over 30 feature films, including Tribute, Superman III, Police Academy 3, The Dead Zone, Firestarter, Cat's Eye, Blue Velvet, King Kong Lives and Murder at 1600.
In 1999 Lyn made the move to become a unit production manager, on the feature film The Skulls, for Original Film/Universal Pictures. She was production manager on Against the Ropes and Four Brothers for Paramount, Shall We Dance for Miramax, Dark Water for Disney, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium for Mandate/Walden Pictures, and recently, Grey Gardens, starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange for HBO.
CHAD FISCHER (Original Songs & Score) is a Los Angeles-based composer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer. Most recently, he wrote the scores for the acclaimed Garden State, directed by and starring Zach Braff, the romantic comedy Little Manhattan, and the comedy The Babysitters. Previously, Fischer wrote, produced and performed the theme song "Superman" for the hit sitcom "Scrubs," starring Braff.
Fischer is the main composer of the television series "Private Practice," the successful spin-off from "Grey's Anatomy." "North Mission Road." He composed all the original songs and underscoring for the WB series "My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star" on which he also served as the actors' musical coach. He has written songs for the opening sequence of the ABC docudrama "Prince William: The Boy Who Will Be King," a Beach Boys documentary and the end title theme for the features Bubbleboy and The First 20 Million is Always the Hardest. After playing drums for the '90s alternative rock group School of Fish ("Three Strange Days"), Fischer went on to form the band Lazlo Bane.
His music production credits have included Colin Hay, Everlast, Jude, Lisa Loeb, Liz Phair, Josh Clayton-Felt and Alexi Murdoch.
PATRICK HOULIHAN (Music Supervisor) has helped shape the music of more than 20 feature films and several popular soundtracks. His credits include the Austin Powers films, both of the Charlie's Angels films, Just Friends, Training Day, Little Manhattan, EuroTrip, Deck The Halls, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Firehouse Dog and The Sweetest Thing.
Upcoming is I Love You, Beth Cooper directed by Christopher Columbus, and Post-Grad produced by Ivan Reitman.
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