“TruYou  –  one  account,  one  identity,  one  password,  one  payment  system  per  person.  You  had  to  use  your  real  name,  and  this  was  tied  to  your  credit  cards,  your  bank,  and  thus  paying  for  anything  was  simple.  One  button  for  the  rest  of  your  life  online.    To  use  any  of  The  Circle’s  tools,  and  they  were  the  best  tools,  the  most  dominant  and  ubiquitous  and  free,  you  had  to  do  so  as  yourself,  as  yourself,  as  your  TruYou.  The  era  of  false  identities,  identify  theft,  multiple  user  names,  complicated  passwords  and  payment  systems  was  over.  Anytime  you  wanted  to  see  anything,  use  anything,  comment  on  anything  or  buy  anything,  it  was  one  button,  one  account,  everything  tied  together  and  trackable  and  simple,  all  of  it  operable  via  mobile  or  laptop,  tablet  or  retinal.  Once  you  had  a  single  account,  it  carried  you  through  every  corner  of  the  web,  every  portal,  every  pay  site,  everything  you  wanted  to  do.”  

 �  from  “The  Circle”  by  Dave  Eggers  

   

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THE CIRCLE PRODUCTION NOTES

   

     Hey,  do  you  mind  if  I  ask  you  something?  Would  you  be  a  better  version  of  yourself  if  you  knew  

you  were   being   watched   24   hours   a   day?  What   would   the   implications   be   of   a   transparent  

society?  There  are  people  that  we  want  to  be  transparent  –  our  celebrities,  our  criminals  –  for  

our  own  voyeuristic  pleasure,  or  our  safety  –  and  others  of  whom  we  feel  entitled  to  demand  

their  transparency  –  our  elected  officials,  our  law  enforcement.    Where  is  the  line?  The  concept  

of   totalitarianism   is  historically   thought  of  as  a  construct   that  would  be   forced  upon  us  –  but  

what  if  we  are  complicit,  even  unwittingly,  in  our  own  oppression?  

 

STX  Entertainment  and  EuropaCorp’s  gripping  modern   thriller  The  Circle   is   set   in   the  not-­‐too-­‐

distant   future  where   privacy   becomes   criminal   and  we   are   forced   to   confront   the   question:  

What  price  are  we  willing  to  pay  for  knowledge?  

   

       

  3  

 SYNOPSIS

 When   Mae   (Emma   Watson)   is   hired   to   work   for   The   Circle,   the   world’s   largest   and   most  

powerful   tech  and  social  media  company,   she  sees   it  as   the  opportunity  of  a   lifetime.  As  she  

rises  through  the  ranks,  she  is  encouraged  by  the  company’s  charismatic  founder,  Eamon  Bailey  

(Tom  Hanks),  to  engage  in  a  groundbreaking  experiment  that  pushes  the  boundaries  of  privacy,  

ethics,  and  ultimately  her  personal  freedom.  Her  participation  in  the  experiment,  and  her  every  

decision  begin  to  affect  the  lives  and  future  of  her  friends,  family  and  that  of  humanity.  

 

The  film  also  stars  John  Boyega  (Star  Wars:  The  Force  Awakens)  and  Patton  Oswalt  (“Agents  of  

S.H.I.E.L.D,”  “The  Goldbergs”)  as  the  company’s  other  founders.  Bill  Paxton  (Edge  of  Tomorrow,  

“Big   Love”,   Titanic)   and   Glenne   Headly   (Don   Juan,  Mr.   Holland’s   Opus)   play   Mae’s   parents.    

Karen  Gillan  (Guardians  of  the  Galaxy,  The  Big  Short)  plays  Annie,  Mae’s  best  friend.  

 

The  film  is  directed  by  James  Ponsoldt  (“Master  of  None”,  The  End  of  the  Tour,  The  Spectacular  

Now)  with  a  screenplay  by  James  Ponsoldt  and  Dave  Eggers,  based  on  Eggers’  novel.  

 

   

 

 

  4  

 

FROM BOOK TO SCREEN  

Adapting  Dave  Egger’s  critically  acclaimed  book  “The  Circle”  did  not  take  the  standard  

Hollywood  route.  Co-­‐Writer/Director   James  Ponsoldt  wrote  the  script  on  spec.  Says  Ponsoldt,  

"I've   been   a   big   fan   of   Dave   Eggers'   writing   since   his   first   book,   ‘A   Heartbreaking   Work   of  

Staggering   Genius.’   So   I   was   excited   to   read   ‘The   Circle.’   I   found   it   chilling,   hilarious,   and  

shockingly  prescient   in   its  examination  of  how  utopian   ideals  might  quickly   transform   into  an  

invasive   surveillance   state.   To   be   honest,   I   think   I  was  most   unnerved   by   how  much   I   could  

relate  to  the  novel's  protagonist.  While  I  was  finishing  my  previous  film,  The  End  of  the  Tour,  I  

began   talking   with   Dave   about   the   possibility   of   adapting   ‘The   Circle.’   Dave   was   incredibly  supportive  throughout  the  entire  process."  Continues  Ponsoldt,  “It  was  nice  to  sort  of  be   in  a  

bubble   for   a  bit,  where   I  was   just   focusing  on  writing   the   script.   It  was   just  me   initially.  And  

when  I  was  done  the  only  people  that  read  it  were  my  wife  and  Dave.”  

   

  5  

Eggers  was   confident   enough   in   Ponsoldt’s   script   to   pass   it   on   to   Tom  Hanks,  whom  he   had  

worked  with  on  another  of  his  book’s  adaptations  Hologram  for  the  King.  And  once  Tom  Hanks  

was  interested,  as  Ponsoldt  smiles,  “then  we  were  just  off  to  the  races.”  

 

Hanks  brought  the  script  to  Gary  Goetzman,  his  producing  partner  at  Playtone.  Goetzman  says,  

“I  saw  James’s  film  The  End  of  the  Tour,  and  I  could  tell  this  was  a  guy  who’s  got  a  lot  of  smarts.  

He’s  very  clever   in  how  he  thinks  out  scenes,  actors,  motivations  and  has  a  vision  of  what  he  

feels  will  be  interesting  on  screen.  We  had  a  great  time  working  with  him.”  

 

Ponsoldt  assembled  a  crew  of  trusted  professionals  to  bring  the  script  to  the  screen.    To  bring  

Eggers’   vision   alive,   Ponsoldt   hired   esteemed   production   designer   Gerald   Sullivan   and  

cinematographer   Matthew   Libatique.   He   also   brought   on   casting   director   Avy   Kaufman,  

costume  designer  Emma  Potter,  and  editor  Lisa  Lassek.    Danny  Elfman  was  hired  to  write  the  

score.    

 

Principal  photography  on  the  film  began  on  September  11,  2015,  in  Los  Angeles,  California.  

 

In   February   2016,   EuropaCorp   acquired  U.S   and   Canadian   distribution   rights   to   the   film.   STX  

Entertainment  is  co-­‐distributing  the  film  with  EuropaCorp.  

 

ADAPTING THE THEME  

Since  the  book’s  publication   in  2013,  many  of   its   far-­‐reaching  technological  and  psychological  

aspects  started  to  become  realities.  This  created  both  a  challenge  and  an  opportunity   for  the  

filmmakers.  

 

Periscope,  Meerkat,  and  Facebook  Live  enabled  anyone  to  go  live  from  anywhere  at  any  time,  

mirroring  the  SeeChange  cameras  featured  in  the  film.    The  role  social  media  played  in  the  2016  

Presidential   election   with   candidates   using   Twitter   to   communicate   in   mass   and   bypass   the  

  6  

media  were  bringing  the  themes  of  transparency  (or  alternative  transparency)  closer  to  home  

every   day.   Meanwhile,   “Black   Mirror,”   a   British   science   fiction   television   anthology   series  

addressing  dark   and   satirical   themes  prevalent   in  modern   society,   particularly  with   regard   to  

the  unanticipated  consequences  of  new  technologies,  popularized  the  genre.  

 

   

This   confluence   was   exciting   to   Ponsoldt.   He   explains,   “My   favorite   challenge   was   choosing  

what  should  not  be  included  in  the  film,  because  Dave's  book  is  so  packed  with  ideas...  it  could  

be  a  great  mini-­‐series.  This   is  a   two-­‐hour  movie,   so   there  were  a   lot  of   things   that  had  to  be  

omitted.  We  have  to  constantly  ask  ourselves  'What  are  the  real  issues  at  the  core  of  this  -­‐  that  

is  at  the  core  of  any  given  scene,  and  how  do  we  best  stage  it,  shoot  it,  edit  it?'  So  when  you  

watch  the  movie  again,  in  five  years,  in  ten  years,  in  twenty  years,  it  doesn't  feel  terribly  dated.  

I  think  it  all  comes  down  to  putting  the  value  system  in  the  people  and  the  relationships  and  let  

the  technology  fall  into  the  background  of  it,  hopefully  invisibly.  That's  certainly  the  hope.”  

 

THE VALUE SYSTEM OF THE PEOPLE: TRANSPARENCY VS PRIVACY  

The   core   question   of   the   film   is:   How   does   the  world   balance   the   benefits   of   a   transparent  

society  versus  the  human  need  for  privacy?  

 

  7  

This  question  was  Ponsoldt’s  primary   focus  as  he  adapted   the  book   into  a   film,  “when   I   read  

Dave’s  book  I  loved  it  and  I  was  terrified  of  it.  It’s  definitely  a  thriller,  but  there  is  an  element  of  

horror   about   it   too.   And  mainly,   and   I   think   this   will   resonate   with   the   audience   as   well,   is  

because   we   see   ourselves   in   the   main   character.   I   realized   that   Mae’s   addictions   are   my  

addictions,  to  all  my  gadgets.  I  like  my  right  to  privacy,  I  value  it  very  much.  I  don’t  want  to  cede  

my  privacy  and  I  like  that  I  can  make  a  conscious  choice  about  what  I  will  share  with  the  world.  

But  there’s  a  trade  that  we  make.”  

 

 Producer  Anthony  Bregman  says,  “you're  always  looking  for  material  that  can  tell  you  

something  about  the  world  that  we're  in,  without  necessarily  being  a  historical  rendition  of  the  

world  we're  in.  You  look  for  poetic  essays  on  our  lives.  And  The  Circle  dealt  with  the  interaction  

between  human  beings,  technology  and  business  in  a  way  that  felt  very  true  and  very  real  and  

something  that  we're  all,  you  know,  dealing  with  now,  but  going  to  be  dealing  with  very  soon…  

it's  an  uncanny,  eerie,  five  seconds  into  the  future  book  about  the  state  of  the  world  that  we  

live  in  right  now.”    

  8  

As  the  film  addresses,  the  ever-­‐increasing  collection  of  data  around  human  habits  is  not  a  black  

and  white  issue.  The  “datafication”  of  our  daily  activities  can  be  incredibly  useful  to  advertisers,  

scientists,   doctors,   law   enforcement,   or   educational   systems   to   help   improve   our   lives   –   by  

customizing   information  specifically   for  us  and  our   families.   In   the  book  and  film,  The  Circle’s  

flagship   product   is   TruYou,   a   single   sign-­‐in   application   that   aggregates   all   of   a   user’s  

applications,  reducing  the  need  to  visit  and  log  in  and  out  of  multiple  applications.  But  just  how  

much  of  our  personal  information  are  we  willing  to  trade  for  convenience?    

 

Mercer,   played  by  Boyhood’s  Ellar   Coltrane,   is   the   anti-­‐thesis   of   this  movement.  He   is  Mae’s  

childhood  friend.  He  is  not  online,  does  not  participate  in  social  media,  and  calls  out  Mae  on  the  

dangers  of  going  totally  transparent,  both  as  a  person  and  a  society.  Mae  unsuccessfully  tries  to  

bring  him  into  The  Circle  and  show  him  the  benefits  of  social  media  on  his  artwork,  but  this  only  

drives  him  further  away.    

 

Tom   Hank’s   character,   Eamon   Bailey,   champions   The   Circle’s   mantra:   “Knowing   is   good.  

Knowing  everything   is  better.”  When  asked   if   this  aligns  with  his  personal  beliefs  Hanks  says,  

“the  message   for  me  was  that  we  are  all  participants   in  our  destiny.  And  yes,   it’s  great   to  be  

able  to  pay  bills  online  or  pull  up  any  movie  you  want  to  watch  at  any  time,  but  you  need  to  ask  

yourself   if   that’s   good   for   you   and   healthy   for   you.   And   it   takes   a   degree   of   vigilance   to  

proactively   evaluate   what’s   healthy   for   you   personally   and   what’s   healthy   for   society.  

Personally   I  would  never  sign  on  to  The  Circle,   I  wouldn’t  want  to  be  a  member  of  something  

like  that.   In  fact,   I  have  friends  that  don’t  even  have  landlines  anymore  and  are  going  back  to  

flip  phones  without  apps.  People  are  going  to  find  ways  to  become  anonymous,  people  will  opt  

out  and  I  think  it’s  going  to  be  easier  than  people  assume.”  

 

Mae  (Emma  Watson)  wants  the  opposite  of  anonymity.  With  a  nudge  from  the  founders  of  The  

Circle  she  volunteers  to  be  the  first  person  to  be  totally  transparent.  This  involves  becoming  the  

human   embodiment   of   The   Circle’s  mantra  —  wearing   a   camera   during   the   day   and   letting  

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viewers  have  access   to  everything   she  does   in  her   life  —  every  activity,   conversation,  action,  

and  email.  

 

Mae’s  allegiance  to  The  Circle  is  solidified  when  the  company  agrees  to  take  her  father,  who  is  

succumbing   to   multiple   sclerosis,   onto   the   company’s   insurance   plan.   Tormented   seeing   his  

physical   demise   and   watching   helplessly   as   her   mother   struggles   to   secure   needed   services  

through   their   current   insurance,  Mae   is   relieved  and  grateful   for   The  Circle’s   generous  offer.  

After   being   taken   into   The   Circle’s   health   care   system,   she   sees   his   immediate   relief   both  

physically  and  mentally,  deepening  her  subconscious  servitude  to  The  Circle.  

 

Energetic,  youthful  and  representative  of  an  age  group  that  is  used  to  having  cameras  present  

in  their  daily   lives   informs  Mae’s  natural   interest   in  going  transparent.  Buoyed  by  the  success  

she’s   seen   with   her   father’s   health,   she   fully   buys   into   The   Circle’s   belief   that   the   more  

connected  we  are,  and  the  more  knowledge  we  share  the  better  all  of  our  lives  will  be.  

 

WHAT IS THE CIRCLE?

 

The  Circle  is  an  accelerated  hybrid  of  all  the  major  technology  companies  that  we  know  today  –  

Amazon,  Facebook,  YouTube,  Apple.  Its  goal  is  to  ‘close  the  circle’  creating  a  community  that  is  

transparent  with  all  experiences  being  shared.  As  Mae  gets  pulled  deeper   into  The  Circle  and  

the  founders’  vision,  she  begins  to  agree  that  privacy  is  not  only  selfish  but  that  keeping  others  

from  witnessing  your  experiences  is  actually  criminal.  

 

Its   initial   founder,   Ty   (who  also  goes  by   the  name  Kalden)   is  portrayed  by   John  Boyega,  who  

says  of  the  technology,  “it  was  kind  of  a  Facebook-­‐light.  A  place  where  friends  could  hang  out  

online  and  have  fun.”  But  as  the  technology  grows  under  the  direction  of  Eamon  Bailey  (Tom  

Hanks)  and  Tom  Stenton  (Patton  Oswalt)  it  becomes  more  encompassing  and  Ty  states  “this  is  

not  what   I  had   in  mind.”  He  begs  Mae  to  help  him  stop  the   trajectory  he  sees  The  Circle  on,  

lamenting,  “everything  is  recorded,  seen,  broadcast  and  they  can  use  it  however  they  want.”  

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Another  long  term  goal  of  the  founders  is  to  make  a  Circle  account  mandatory  for  every  citizen.  

As   Bailey   says   early   in   the   film   “I   believe   in   the   perfectibility   of   human   beings.”   The   Circle’s  

leaders  want  to  see  users’  accounts  tied  to  their  social  security  numbers  and  provide  people  the  

ability  to  pay  taxes  and  vote  through  the  app.  And  you  can  see  the  schism  start  –  who  wouldn’t  

want  to  be  able  to  vote  from  their  smart  phone?  How  much  easier  and  more  convenient  would  

that  be?  As  Bailey,  Stenton  and  eventually  Mae  opine,  “wouldn’t  that   increase  the  number  of  

eligible   voters   and  wouldn’t   we   be   a   richer   democracy   if   everyone   took   part?”   As   she   goes  

transparent,   it   is  Mae,  who   is   now  a  de   facto  executive,  who  wants   to   continue  pushing   the  

transparency   agenda   stating   voting   should   be   mandatory   and   your   voting   record   should   be  

public.    

 

LIFE AT THE CIRCLE  

Production  designer  Gerald  Sullivan,  had  his  work  cut  out  for  him  when  trying  to  bring  Eggers’  

utopian   work   campus   to   life.   “It’s   a   pretty   fantastical   world   described   in   the   book,”   says  

Sullivan.   “The   idea   is   to   create  a  workplace  environment  where   you  want   to   stay   at  work  as  

long  as  possible.    They  achieve  this  by  making  all  the  creature  comforts  accessible  and  free.”  

 

Karen  Gillan,  who  plays  Annie,  Mae’s  best  friend,  adds  “having  worked  on  this  film,  I  decided  I  

think  it  seems  like  a  great  place  to  work.  There  are  so  many  perks  working  there  –  musicians,  

standup   comedians,   improv   comedy   groups,   and   lavish   parties   with   banquets   of   food.   They  

have  on  site  dorms  with  room  and  maid  service.  They  have  even  have  “doga”  –  which   is  dog  

yoga.  Who  wouldn’t  want  that?”  

 

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Sullivan   and   Ponsoldt   chose   empty   tenant   space   in   Playa   Del   Rey,   California   to   create   The  

Circle’s   campus.   “We   picked   and   pulled   pieces   of   buildings   throughout   Los   Angeles   that   we  

thought  could  make  up  the  environment  of   the  Circle.  We  did  a  vast  amount  of  architectural  

research  before  the  film  started  and  worked  hard  to  integrate  the  green  aspect  of  buildings  and  

surroundings  that  seem  to  be  very  common  these  days  in  the  tech  industry.”  

 

But   all   these   accoutrements   and   gorgeous   office   space   don’t   come  without   some  manacles.  

Gillan   continues,   “Although   there   are  many  perks,   The  Circle   gets   a   little   darker   as   the   story  

moves  on.  You  are  ‘strongly  encouraged’  to  be  very  active  on  social  media,  documenting  every  

move   you  make,   commenting   on   other’s   activities,   and   participating   in   surveys.   All   of   these  

behaviors   give   you   a   social   ranking,   your   Participation   Rank,   which   is   public   to   the   entire  

company.  All  the  employees  are  trying  to  drive  up  their  Participation  Rank  and  it  takes  over  the  

entire  life  of  the  characters.”  

 

Sullivan  adds,  “The  founders  want  The  Circle  to  be  both  their  social  environment  as  well  as  their  

work  environment.   That   can  quickly   turn   creepy.   So   that’s  what  we  were  after,   a   little  bit  of  

that.”    

 

  12  

 A  metaphor  for  this  creep  and  intrusion  is  the  mounting  number  of  screens  that  Mae  continues  

to  get  added  to  her  desk.  First   it’s   just  for  her  work,  and  then  another  for  her  social  streams,  

and  another  to  manage  her  chats,  and  another  to  manage  her  social  ranking.  Quickly  her  entire  

desk  is  covered  in  monitors.  Her  personal  space  slowly  being  eclipsed.  

     

CASTING    

THE CAST  When  Tom  Hanks,  one  of  the  most  revered  actors   in  the  world,  signed  on  to  the  film,  getting  

all-­‐star   talent   interested   was   not   a   problem.   But   finding   the   exact   right   actors   to   bring   the  

book’s   characters   to   life   necessitated   that   Ponsoldt   exercise   some   creativity   to   his   casting  

choices.   Through   thoughtful   choices,   Ponsoldt   was   able   to   easily   assemble   a   veteran   star  

studded  cast.  

 

Sullivan  agrees,  “James  always  amazes  me  and  surprises  me  with  this  casting  choices  in  a  good  

way.   They   seem   to   always  work   out.”   Producer  Gary  Goetzman   says,   “I   think   that’s  what   so  

interesting  about  James.  He  has  a  lot  of  fresh  ideas.”    

 

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One   of   the   most   crucial   casting   choices   was   finding   the   right   actress   for   Mae,   the   pivotal  

character   in   the   The   Circle.   The   filmmakers   always   had   Emma   Watson   as   one   of   their   top  

choices.  Goetzman  says,   “Emma  Watson   is  one  of  my   favorite  actors.  She’s  an  amazing  actor  

that  a  generation  of  young  people  grew  up  with.”    

 

Ponsoldt   adds,   “Emma’s   just   brilliant.   She   has   a   strong   ethical   compass.   She’s   the   voice   of   a  

generation.   She   has   a   lot   of   heart,   and   she   cares   deeply.   And   there’s   something   about   her  

growing  up  on  camera,  and  you  could  say  that  Tom  [Hanks]  and  Ellar  [Coltrane]  did  also,  they  

have  spent  a  great  deal  of  their  lives  on  camera  so  they  have  a  unique  and  rare  experience  that  

not  a  lot  of  actors  could  bring  to  these  roles.”  

 

Playing  the  elusive  Circle  Founder,  Ty/Kalden  is  esteemed  actor  John  Boyega,  most  popular  for  

his   role  as  Finn   in  Star  Wars:  The  Force  Awakens.  Ponsoldt  says,  “John   is  a  brilliant  actor  and  

he’s  driven  and  focused  and  just  wildly  adept….  And  I  think  he  brought  a  characterization  that  

sort  of  took  it  in  a  slightly  different  direction  than  what  was  on  the  page  and  all  for  the  better.”  

 

EMMA WATSON  

The  producers  and  directors  knew  that  a  key  to  making  the  film  successful  was  finding  the  right  

actress   to   carry   the   part   of   Mae,   the   catalyst   for   The   Circle   founders’   vision.   Tom   Hanks  

explains,   “Mae   is   the  blank  canvas  upon  which  Eamon  Bailey  and  Tom  Stenton  can  paint   the  

future  of   the   reality  of  The  Circle.  She   is  unencumbered,   she   is  new,   she   is  young.  She   is   the  

perfect  lingua  franca  of  the  status  of  your  average  human  being.  She  is  a  person  whose  life  can  

be  defined  by  The  Circle  and  widely  improved  by  The  Circle.  And  they  co-­‐opt  her  and  bring  her  

on  as  the  version  1.0  of  what  life  as  a  Circler  can  be.”  

 

The  producer   and  director   set  out   to   find   the  actress  who   could  portray   all   those   layers   and  

Emma  was  on  the  top  of  their  list.    

 

  14  

 Emma  Watson  is  known  mostly  for  her  role  as  Hermione  Granger  in  the  Harry  Potter  film  series.  

The  first  film,  Harry  Potter  and  the  Sorcerer’s  Stone,  was  the  highest  grossing  film  in  2001.  She  is  

a   consistent   receiver   of   People’s   Choice   Awards,   including   ’30   Under   30’   actress   lists,   TC  

Candler’s  Most  Beautiful  Faces,  Forbes  list  of  Top  100  celebrities  and  was  chosen  as  the  face  of  

Burberry   for   their   2009   Fall/Winter   campaign.   Her   Twitter   account   has   almost   24   million  

followers.  

 

In  addition  to  all  of  her  film  work,  Watson  also  graduated  from  Brown  University  with  a  literary  

degree.  Her  proudest  achievement,  however,  is  her  role  as  the  U.N.  Women’s  Global  Goodwill  

Ambassador.   In   this   role,  Watson  promotes  gender  equality  and   the  empowerment  of   young  

women.  

 

Director  James  Ponsoldt  says,  “Emma  Watson,  on  top  of  being  a  remarkable  human,  is  one  of  

my   favorite   actors.   I’ve   seen   all   the   Harry   Potter   movies.   I   loved   her   in   Perks   of   Being   a  

Wallflower  and  Bling  Ring.    Certainly  for  a  generation  of  young  people,  they  grew  up  with  her.  

She  grew  up  in  films  and  they  grew  up  with  her.  This  is  a  film  about  post-­‐college  life  and  what  

are  the  ethics  and  morality  that  are  going  to  guide  the  choices  that  you  make.  And  I  think  she’s  

a  wonderful  sort  of  guide  on  that  journey.  She  has  a  strong  ethical  compass.  She’s  the  voice  of  a  

generation.  She  has  lot  of  heart.  She  is  both  deeply  caring  and  deeply  powerful  –  not  someone  

who  should  be  underestimated.  She  is  a  strong,  intentional,  thoughtful  person  and  actress.”  

  15  

 

Tom  Hank  agrees,  “I   look  at  Emma  and  see  a  seasoned  veteran  who   is,  you  know,  pretty   low  

maintenance  but  hell  bent  on  doing  the  work  that  is  required  in  order  to  get  where  she  needed  

to  be  as  Mae.”  

 

Of  what  drew  her  to  her  character  in  The  Circle,  Watson  says,  “Mae  is  fascinating  to  me…both  

in  the  sense  that  she’s  kind  of  incredibly  relatable,  and  in  the  sense  that  I  could  really  

understand  why  she  made  so  many  of  the  decisions  that  she  made.  There’s  something  almost  

kind  of  otherworldly  about  her…she’s  really  interesting  because  she’s  not  black  or  white.  She’s  

very  complex.”    

 

TOM HANKS

To  play   the  public-­‐facing   visionary  of   the  The  Circle,   Eamon  Bailey,   the  producers  needed  an  

actor  that  was  universally  trusted  and  adored.  Ponsoldt  says  it  was  Dave  Eggers  who  suggested  

Tom,   saying   “What   do   you   think   of   Tom   for   this   role,   ‘cause   I   think   he   likes   this   character.”  

Ponsoldt  jumps  in  “And  when  someone  says,  how  do  you  feel  about  Tom  Hanks?  I  have  to  be  

honest,  which  is  what  I  told  him,  he’s  my  favorite  actor.  So  yeah  when  Tom  agreed  to  the  film  I  

flipped.”  

 

 

  16  

 

Tom  Hanks  is  one  of  the  most  beloved  actors  in  the  world,  and  the  star  of  some  of  the  world’s  

most   successful   films   including  Toy  Story,   Splash,  Big,  Apollo  13   and  Forrest  Gump.  He  sets  a  

record   in   a  Harris   Poll   as   America's   Favorite  Movie   Star.   Among  his  many   accolades   are   two  

Academy  Awards�   for   his   roles   in  Philadelphia   and  Forrest  Gump,   seven   Emmy�   Awards   for  

Executive   Producer   for   numerous   television   shows,   two   Screen   Actors   Guild   Awards,   four  

Golden  Globes�,  and  a  Presidential  Medal  of  Freedom  awarded  by  President  Obama.  

 

Of  his  character  in  The  Circle,  Hanks  says,  “Bailey  is  the  dreamer.  He  sees  every  potential,  he  

thinks  ‘wouldn’t  it  be  a  good  idea,  wouldn’t  it  be  a  great  idea,  how  about  if  we  came  up  with,  

what  if  we  got  everyone  involved….’  he  is  a  man  with  nothing  but  great  imagination  and  the  

faith  and  wherewithal  in  order  to  turn  these  ideas  into  reality.  I  don’t  think  there’s  anything  

that  he  says  that  is  not  true  or  true-­‐ish.”  Says  Bregman,  “Bailey  is  somebody  who  believes  in  his  

mission.  He  believes  that  all  the  technology  that  they're  creating  and  selling  around  the  world  is  

for  the  benefit  of  mankind.  And  he  is  kind  of  caught  halfway  between  Ty,  who  is  a  purist  in  

terms  of  technology  and  terms  of  intention,  and  Stenton,  who  is  a  pragmatist  and  a  ruthless  

businessman.”

 

 

Bailey   strongly   advocates   for   total   transparency.   He   asks  Mae   and   The   Circle   employees,   “If  

you’re  being  observed  do  you  think  you’d  behave  better  than  if  you  were  alone?”  Bailey  sees  it  

as  fewer  secrets  lead  to  greater  freedom,  stating  that,  “if  we  are  liberated  we  can  get  past  the  

guilt  of  our  own  self-­‐service.”  

 

When  asked  if  he  personally  shares  any  of  Bailey’s  views  Hanks  says,  “Other  people  have  had  

the  same  idea  over  the  course  of  history,  and  it’s  never  worked  out  too  well.  I  think  that  if  you  

believe  that  human  nature  can  always  be   improved,  everything  he  (Bailey)  says   is  good.  But   I  

think  the  reality  is  human  nature  cannot  be  improved  any  more  than  reality  can  be  legislated.  

You  gotta  take  into  account  human  behavior  and  that’s  always  the  greatest  serendipity  of  all.”    

  17  

 

The   other   cast   members   enjoyed   working   with   Hanks   as   well.   Patton   Oswalt   is   a   Hanks  

enthusiast,  “Working  with  Tom  was  pretty  fantastic  just  because  I’ve  been  a  fan  of  his  films  for  

so  long.  And  to  get  to  be  in  scenes  with  him  and  talk  with  him  about  life  and  films,  he’s  a  big  

film  buff  like  me  so  it  was  just  fantastic.”  

 

Says  Watson,  “I  never  worked  with  Tom  Hanks  before.    He’s  obviously  an  actor  that  I  respect  

enormously,  so  amazing  really  to  get  the  chance  to  work  with  him.”  

 

JOHN BOYEGA  

John   Boyega   became   an   instant   celebrity  when   he  was   cast   as   Finn   in   Star  Wars:   The   Force  

Awakens.   Even   while   becoming   a   heroic   icon   for   this   generation,   Boyega   has   kept   himself  

grounded  even  as  figurines  and  postal  stamps  bear  his  face.  

 

  18  

Boyega  was  chosen  to  play  the  iconized  boy-­‐wonder  visionary  of  The  Circle,  Ty,  after  Ponsoldt  

saw  some  of  Boyega’s  earlier  films  and  became  a  fan.    Says  Ponsoldt,  “When  I  saw  him  for  the  

first   time   in  Attack   the  Block,  he  blew  me  away.  When  we   first  met  we  started   talking  about  

video  games.  He’s  younger  than  I  am,  I  started  playing  8-­‐bit  Nintendo  and  he’s  a  PS4  guy.  And  I  

was  like,  ‘oh  yeah’.  This  is  any  kid,  anywhere  in  the  world  who  grew  up  playing  video  games  in  

their  parent’s  basement  and   that  could  be   the  kid   that  changes   the  world,   that  develops   the  

next  app.”  

 

Ponsoldt  saw  something   in  Boyega  that  made  him  think  he’d  be  perfect,  and  the  respect  was  

mutual.  Boyega  says  about  Ponsoldt,  “James  is  really,  really  intelligent  and  someone  who  I  liked  

collaborating  with.  Throughout  my  whole  career  I’ve  been  blessed  to  work  with  people  who  are  

great  directors,  give  good  notes  but  are  at  the  same  time  good  at  collaborating.  And  he’s  just  

fantastic  with  that.  And  this  is  the  right  project  for  him,  for  sure.  It’s  a  real  character  piece  and  

it’s  a  breath  of  fresh  air  for  an  actor.  I  come  from  theatre  so  it’s  a  nice  to  be  involved  in  a  movie  

where   you   get   to   really   get   into   the   depths   of   character   and   kind   of   explore   an   arc   for   the  

whole  movie.”  

 

Says  Watson,“  [John  is]  incredibly  charismatic,  just,  I  think  perfect  for  Ty.    I  think  he  brought  a  

really  interesting  kind  of  slightly  off  center  characterization  to  –  to  Ty,  which  I  thought  was  

really  cool.”  

 

KAREN GILLAN  

Fresh  from  her  galactic  role  as  Nebula  in  the  blockbuster  Guardians  of  the  Galaxy,  Gillan  brings  

her  talent  to  the  role  of  Annie,  a  spunky  rising-­‐star  executive  of  The  Circle.    

  19  

 Annie  is  Mae’s  best  friend  and  college  roommate  and  uses  her  status  to  get  Mae  an  interview  at  

The   Circle.   The   relationship   is   authentic   but   soon   starts   to   unravel   as  Mae’s   stature   rapidly  

begins   to   surpass   Annie’s   in   the   company   as   Mae   gains   instant   celebrity   status   as   the   first  

person  to  go  transparent.  As  the  women’s  relationship  begins  to  strain,  Annie’s  character  flaws  

start  to  show.  

 

Gillan  enjoyed  playing  a   flawed  character  with  a  great  arc:  “I   just   feel   like  Annie  has  so  much  

cool  stuff  to  do  and  I  was  really  excited  to  play  around  with  all  of  the  coffee  she’s  drinking  and  

the   Adderall   she’s   taking   and   see   how   that   manifests   itself   into   her   personality.   That   was  

challenging   and   exciting.   Annie   has   a   strong  work   ethic   and   rose   through   the   company   very  

quickly.  She’s  happy  and  bubbly  and  loves  her  work  and  she’s  known  and  revered  throughout  

the  company.  Then  throughout  the  film  we  see  her  unraveling  a  little  bit,  and  you  see  how  all  

this  work   is   taking   its   toll  and  basically  we  start   to  see  her  downward  spiral.”  Adds  Bregman,  

“Annie  is  very  close  to  the  centers  of  power  at  the  circle  and  she's  responsible  for  a  lot  of  the  

interaction  between   the  Circle  and  governments  around   the  world.  She   is  overwhelmed  with  

work.  She's   someone  who's  very  ambitious  and  doesn't  want   to   let  anybody  down  and   takes  

her  job  very,  very  seriously.  And  in  some  ways  is  a,   is  a  victim  of  the  kind  of  zealousness  with  

which  she,  you  know,  approaches  her  job  and  approaches  her-­‐her  devotion  to  The  Circle.”  

 

  20  

As  for  working  with  her  co-­‐star  Emma  Watson  she  reveals  that  from  the  beginning   it  was   like  

working   with   a   best   friend,   “actually   it   was   pretty   instant   with   us,   I   feel   like   we   had   an  

immediate  banter  of  sorts,  and  we’re  laughing  immediately  and  we  just  kind  of  took  that  into  

the  scenes.”    

 

Gillan   notes   that   one   of   her   favorite   scenes   in   the   film   is  when  Mae   and  Annie   are   in   toilet  

cubicles.  Because  of  Mae’s   transparency   she  only  has   three  minutes  of  bathroom  time  when  

the  audio  of  the  camera  is  turned  off,  so  they  have  to  do  a  lot  of  communicating  in  that  short  

time.  Gillan  describes   the   scene,   “they’re   sort   of   having   this   very   in-­‐depth   conversation  with  

each  other  and  it  feels  like  a  confessional  almost,  because  we  couldn’t  see  each  other  and  that  

sort  of   just  gave  this   feeling  of  being  able  to  reveal   things,  and   in  a  different  way  than   if  you  

were  face-­‐to-­‐face.”  

 

Gillan   is   one   of   the   younger   cast   members   and   feels   that   the   film   is   very   relevant   to   her  

generation,  “because  of  the  amount  of  social  media  we  engage  in  now,  it  kind  of  feels  like  this  

is  where  we  are  headed,   it   feels  totally  plausible,   foreboding,  and  I  don’t  know,   if  we  are  not  

careful  we  could  definitely  head  toward  something  like  that  and  I’m  not  sure  that’s  necessarily  

a  good  thing.”  

 

SUPPORTING CAST

ELLAR COLTRANE Ellar  Coltrane  first  gained  prominence  when  he  was  cast  in  Richard  Linklater’s  groundbreaking  

film  Boyhood,   for  which  Coltrane  garnered  rave  reviews.   In  The  Circle  he  plays  Mercer,  Mae’s  

long   time   childhood   friend  who   rejects  Mae’s   immersion   into   social   transparence,   and   is   an  

advocate  for  people  who  do  not  want  to  live  their  lives  online.    

 

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PATTON OSWALT  

No  one  was  as  surprised  as  Patton  Oswalt  himself  when  Ponsoldt  suggested  he  look  at  the  role  

of  Tom  Stenton,  the  stoic  money  man  of  The  Circle.  Unlike  Bailey,  Stenton  is  more  comfortable  

behind  the  scenes.  He’s  serious  and  controlled,  not  at  all  like  the  extroverted  public  persona  of  

Oswalt  who  remarks,  “I  didn’t  picture  myself  as  Tom  when  I  read  the  book,  but  I  thought  that  

might  be  a  really  interesting  take  on  it.  So  the  fact  they  were  willing  to  take  those  kind  of  risks,  I  

said,  ‘Yeah,  let’s  do  this.’”  

   

Producer  Gary  Goetzman   thought   this  was   an   ingenious   combination,   “Patton   is   of   course,   a  

wonderful  comedian,  actor,  and  writer.  I  think  that  Tom  and  Patton  make  quite  a  pair.”  

 

Tom  Hanks  was  fully  supportive  of  the  choice:  “I  think  Patton’s  a  genius,  he’s  already  a  legend  

in  so  many  other  areas,  so  when  they  told  me  that  Patton  was  going  to  play  Tom  Stenton,  I  said  

‘well,  perfect’.    Everything  from  his  podcasts  to  the  stuff  he  does  at  Largo,  as  well  as  who  he  

plays  in  “Veep”  and  the  other  movies  he’s  been  in,  I  just  think  he’s  one  of  those  guys,  a  facile  

amazing  actor  who  can  do  anything  in  any  medium  that  exists  today.”  

  22  

 Patton  Oswalt’s   career   reflects   the  multi-­‐faceted   talents   the   star   possesses.  He   is   one  of   the  

most   beloved  members   of   the   comedy   community   and   stands   out   in   Hollywood   as   a  multi-­‐

talented  actor,  comedian,  writer,  producer,  and  voice  over  artist.  His  stand-­‐up  has  been  lauded  

both  by  fellow  comedians  and  audiences  all  across  America.  He  has  four  albums,  two  of  which  

reached  the  top  of  the  Billboard  Comedy  chart.  His  television  and  film  appearances  include  

“Modern   Family”,   “Parks   and   Recreation”,   “Brooklyn   Nine-­‐Nine”,   “Archer”,   “Veep”,   and  

“Agents  of  S.H.I.E.L.D”.  His  film  credits  include  Magnolia,  Young  Adult  and  Ratatouille.  

 

When  reflecting  on  this  new  type  of  character  Oswalt  says,  “this  character  is  probably  the  most  

controlled  character  I’ve  ever  played.  He’s  a  guy  that’s  not  comfortable  in  his  own  skin  and  you  

feel  like  every  word  he  says  he’s  gone  over  it  three  times  in  his  mind  before  it  leaves  his  mouth.  

He’s  bad  at  being  a  person,  that’s  the  best  way  to  describe  him.”  

 

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The  theme  of  total  transparency  in  the  film  is  not  something  Oswalt  would  want   in  his   life:  “I  

understand  the  endorphin  rush  of  being  rewarded  with  praise  or  validation  from  every  picture  

you  put  online,  but  to  need  that  24  hours  a  day—I  think  that  goes  into  a  pathology.”  

 

Always   affable,   when   asked   what   he   would   like   audiences   to   take   away   from   the   film   he  

responds,  “it  would  be  nice  if  maybe  they  would  not  text  in  the  theatre,  that’d  be  nice.  If  that’s  

all  we  end  up  doing  then  we’ve  done  the  world  a  huge  service.”  

 

   

Rounding  out  the  exemplary  cast  are  veteran  actors  Glenne  Headly  and  (the   late)  Bill  Paxton,  

who  portray  Mae’s  parents.  In  the  film,  Paxton’s  character  struggles  with  his  multiple  sclerosis  

diagnosis  with  his  doting  and  supportive  wife,  played  by  Headly,  at  his  side.  Mae’s  opportunity  

to  bring  her  parents  onto  The  Circle’s  health  plan,  allowing  her  father  access  to  better  medical  

care,   represents   one   of   the   key   factors   that   drives   up   Mae’s   allegiance   to   The   Circle.   In  

exchange  the  parents  agree  to  have  SeeChange  cameras  placed  throughout  their  house,  so  that  

Mae  and  her  followers  may  witness  their  every  move.  When  the  cameras  catch  Mae’s  parents  

in   an   indiscrete   moment,   they   begin   to   change   their   views,   turning   off   the   cameras   and  

distancing  themselves  from  Mae.    

 

 

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ABOUT THE CAST  EMMA  WATSON  (Mae  Holland)  is  best  known  for  playing  the  iconic  character  of  Hermione  

Granger  in  the  eight  enormously  successful  Harry  Potter  films.  Her  performance  in  the  first  film  

of  the  series,  Harry  Potter  and  the  Philosopher’s  Stone,  won  her  a  Young  Artist  Award  for  “Best  

Leading  Young  Actress.”  Emma  also  acquired  two  Critics’  Choice  Award  nominations  from  the  

Broadcast  Film  Critics  Association  for  her  work  in  Harry  Potter  and  the  Prisoner  of  Azkaban  and  

Harry  Potter  and  the  Goblet  of  Fire.  The  completion  of  the  seventh  and  eighth  movies  saw  

Emma  receive  nominations  in  2011  for  a  Nickelodeon  Kids’  Choice  Award,  and  for  “Best  

Actress”  at  the  Jameson  Empire  Awards.  The  Harry  Potter  franchise  won  the  BAFTA  for  

“Outstanding  British  Contribution  to  Cinema”  in  February  2011.    

2011  also  saw  Emma  star  in  Simon  Curtis’s  My  Week  with  Marilyn,  alongside  a  stellar  cast  of  

Oscar  nominees  including  Michelle  Williams  as  Marilyn  Monroe  and  Kenneth  Branagh  as  Sir  

Laurence  Olivier,  in  addition  to  Eddie  Redmayne,  Dame  Judi  Dench,  Dougray  Scott,  Zoe  

Wanamaker,  Toby  Jones  and  Dominic  Cooper.  Chronicling  a  week  in  Marilyn  Monroe’s  life,  the  

film  featured  Emma  in  the  supporting  role  of  Lucy,  a  costume  assistant  to  Colin  Clark  

(Redmayne).  The  film  was  released  by  The  Weinstein  Company  and  was  nominated  for  a  

Golden  Globe  for  “Best  Motion  Picture  –  Comedy  or  Musical.”    

In  2012  Emma  was  seen  in  Stephen  Chbosky’s  adaptation  of  his  coming-­‐of-­‐age  novel  The  Perks  

of  Being  a  Wallflower,  starring  opposite  Logan  Lerman  and  Ezra  Miller.  This  independent  drama  

centered  around  Charlie  (Lerman),  an  introverted  freshman  who  is  taken  under  the  wings  of  

two  seniors  (Watson  and  Miller)  who  welcome  him  to  the  real  world.  The  film  premiered  at  the  

2012  Toronto  International  Film  Festival  and  received  rave  reviews.  The  film  won  the  People’s  

Choice  Award  for  “Favorite  Dramatic  Movie”  and  Emma  also  picked  up  the  People’s  Choice  

Award  for  “Favorite  Dramatic  Movie  Actress.”  Emma  was  awarded  a  second  time  for  this  role  

with  the  “Best  Supporting  Actress”  Award  at  the  San  Diego  Film  Critics  Society  Awards  where  

the  film  also  won  the  “Best  Ensemble”  Performance  Award.    

In  2013,  Emma  starred  in  Sofia  Coppola’s  American  satirical  black  comedy  crime  film,  The  Bling  

  25  

Ring.  The  film  took  inspiration  from  real  events  and  followed  a  group  of  teenagers  who,  

obsessed  with  fashion  and  fame,  burgled  the  homes  of  celebrities  in  Los  Angeles.  The  film  

opened  the  Un  Certain  Regard  section  of  the  2013  Cannes  Film  Festival.  Emma  also  appeared  in  

a  cameo  role  as  herself  in  Seth  Rogen's  apocalypse  comedy  This  Is  the  End.  The  film  tells  the  

story  about  what  happens  to  some  of  Hollywood’s  best  loved  celebrities  when  the  apocalypse  

strikes  during  a  party  at  James  Franco's  house.    

In  2014,  Emma  was  seen  in  Darren  Aronofsky’s  Noah  opposite  Russell  Crowe,  Jennifer  Connelly,  

Ray  Winstone,  Douglas  Booth,  Logan  Lerman  and  Anthony  Hopkins.  The  film  told  the  epic,  

biblical  tale  of  Noah  and  the  ark.  Emma  plays  the  role  of  Ila,  a  young  woman  who  develops  a  

close  relationship  with  Noah’s  son,  Shem  (Booth).    

Emma’s  additional  credits  include  the  lead  role  of  Pauline  Fossil  in  the  BBC  adaptation  of  Noel  

Streatfield’s  classic,  “Ballet  Shoes,”  which  aired  on  BBC  One  on  Boxing  Day  to  5.2  million  

viewers.  In  her  first  animated  feature,  Emma  voiced  over  as  the  character  Princess  Pea  in  The  

Tale  of  Despereaux  which  grossed  $86.2  million  worldwide.    

Emma  was  most  recently  seen  in  Regression,  written  and  directed  by  Alejandro  Amenábar.  

Emma  stars  in  the  thriller  opposite  Oscar  nominated  Ethan  Hawke.  Set  in  Minnesota  1990,  

Regression  tells  the  story  of  Detective  Bruce  Kenner  (Hawke)  who  investigates  the  case  of  

young  Angela,  played  by  Emma,  who  accuses  her  father  of  sexual  abuse.  The  film  opened  the  

63rd  edition  of  Spain’s  San  Sebastian  film  festival  on  September  18th,  2015.  

Emma  was  also  recently  seen  in  thriller  Colonia  with  Daniel  Bruhl,  directed  by  the  Oscar  winning  

Florian  Gallenberger.  Inspired  by  true  events,  Emma  and  Daniel  play  a  young  couple  who  

become  entangled  in  the  Chilean  military  coup  of  1973.  The  film  premiered  at  the  2015  Toronto  

International  Film  Festival,  and  was  also  shown  at  Zurich  Film  Festival.    

In  2015  Emma  finished  filming  the  live-­‐action  version  of  Disney’s  Beauty  and  the  Beast  where  

she  plays  the  iconic  role  of  Belle.  She  will  star  opposite  Dan  Stevens,  Luke  Evans  and  Emma  

Thompson.    The  film  will  be  released  on  March  17th,  2017.  

 

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In  2012  Emma  was  honored  with  the  “Calvin  Klein  Emerging  Star”  Award  at  the  ELLE  Women  in  

Hollywood  Awards.  In  2013,  Emma  was  awarded  the  “Trailblazer”  Award  at  the  MTV  Movie  

Awards  in  April  and  was  honored  with  the  “GQ  Woman  of  the  Year”  Award.  In  2014  Emma  was  

honored  as  “British  Artist  of  the  Year”  at  the  BAFTA/LA  Britannia  Awards.    

Further  to  her  acting  career,  Emma  is  a  Global  Goodwill  Ambassador  for  UN  WOMEN,  and  

works  to  promote  gender  equality  and  the  empowerment  of  women.  Her  notable  work  on  the  

HeForShe  campaign  earned  her  a  place  on  Time  Magazine’s  TIME  100  list  of  the  world’s  most  

influential  people  in  2015.  In  January  2016,  Emma  started  a  feminist  book  club.  Entitled  ‘Our  

Shared  Shelf,  the  club  selects  a  different  feminist  book  every  other  month.  In  October  2016  

Emma  was  honored  for  her  humanitarian  work  by  Harper’s  Bazaar,  who  awarded  her  their  

“Inspiration  Award.”    

 

TOM  HANKS  (Eamon  Bailey)  is  an  award-­‐winning  actor,  producer  and  director.  One  of  only  two  

actors  in  history  to  win  back-­‐to-­‐back  “Best  Actor”  Academy  Awards®,  he  won  his  first  Oscar®  in  

1994  for  his  moving  portrayal  of  AIDS-­‐stricken  lawyer  Andrew  Beckett  in  Jonathan  Demme’s  

Philadelphia.  The  following  year,  he  took  home  his  second  Oscar®  for  his  unforgettable  

performance  in  the  title  role  of  Robert  Zemeckis’  Forrest  Gump.    He  also  won  Golden  Globe  

Awards  for  both  films,  as  well  as  a  Screen  Actors  Guild  (SAG)  Award®  for  the  latter.  

   

Hanks  has  also  been  honored  with  Academy  Award®  nominations  for  his  performances  in  

Penny  Marshall’s  Big,  Steven  Spielberg’s  Saving  Private  Ryan,  and  Robert  Zemeckis’  Cast  Away,  

also  winning  Golden  Globes  for  Big  and  Cast  Away.    

   

Hanks  was  most  recently  seen  Clint  Eastwood’s  Sully.    

   

In  2013,  Hanks  was  seen  starring  in  Academy  Award®  and  Golden  Globe  nominated  film  

Captain  Phillips,  for  which  he  received  SAG,  BAFTA  and  Golden  Globe  nominations  as  well  as  in  

AFI’s  “Movie  of  the  Year”  Saving  Mr.  Banks  with  Emma  Thompson.  

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His  other  feature  credits  include  the  Tom  Tykwer,  Andy  Wachowski  and  Lana  Wachoski  film  

Cloud  Atlas,  Stephen  Daldry’s  Extremely  Loud  &  Incredibly  Close,  the  animated  adventure  The  

Polar  Express,  which  he  also  executive  produced  and  which  reunited  him  with  director  Robert  

Zemeckis;  the  Coen  brothers’  The  Ladykillers;  Steven  Spielberg’s  The  Terminal  and  Catch  Me  If  

You  Can;  Sam  Mendes’  Road  to  Perdition;  Frank  Darabont’s  The  Green  Mile;  Nora  Ephron’s  

You’ve  Got  Mail  and  Sleepless  in  Seattle;  Penny  Marshall’s  A  League  of  Their  Own;  Ron  

Howard’s  Apollo  13,  The  Da  Vinci  Code,  Angels  &  Demons,  Splash,  Hologram  for  a  King  and  

Inferno;  and  the  computer-­‐animated  blockbusters  Cars,  Toy  Story,  Toy  Story  2  and  Toy  Story  3.  

   

Hanks’  work  on  the  big  screen  has  translated  to  success  on  the  small  screen.    Following  Apollo  

13,  he  executive  produced  and  hosted  the  acclaimed  HBO  miniseries  “From  the  Earth  to  the  

Moon,”  also  directing  one  segment,  and  writing  several  others.    His  work  on  the  miniseries  

brought  him  Emmy,  Golden  Globe  and  Producers  Guild  Awards,  as  well  as  an  Emmy  nomination  

for  “Best  Director.”  

   

His  collaboration  with  Steven  Spielberg  on  Saving  Private  Ryan  led  to  them  executive  producing  

the  HBO  miniseries  “Band  of  Brothers,”  based  on  the  book  by  Stephen  Ambrose.    Hanks  also  

directed  a  segment  and  wrote  another  segment  of  the  fact-­‐based  miniseries,  which  won  Emmy  

and  Golden  Globe  Awards  for  “Best  Miniseries.”    In  addition,  Hanks  earned  an  Emmy  Award  for  

“Best  Director”  and  an  Emmy  nomination  for  “Best  Writing,”  and  received  another  Producers  

Guild  Award  for  his  work  on  the  project.  

   

In  2008,  Hanks  executive  produced  the  critically  acclaimed  HBO  miniseries  “John  Adams,”  

starring  Paul  Giamatti,  Laura  Linney  and  Tom  Wilkinson.  It  won  13  Emmy  Awards,  including  the  

Emmy  for  “Outstanding  Miniseries,”  as  well  as  a  Golden  Globe  for  “Best  Miniseries,”  and  a  PGA  

Award.  More  recently,  Hanks  and  Spielberg  re-­‐teamed  for  the  award-­‐winning  HBO  miniseries  

“The  Pacific,”  for  which  Hanks  once  again  served  as  executive  producer.    The  ten-­‐part  program  

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won  eight  Emmy  Awards,  including  “Outstanding  Miniseries,”  and  brought  Hanks  his  fourth  

PGA  Award.  

   

In  2012,  Hanks  executive  produced  the  HBO  political  drama  starring  Julianne  Moore  and  Ed  

Harris,  which  follows  Sarah  Palin  as  John  McCain’s  running  mate  in  his  2008  Presidential  

campaign.  “Game  Change”  was  awarded  Emmy  and  Golden  Globes  for  “Best  

Miniseries/Television  Film”  as  well  as  earning  several  other  awards  and  nominations.    In  2013,  

Hanks  served  as  host,  narrator  and  historical  commentator  for  the  two  hour  National  

Geographic  television  movie  based  on  the  best-­‐selling  book  Killing  Lincoln.  In  2013,  Hanks  and  

Playtone  produced  the  Emmy  nominated  CNN  documentary  series,  “The  Sixties,”  and  in  2014,  

the  HBO  miniseries,  “Olive  Kitteridge,”  based  on  the  Pulitzer  Prize-­‐winning  novel  by  Elizabeth  

Strout.  In  2015,  “Oliver  Kitteridge”  won  eight  Emmy  awards,  including  “Outstanding  Limited  

Series,”  three  Critics'  Choice  Television  Awards,  a  DGA  award  and  a  SAG  award.  In  2015,  Hanks  

and  Playtone  produced  “The  Seventies”  and  in  2016,  “The  Eighties.”  

   

In  1996,  Hanks  made  his  successful  feature  film  writing  and  directing  debut  with  That  Thing  You  

Do,  in  which  he  also  starred.    He  more  recently  wrote,  produced,  directed  and  starred  in  Larry  

Crowne,  with  Julia  Roberts.    Under  his  and  Gary  Goetzman’s  Playtone  banner,  they  produced  

2002’s  smash  hit  romantic  comedy  My  Big  Fat  Greek  Wedding,  with  his  wife  Rita  Wilson.    Other  

producing  credits  include  Where  the  Wild  Things  Are,  The  Polar  Express,  The  Ant  Bully,  Charlie  

Wilson’s  War,  Mamma  Mia!,  The  Great  Buck  Howard,  Starter  for  10  and  the  HBO  series  “Big  

Love.”  

   

In  2013,  Hanks  made  his  Broadway  debut  in  Nora  Ephron’s  “Lucky  Guy.”  His  performance  

earned  him  Drama  Desk,  Drama  League,  Outer  Critics  Circle,  and  Tony  nominations.    

   

In  2002,  Hanks  received  the  American  Film  Institute’s  “Lifetime  Achievement  Award.”  

He  was  later  honored  by  the  Film  Society  of  Lincoln  Center  with  the  Chaplin  Award  in  2009.  In  

2014,  Hanks  received  a  Kennedy  Center  Honor.  

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JOHN  BOYEGA  (Ty)  is  a  recipient  of  BAFTA’s  2016  “Rising  Star”  Award  and  the  Chopard  Trophy  

at  Cannes,  captured  worldwide  attention  for  his  starring  role  in  Star  Wars:  Episode  VII  –  The  

Force  Awakens,  released  by  Disney/Lucas  in  December  2015.  Directed  by  JJ  Abrams,  the  film  

grossed  over  $2  billion  worldwide,  shattering  box  office  records  and  stamping  its  place  in  

history  as  the  highest-­‐grossing  US  film  release  of  all  time  and  third  highest  internationally.  He  

will  reprise  his  role  of  Finn  in  Star  Wars:  Episode  VIII-­‐  The  Last  Jedi,  directed  by  Rian  Johnson  in  

December  2017.  

 

He  is  currently  filming  Pacific  Rim:  Uprising  which  he  is  also  producing  through  his  production  

company,  Upper  Room  Productions.    

 

Next  up,  Boyega  stars  in  the  Netflix  original  feature,  Imperial  Dreams  (February  3,  2017)  that  

won  the  “Audience  Award”  at  the  2014  Sundance  Film  Festival  as  well  as  a  principle  role  

in  Kathryn  Bigelow’s  Untitled  Project  set  against  the  backdrop  of  the  1967  Detroit  Riots  (August  

2017).    

 

John  will  star  in  London’s  West  End  in  “Woyzeck”  at  The  Old  Vic  Theatre  in  May  2017.    He  

trained  at  the  Identity  School  of  Acting  before  booking  his  first  roles  on  stage  in  London’s  West  

End,  “Six  Parties,”  directed  by  Emma  Keele  at  The  National  Theatre,  and  “Category  B”  at  The  

Tricycle  Theatre,  directed  by  Paulette  Randall.  Additional  theatre  credits  include:  “Seize  the  

Day”  (Tricycle  Theatre)  and  “Detaining  Justice”  (Tricycle  Theatre).      

 

Boyega  first  garnered  industry  attention  in  Joe  Cornish’s  cult  sci-­‐fi  film,  Attack  the  Block,  which  

won  the  “Audience  Award”  at  SXSW  in  2011,  among  other  accolades  that  year.  He  went  on  to  

star  in  Half  of  a  Yellow  Sun  alongside  Chiwetel  Ejiofor;  the  HBO  pilot,  “Da  Brick,”  directed  by  

Spike  Lee;  the  BBC  film,  My  Murder,  directed  by  Bruce  Goodison;  and  the  BBC  /  Discovery  

feature  length  drama,  The  Whale,  alongside  Martin  Sheen.  

 

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His  TV  credits  include:  the  critically  acclaimed  BBC  series,  “Becoming  Human,”  where  he  starred  

in  four  episodes,  “Law  &  Order:  UK”  for  ITV,  and  “24:  Live  Another  Day.”  

 

 

Scottish  born  actress,  KAREN  GILLAN  (Annie)  has  quickly  made  her  mark  in  Hollywood  as  a  

young  talent  who  can  do  both  comedy  and  drama,  film  and  television  as  demonstrated  by  her  

diverse  resume.  

 

In  May  2017,  Gillan  will  reprise  her  memorable  role  of  ‘Nebula’  in  Marvel’s  Guardians  of  the  

Galaxy  Vol.  2  written  and  directed  by  James  Gunn.  The  film  boasts  an  all-­‐star  cast  which  

includes  Chris  Pratt,  Zoe  Saldana,  Bradley  Cooper,  and  Vin  Diesel  all  of  whom  are  returning  for  

the  sequel.  The  first  Guardians  of  the  Galaxy  grossed  over  $775,000,000  worldwide.    

 

Gillan  also  landed  the  coveted  female  lead  role  in  Sony’s  Jumanji  as  ‘Martha/Ruby  Roundhouse’  

opposite  Dwayne  “The  Rock”  Johnson.  The  film,  directed  by  Jake  Kasdan,  follows  4  teenagers  

who  are  sucked  in  Jumanji’s  world  and  must  play  as  characters  from  the  game  to  survive.  The  

film  has  a  release  date  of  July  28,  2017.  She  can  also  be  seen  in  the  upcoming  indie  drama  All  

Creatures  Here  Below.  

 

Gillan  is  currently  in  production  on  her  feature  film  directorial  debut  Tupperware  Party,  which  

she  also  wrote  and  stars  in.  The  film  is  co-­‐produced  by  Mt.  Hollywood  Films’  president  R.  Andru  

Davies,  CEO  Albert  Gersten  and  CFO  Sloan  Martin.  Gillan’s  producing  partner  Mali  Elfman,  Tien  

Huei  Grace  Yeh  and  Claire  Mundell  also  are  producing.  

 

In  2016,  Gillan  appeared  in  the  revenge  Western  film  In  a  Valley  of  Violence,  produced  by  

Blumhouse  Productions  and  written  and  directed  by  Ti  West.  In  2015,  She  also  appeared  in  

Paramount’s  Academy  Award  nominated  film  The  Big  Short.  

 

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In  Fall  2014,  Gillan  starred  in  the  role  as  'Eliza  Dooley'  in  the  new  ABC  comedy  “Selfie"  from  

creator  Emily  Kapneck.  The  sitcom  took  a  modern  twist  on  the  classic  “My  Fair  Lady.”  John  Cho  

played  ‘Henry’  a  marketing  guru  who  helps  her  to  rebrand  her  image.  

 

In  May  2009,  Gillan  was  cast  in  the  coveted  role  of  'Amy  Pond,'  the  Doctor's  companion,  in  the  

long-­‐running  hit  British  science-­‐fiction  television  series  “Doctor  Who.”  Gillan  played  the  role  for  

three  seasons,  which  Gillan  garnered  several  awards  for  her  portrayal  including  Cosmopolitan's  

‘Woman  of  the  Year’  Award  for  “Best  Actress”  in  2010;  SFX  Award's  “Best  Actress;”  TV  Choice  

Awards  for  “Best  Actress”  and  Scream  Awards  for  “Best  Sci-­‐Fi.”  The  award-­‐winning  show  has  a  

huge  following  in  the  UK  and  it  aired  in  the  states  on  BBC  America.    

 

Gillan’s  other  credits  include  the  BBC  drama  We’ll  Take  Manhattan  as  well  as  the  romantic  lead  

in  John  McKay’s  romantic  comedy  Not  Another  Happy  Ending.  She  was  also  seen  in  the  box  

office  success,  thriller  film  Oculus,  which  was  written  and  directed  by  Mike  Flanagan  and  was  

released  by  Relativity  Media  in  April  2014.  

 

Growing  up  in  Inverness,  Scotland  as  an  only  child,  Gillan  caught  the  acting  bug  at  a  young  age  

and  set  the  bar  high  by  joining  several  local  youth  theatre  groups  and  taking  part  in  a  wide  

range  of  productions  at  Charleston  Academy.  Gillan  pursued  acting  at  Edinburgh's  Telford  

College  and  at  Performing  Arts  Studio  Scotland,  studying  under  renowned  theater  director  Scott  

Johnston.  She  later  moved  to  London,  at  the  age  of  18,  to  study  drama  at  the  prestigious  Italia  

Conti  Academy  of  Theatre  Arts.  The  5’11”  actress,  naturally  fell  into  the  world  of  modeling  

briefly  while  she  continued  to  pursue  her  acting  career.    

 

Among  her  many  talents,  Gillan  plays  the  piano  and  is  a  fashion  trendsetter.  Gillan  now  resides  

in  Los  Angeles,  CA                                                                                                  

 

ELLAR  COLTRANE  (Mercer)  most  recently  played  the  role  of  “Will,”  young  Barack  Obama’s  

roommate,  in  the  independent  feature  Barry  opposite  Anya  Taylor-­‐Joy,  Jason  Mitchell,  and  

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Ashley  Judd  for  director  Vikram  Gandhi  and  producer  Teddy  Schwartzman.  The  film  had  its  

world  premiere  at  the  Toronto  International  Film  Festival  and  is  available  on  Netflix.    He’ll  next  

be  seen  in  the  independent  feature  Dog  Years  opposite  Burt  Reynolds  and  Ariel  Winter,  and  

recently  completed  shooting  the  indie  feature  Misfortune  opposite  John  Cusack.  He  is  set  to  

star  as  the  lead  in  Shoplifters  of  the  World  for  director  Stephen  Kijak  opposite  Sasha  Lane.  

   

He  made  his  breakout  feature  film  debut  starred  in  Richard  Linklater’s  Golden  Globe  and  

Academy  Award-­‐winning  Boyhood.  

   

He  has  appeared  in  V  MAN,  L’UOMO  VOGUE,  INTERVIEW  and  PAPER’s  annual  “Beautiful  

People”  issue,  and  was  selected  as  one  of  the  stars  of  the  2016  Teen  Vogue  Young  Hollywood  

edition.  

 

 

A  comedian,  actor,  and  writer,  PATTON  OSWALT  (Tom  Stenton)  continues  to  find  success  in  all  

areas  of  entertainment.  From  his  Grammy-­‐nominated  comedy  specials  to  his  many  

memorable  film  roles  and  guest  appearances  on  his  favorite  TV  shows  (including  “Parks  and  

Recreation,”  for  which  he  received  a  TV  Critics  Choice  Award),  Oswalt  continues  to  choose  work  

that  inspires  him  and  entertain  audiences.  

 

Oswalt  recently  won  the  Emmy  for  “Outstanding  Writing  for  a  Variety  Special”  for  his  sixth  

comedy  special  “Talking  for  Clapping”  (Netflix)  and  was  nominated  for  a  Grammy  Award  for  his  

comedy  album  of  the  same  name.    He  is  currently  on  the  Netflix  show  “Lady  Dynamite,”  

starring  fellow  comedian  Maria  Bamford,  and  on  HBO’s  “Veep.”        

 

Oswalt  was  nominated  for  a  Critics  Choice  Award  for  his  performance  in  Jason  Reitman’s  

film  Young  Adult,  starring  opposite  Charlize  Theron.  In  2009,  he  also  received  critical  acclaim  for  

his  performance  in  Robert  Siegel’s  Big  Fan;  the  film  was  nominated  for  an  Independent  Spirit  

Award  and  Oswalt  earned  a  Gotham  Award  nomination  for  his  performance.  

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Oswalt  has  appeared  in  many  films,  including  The  Secret  Life  of  Walter  Mitty,  with  Ben  

Stiller,  Steven  Soderbergh’s  The  Informant,  alongside  Seth  Rogen  in  Observe  and  Report,  in  Paul  

Thomas  Anderson’s  Magnolia,  Zoolander,  Starsky  and  Hutch,  and  Reno  911!:  Miami,  among  

many  others.    

 

He  also  provided  the  voice  for  ‘Remy’,  the  rat,  in  Pixar’s  Oscar-­‐winning  Ratatouille,  and  

has  voiced  characters  on  TV  shows  such  as  “Archer,”  “BoJack  Horseman,”  “The  Simpsons,”  

“Bob’s  Burgers,”  “Aqua  Teen  Hunger  Force,”  and  “Word  Girl.”    He  is  also  the  narrator  on  

ABC’s  hit  comedy  “The  Goldbergs.”    

 

On  TV,  Oswalt  had  a  starring  role  on  Adult  Swim’s  “The  Heart,  She  Holler,”  was  a  series  regular  

on  Showtime’s  “United  States  of  Tara,”  recurred  on  the  SyFy  series  “Caprica,”  and  has  had  

many  guest  roles  on  “Veep,”  “Agents  of  S.H.I.E.L.D.,”  “Parks  and  Recreation,”  “Justified,”  “Two  

and  a  Half  Men,”  “Portlandia,”  “Bored  to  Death,”  “Flight  of  the  Conchords,”  The  Sarah  

Silverman  Program,”  “Tim  and  Eric’s  Awesome  Show,”  and  “Seinfeld,”  among  others.      He  is  also  

very  well  known  for  playing  ‘Spence’  on  “The  King  of  Queens”  for  nine  seasons.  He  was  also  a  

regular  contributor  to  “Countdown  with  Keith  Olbermann,”  “Real  Time  with  Bill  Maher,”  and  

Lewis  Black’s  “Root  of  All  Evil.”  

 

As  a  comedian,  Oswalt  has  shot  six  TV  specials  and  released  five  critically  acclaimed  albums,  

including  his  Grammy-­‐nominated  Talking  for  Clapping  (which  the  one-­‐hour  special  of  the  same  

name  earned  him  an  Emmy)  and  Tragedy  Plus  Comedy  Equals  Time  that  debuted  in  2014.  Finest  

Hour  also  received  a  Grammy  nomination  for  “Best  Comedy  Album,”  as  well  as  a  Showtime  

one-­‐hour  special  of  the  same  name.  In  2009,  Patton  received  his  first  Grammy  nomination  for  

his  album  My  Weakness  Is  Strong  (Warner  Brothers  Records).  

 

Oswalt  starred  in  The  Comedians  of  Comedy,  which  was  shot  as  an  independent  feature  film,  a  

TV  series  and  a  long  running  tour.  

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He  tours  regularly  and  extensively,  headlining  both  in  the  United  States,  Canada,  and  the  

UK.  Oswalt  also  has  a  regular,  bi-­‐monthly  show  at  the  new  Largo  at  the  Coronet  Theater  in  Los  

Angeles.  

 

Both  of  his  published  books  Zombie  Spaceship  Wasteland  (2011)  and  Silver  Screen  Fiend  (2015)  

are  New  York  Times  Best  Sellers.  

 

GLENNE  HEADLY  (Bonnie)  was  raised  in  New  York  City  but  began  her  theatrical  career  as  a  

member  of  the  Steppenwolf  Theatre  Company.  She  has  also  appeared  on  &  off  Broadway  and  

in  London,  Galway,  and  Los  Angeles  in  productions  such  as  Fish  in  the  Dark,  The  Jacksonian,  My  

Brilliant  Divorce,  Detachments,  Arms  and  the  Man,  The  Philanthropist,  Balm  in  Gilead,  Blood,  

Extremities,  Say  Goodnight,  Gracie,  The  Miss  Firecracker  Contest,  Coyote  Ugly,  Absent  Friends,  

Mother  Courage  and  Born  Yesterday.  

Her  film  work  includes  Dirty  Rotten  Scoundrels,  Dick  Tracy,  Mr.  Holland’s  Opus,  Mortal  

Thoughts,  2  Days  in  the  Valley,  What’s  the  Worse  That  Could  Happen,  Sgt.  Bilko,  Breakfast  of  

Champions,  Around  the  Bend,  The  Amateurs,  The  Comeback  Season,  The  Joneses  and  Don  

Jon.  She  can  next  be  seen  in  the  films  Strange  Weather,  Making  Babies  and  Villa  Capri.      

Her  television  roles  include  the  live  theatrical  presentation  of  “On  Golden  Pond”  for  CBS  as  well  

as  recurring  roles  on  “ER,”  “Monk,”  “The  Night  Of,”  and  “And  the  Band  Played  On.”  She  was  

nominated  for  a  “Best  Supporting  Actress”  Emmy  for  two  different  mini-­‐series:  “Lonesome  

Dove”  and  “Bastard  Out  of  Carolina”  and  also  appeared  in  the  telefilms  “Pronto,”  “My  Own  

Country”  and  “Women  Vs.  Men.”  On  television,  she  will  soon  be  seen  in  Hulu’s  new  

series  “Futureman”  with  Josh  Hutcherson,  produced  by  Seth  Rogen.    

 

As  one  of  Hollywood's  leading  men,  BILL  PAXTON’S  (Vinnie)  long  standing  career  includes  

numerous  and  varied  roles  in  both  television  and  film,  earning  equal  distinction  in  both.    

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Bill  can  currently  be  seen  in  CBS’s  “Training  Day,”  a  crime  thriller  series  that  is  set  15  years  after  

the  events  of  the  feature  film,  about  a  young,  idealistic  police  officer  who  is  tapped  to  go  

undercover  in  an  elite  squad  of  the  LAPD  where  he  partners  with  a  morally  ambiguous  veteran  

detective.  Paxton  plays  Detective  Frank  Rourke,  the  veteran  LAPD  cop  who  heads  up  the  Special  

Investigation  Section.  The  series,  which  was  included  on  Rolling  Stone’s  “10  Best  TV  Shows  to  

See  in  February”  list,  premiered  on  February  2nd.      

 

Upcoming,  Paxton  will  star  in  the  thriller  Mean  Dreams,  which  hits  theaters  on    

March  17th.    Directed  by  Nathan  Morlando,  the  film  is  about  a  fifteen-­‐year-­‐old  boy  who  steals  a  

bag  of  drug  money  and  runs  away  with  the  girl  he  loves  while  her  corrupt  cop  father  (Paxton)  

hunts  them  down.    The  film  was  invited  to  be  part  of  the  director’s  fortnight  at  the  Cannes  Film  

Festival  in  2016.  

   

In  2014,  Paxton  starred  opposite  Jake  Gyllenhaal  in  Nightcrawler,  a  crime  thriller  film  written  

and  directed  by  Dan  Gilroy.  The  film  received  critical  acclaim  and  was  nominated  for  an  

Academy  Award  for  “Best  Original  Screenplay,”  as  well  as  for  a  Critics’  Choice  “Movie  Award,”  a  

London  Film  Critics’  “Circle  Award”  and  it  was  included  in  the  American  Film  Institute’s  “Top  

Ten  Films  of  the  Year.”  Also,  that  year,  he  starred  in  Disney's  Million  Dollar  Arm  opposite  Jon  

Hamm,  and  Warner  Bros’  Edge  of  Tomorrow,  opposite  Tom  Cruise.    The  year  before  that,  

Paxton  could  be  seen  in  Baltarsar  Kormákur's  Two  Guns  opposite  Denzel  Washington.    

       

On  the  small  screen,  Paxton  most  recently  played  ‘Sam  Houston’  in  “Texas  Rising,”  a  History  

Channel  miniseries  based  on  the  Texas  Revolution.  He  previously  worked  with  the  History  

Channel  on  the  mini-­‐series  “Hatfields  &  McCoys,”  opposite  Kevin  Costner.  The  show  set  a  

ratings  record  as  the  top-­‐rated  entertainment  telecast  ever  for  ad-­‐supported  basic  cable.  He  

was  nominated  for  an  Emmy  Award  and  a  SAG  Award  for  his  work.  Paxton  was  also  honored  

with  three  Golden  Globe®  nominations  for  his  work  on  HBO's  critically  acclaimed  series  “Big  

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Love”  in  which  his  character,  Bill  Henrickson  is  husband  to  three  wives,  played  by  Jeanne  

Tripplehorn,  Chloë  Sevigny,  and  Ginnifer  Goodwin.    

     

After  gaining  critical  attention  in  the  John  Hughes  comedy  Weird  Science,  and  James  Cameron's  

sci-­‐fi  pic  Aliens,  Paxton's  performance  as  the  small-­‐town  sheriff  in  Carl  Franklin's  One  False  

Move  marked  his  emergence  as  a  leading  man.  He  went  on  to  star  in  a  host  of  blockbusters  

including:  Tombstone,  True  Lies,  Apollo  13,  Twister,  Mighty  Joe  Young,  Titanic,  U-­‐571,  and  

Vertical  Limit.  

   

In  1998,  Roger  Ebert  cited  Paxton  as  his  “Best  Actor”  choice  for  his  turn  as  “Hank  Mitchell”  in  

Sam  Raimi's  A  Simple  Plan.  In  addition,  Paxton  received  a  Golden  Globe®  nomination  that  same  

year  for  his  performance  as  “Colonel  John  Paul  Vann”  in  HBO's  “A  Bright  Shining  Lie.”  

   

Paxton  segued  his  on-­‐camera  experience  into  becoming  a  feature  film  director.  In  2001,  Paxton  

helmed  the  gothic  thriller  Frailty,  in  which  he  also  starred  alongside  Matthew  McConaughey;  

and,  in  2005,  directed  the  sports  drama,  The  Greatest  Game  Ever  Played,  starring  Shia  LaBeouf.  

Both  films  are  considered  modern  classics  of  their  respective  genres,  and  Frailty  was  honored  

with  the  National  Board  of  Review  2002  special  mention  for  excellence  in  filmmaking.  

Additionally,  Paxton  served  as  a  producer  on  Parkland,  The  Good  Life,”  and  Traveller,  in  which  

he  starred  along  with  Mark  Wahlberg  and  Julianna  Margulies.  

   

Paxton  began  his  career  as  a  set  dresser  on  producer  Roger  Corman's  Big  Bad  Mama  in  the  mid-­‐

1970s.  After  working  in  the  art  department  on  several  features,  Paxton  moved  to  New  York  to  

study  acting  with  Stella  Adler.  Returning  to  Los  Angeles  in  1980,  he  met  James  Cameron  while  

moonlighting  as  a  set  dresser  on  the  low-­‐budget  sci-­‐fi  movie  Galaxy  of  Terror.    Paxton  earned  a  

cult  following  for  his  work  in  movies  including  Near  Dark,  Boxing  Helena,  The  Dark  Backwards  

and  Broken  Lizard’s  Club  Dread.  His  other  credits  include  Trespass,  Indian  Summer,  The  Evening  

Star,  Streets  of  Fire,  Frank  and  Jesse,  Navy  Seals,  Predator  2,  The  Vagrant,  and  Pass  the  Ammo.  

   

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In  addition  to  his  awards  for  acting  and  directing,  Paxton  holds  the  distinction  as  the  only  actor  

to  have  visited  the  wreck  site  of  the  Titanic  with  James  Cameron  for  the  documentary  “Ghosts  

of  the  Abyss.”  Paxton  completed  four  descents  to  the  site,  two  and  a  half  miles  below  the  

surface  of  the  North  Atlantic.  

   

Paxton,  a  native  of  Ft.  Worth,  Texas,  is  survived  by  his  wife  and  children.  

 

 

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS  

JAMES  PONSOLDT  (Writer/Director)  is  a  filmmaker  originally  from  Athens,  Georgia.  A  graduate  

of  Yale  and  Columbia’s  MFA  Film  Program,  Ponsoldt’s  feature  debut  Off  the  Black  –  an  insightful  

indie  dramedy  starring  Nick  Nolte  –  premiered  at  the  2006  Sundance  Film  Festival.  In  2009,  

Ponsoldt  co-­‐wrote  the  award-­‐winning  graphic  novel,  "Refresh,  Refresh"  (selected  by  Alison  

Bechdel  for  "The  Best  American  Comics  2011").  

   

Following  his  Sundance  debut,  Ponsoldt’s  three  subsequent  films  premiered  at  the  same  

prestigious  festival.  Smashed  (2012)  emerged  from  the  pack  with  a  Special  Jury  Prize,  while  

Mary  Elizabeth  Winstead  earned  an  Independent  Spirit  Award  nomination  for  her  starring  role.  

In  2013,  Ponsoldt’s  film  The  Spectacular  Now  also  received  a  Sundance  Special  Jury  Prize,  and  

went  on  to  garner  two  Independent  Spirit  Awards  nominations  and  a  nod  from  the  Gotham  

Awards.  Warmly  received  by  critics  and  audiences  alike,  Miles  Teller  and  Shailene  Woodley’s  

coming-­‐of-­‐age  story  was  also  named  one  of  the  top  ten  independent  films  of  2013  by  the  

National  Board  of  Review.  Ponsoldt’s  last  feature  film  The  End  of  the  Tour,  based  on  David  

Lipsky’s  novel  “Although  of  Course  You  End  Up  Becoming  Yourself,”  was  nominated  for  two  

Independent  Spirit  Awards  and  led  various  critics  circles  to  nominate  Jason  Segel  for  his  

portrayal  of  famed  author  David  Foster  Wallace.  

   

In  addition  to  his  work  in  feature  films,  Ponsoldt  also  writes  for  "Filmmaker"  magazine  and  

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directed  episodes  of  the  critically  acclaimed  series  "Shameless"  and  "Parenthood,"  as  well  as  

the  pilot  of  Aziz  Ansari's  Netflix  hit  "Master  of  None,"  the  pilot  of  the  upcoming  Amazon  series,  

"The  Legend  of  Master  Legend"  (starring  John  Hawkes),  and  the  upcoming  Fox  pilot  "Thin  Ice"  

(from  Elizabeth  Meriwether,  the  creator  of  "New  Girl").  

 

DAVE  EGGERS  (story  by)  is  the  author  of  many  novels  and  nonfiction  titles,  including  “Heroes  of  

the  Frontier,”  “The  Circle,”  “A  Hologram  for  the  King,”  and  “What  Is  the  What.”  He  has  been  a  

finalist  for  the  Pulitzer  Prize,  the  National  Book  Award  and  the  National  Book  Critics  Circle  

Award.  He  co-­‐wrote  the  screenplays  for  Where  the  Wild  Things  Are  and  Away  We  Go.  He  is  the  

cofounder  of  826  National,  a  network  of  writing  and  tutoring  centers  for  youth  around  the  

country,  and  founder  of  ScholarMatch,  a  nonprofit  that  provides  college  access  services  to  low-­‐

income  youth.    

 

 

GARY  GOETZMAN’s  (Producer)  credits  include  Mamma  Mia!,  Where  the  Wild  Things  Are,  Justin  

Timberlake  +  The  Tennessee  Kids,  Charlie  Wilson’s  War,  The  Polar  Express,  Larry  Crowne,  My  Big  

Fat  Greek  Wedding,  That  Thing  You  Do!,  The  Silence  of  the  Lambs,  which  won  five  Academy  

Awards  including  “Best  Picture,”  Philadelphia,  Devil  in  a  Blue  Dress,  Beloved,  Miami  Blues,  Ricki  

and  the  Flash,  A  Hologram  for  the  King,  The  Great  Buck  Howard,  Starter  for  10,  Amos  &  Andrew,  

Modern  Girls,  the  Talking  Heads’  concert  film  Stop  Making  Sense,  the  3-­‐D  IMAX  film  

Magnificent  Desolation:  Walking  on  the  Moon  3D,  the  Primetime  Emmy  Award-­‐winning  

miniseries’  John  Adams,  Band  of  Brothers,  The  Pacific  and  Olive  Kitteridge,  HBO  special  events:  

The  25  Anniversary  Rock  &  Roll  Hall  of  Fame  Concert,  The  2012,  2013,  2014,  2015  and  2016  

Rock  &  Roll  Hall  of  Fame  Induction  Ceremonies  and  The  Concert  for  Valor,  the  Primetime  Emmy  

and  Golden  Globe  Award-­‐nominated  HBO  series  “Big  Love,”  the  Primetime  Emmy  and  Golden  

Globe  Award-­‐winning  HBO  film  Game  Change,  and  the  Primetime  Emmy-­‐nominated  CNN  

docuseries,  “The  Sixties”  and  “The  Seventies,”  and  the  Critics’  Choice  Documentary-­‐nominated,  

“The  Eighties.”    

 

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Currently,  Goetzman  is  producing  “The  Nineties,”  and  the  long-­‐anticipated  film  adaptations  of  

Beautiful:  The  Carole  King  Musical,  Spring  Awakening,  and  American  Idiot.    

 

 

ANTHONY  BREGMAN’S  (Producer)  films  include  the  Academy  Award  winning  Eternal  Sunshine  

of  the  Spotless  Mind,  Foxcatcher,  Enough  Said,  Begin  Again,  The  Ice  Storm,  Thumbsucker,  

American  Ultra,  Friends  with  Money,  Our  Idiot  Brother,  Every  Secret  Thing,  Please  Give,  

Synecdoche,  New  York,  The  Tao  of  Steve,  Lovely  &  Amazing,  Human  Nature,  The  Savages,  The  

Brothers  McMullen,  Trick,  The  Extra  Man,  Darling  Companion,  and  The  Oranges.  

 

His  most  recent  released  films  include  John  Carney’s  Sing  Street  (The  Weinstein  Company),  

which  was  nominated  for  a  Golden  Globe  Award  for  “Best  Picture,”  James  Schamus’  directorial  

debut,  an  adaptation  of  Philip  Roth’s  Indignation(Lionsgate),  Courtney  Hunt’s  The  Whole  Truth  

starring  Keanu  Reeves  and  Renee  Zellweger  (Lionsgate);  and  David  Frankel’s  Collateral  Beauty  

(New  Line),  starring  Will  Smith  and  Helen  Mirren.    

   

 

Over  the  last  30  years,  four-­‐time  Oscar  nominee  DANNY  ELFMAN  (Composer)  has  established  

himself  as  one  of  the  most  versatile  and  accomplished  film  composers  in  the  industry.  He  has  

collaborated  with  such  directors  as  Tim  Burton,  David  O.  Russell,  Gus  Van  Sant,  Sam  Raimi,  Paul  

Haggis,  Ang  Lee,  Rob  Marshall,  Guillermo  del  Toro,  Brian  De  Palma,  and  Peter  Jackson.  

Beginning  with  his  first  score  on  Tim  Burton’s  Pee-­‐wee’s  Big  Adventure,  Elfman  has  scored  a  

broad  range  of  films,  including:  Milk  (Oscar  nominated),  Good  Will  Hunting  (Oscar  

nominated),  Big  Fish  (Oscar  nominated),  Men  in  Black  (Oscar  nominated),  Edward  

Scissorhands,  Wanted,  Charlie  and  the  Chocolate  Factory,  Mission:  Impossible,  Planet  of  the  

Apes,  A  Simple  Plan,  To  Die  For,  Spider-­‐Man  (1  &  2),  Batman,  Dolores  Claiborne,  

Sommersby,  Chicago,  Dick  Tracy,  The  Nightmare  Before  Christmas  and  Alice  in  Wonderland.  

 

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Elfman’s  most  recent  work  includes  David  O.  Russell’s  Silver  Linings  Playbook  and  American  

Hustle,  Mr.  Peabody  &  Sherman,  Tim  Burton’s  Big  Eyes,  Errol  Morris’  The  Unknown  

Known,  Goosebumps  for  Sony  Pictures,  Fifty  Shades  of  Grey,  Marvel’s  Avengers:  Age  of  

Ultron,  Disney’s  Alice  Through  the  Looking  Glass  and  Universal  Pictures’  sequel  Fifty  Shades  

Darker.  Up  next  for  Elfman  is  The  Weinstein  Company’s  Tulip  Fever.  

 

A  native  of  Los  Angeles,  Elfman  grew  up  loving  film  music.  He  travelled  the  world  as  a  young  

man,  absorbing  its  musical  diversity.  He  helped  found  the  band  Oingo  Boingo,  and  came  to  the  

attention  of  a  young  Tim  Burton,  who  asked  him  to  write  the  score  for  Pee-­‐wee’s  Big  

Adventure.  (25  years  later,  the  two  have  forged  one  of  the  most  fruitful  composer-­‐director  

collaborations  in  film  history.)  In  addition  to  his  film  work,  Elfman  wrote  the  iconic  theme  music  

for  The  Simpsons  and  Desperate  Housewives.  He  also  composed  a  ballet,  Rabbit  and  Rogue,  

choreographed  by  Twyla  Tharp,  a  symphony  Serenada  Schizophrana  for  Carnegie  Hall,  an  

overture  The  Overeager  Overture  for  the  Hollywood  Bowl,  and,  most  recently,  Iris—a  Cirque  du  

Soleil  show  at  Hollywood’s  Dolby  Theatre.  Danny  Elfman’s  Music  from  the  Films  of  Tim  

Burton  had  its  concert  premiere  at  London’s  Royal  Albert  Hall.  “Having  a  particular  style  is  not  

bad,”  says  Elfman,  “but  I  prefer  to  push  myself  in  the  direction  of  being  a  composer  who  you  

never  know  what  he’s  doing  next.”  

 

EMMA  POTTER  (Costume  Designer)  is  a  British  native  whose  credits  include  director  Ryan  

Coogler’s  2015  award-­‐winning  boxing  drama,  Creed,  starring  Michael  B.  Jordan  and  Sylvester  

Stallone.    She  has  collaborated  with  director  James  Ponsoldt  on  two  films:  The  Circle  and  End  of  

the  Tour.    Her  credits  also  include  Antonio  Campos  Christine,  Joachim  Trier’s  Louder  Than  

Bombs,  Josh  Mond’s  James  White,  and  actor/director  Paul  Bettany’s  Shelter.  

 

Potter  began  her  movie  industry  career  as  a  costume  supervisor  and  assistant  costume  designer  

on  films  such  as  127  Hours  and  Sugar  among  others.  

 

 

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In  the  span  of  just  a  few  short  years,  LISA  LASSEK  (Editor)  has  become  one  of  the  most  

respected  and  highly  sought  after  film  editors  in  motion  pictures  and  television.    She  has  been  a  

frequent  collaborator  with  writer/director  Joss  Whedon,  having  worked  with  him  on  Marvel’s  

blockbusters  The  Avengers  and  The  Avengers:  Age  of  Ultron,  and  on  his  previous  film  Serenity  as  

well  as  the  series  “Firefly”  and  “Buffy  the  Vampire  Slayer.”  

 

Lassek’s  other  feature  film  credits  have  included  Drew  Goddard’s  The  Cabin  in  the  Woods.    She  

is  currently  editing  the  Jerry  Bruckheimer  Films/Black  Label  Media  Afghan  war  epic,  Horse  

Soldiers,  directed  by  Nicolai  Fuglsig.    On  television,  Lassek  edited  the  critically  acclaimed  series  

“Community,”  “Wonderfalls,”  the  Emmy  Award-­‐winning  “Pushing  Daisies”  and  the  internet  

sensation  “Dr.  Horrible’s  Sing-­‐Along  Blog.”  

 

A  native  of  Philadelphia,  Lassek  studied  film  at  Vassar  College  and  Boston  University.      

 

GERALD  SULLIVAN  (Production  Designer)  graduated  from  the  Southern  California  Institute  of  

Architecture,  (SCI-­‐ARC).  For  the  last  fifteen  years,  he  has  worked  in  the  film  industry  as  Set  

Designer,  Art  Director  and  Production  Designer  on  such  films  as  The  End  of  the  Tour  and  Me  and  

Earl  and  the  Dying  Girl.  Gerald  was  the  Supervising  Art  Director  on  Wes  Anderson’s  The  Grand  

Budapest  Hotel,  which  received  an  Academy  Award  for  “Best  Achievement  in  Production  

Design,”  as  well  as  on  his  previous  effort,  Moonrise  Kingdom.  Most  recently,  Gerald  was  the  

Production  Designer  for  Noah  Baumbach’s  latest  film,  The  Meyerowitz  Stories  and  is  currently  

at  work  on  Dan  Fogelman’s  latest  film,  Life  Itself.      

 

Academy  Award®-­‐nominated  MATTHEW  LIBATIQUE,  ASC  (Director  of  Photography)  has  forged  

a  unique  career  over  the  past  two  decades.    He  began  with  the  goal  of  becoming  a  music-­‐video  

cinematographer  because  he  was  drawn  to  the  potential  of  electronic  image  manipulation,  but  

soon  he  was  creating  bold,  innovative  imagery  for  longer  forms.    

 

  42  

Libatique  has  a  long-­‐standing  professional  relationship  with  director  Darren  Aronofsky,  for  

whom  the  cinematographer  scored  an  early  breakthrough  with  Pi,  a  disturbing  portrait  shot  in  

black-­‐and-­‐white  16mm.    Libatique  pushed  the  film  emulsion  to  its  limits  and  beyond  to  portray  

an  unstable,  deteriorating  mind  obsessed  with  numbers.    Pi  won  the  Directing  Award  at  the  

Sundance  Film  Festival,  and  Libatique  was  honored  with  an  Independent  Spirit  Award  

nomination  for  his  work;  Libatique’s  feature-­‐film  career  was  off  and  running.        

 

Most  recently,  Libatique  and  Aronofsky  worked  together  on  their  seventh  collaboration  

Mother,  as  well  as  Noah.    Libatique  was  nominated  for  an  American  Society  of  

Cinematographers  (ASC)  Award  and  an  Academy  Award®  for  Black  Swan,  also  directed  by  

Aronofsky.    Black  Swan  was  shot  in  Super  16,  which  is  rare  for  an  Oscar®  nominee  in  the  

cinematography  category.    For  his  work  on  Black  Swan,  Libatique  also  received  BAFTA,  Critics  

Choice  and  the  Independent  Spirit  Award  nominations,  to  name  a  few.  

 

Libatique’s  other  collaborations  with  Aronofsky  include  Requiem  for  a  Dream,  for  which  

Libatique  won  the  Independent  Spirit  Award  for  “Best  Cinematography,”  as  well  as  nominations  

from  the  Boston  Society  of  Film  Critics  and  the  Online  Film  Critics  Society.    Libatique  also  served  

as  director  of  photography  on  Aronofsky’s  The  Fountain;  they  had  first  worked  together  on  the  

short  film  Protozoa  in  1993.  

 

Libatique  has  ongoing  collaborations  with  several  directors,  including  Spike  Lee,  for  whom  he  

photographed  Chi-­‐Raq,  Miracle  at  St.  Anna,  She  Hate  Me  and  Inside  Man;  Joel  Schumacher,  on  

Tigerland  and  Phone  Booth;  and  Jon  Favreau,  on  Iron  Man,  Iron  Man  2  and  Cowboys  &  Aliens.      

 

Other  feature-­‐film  credits  include  Money  Monster,  for  Jodie  Foster,  Straight  Outta  Compton,  for  

F.  Gary  Gray;  Gothika,  for  Mathieu  Kassovitz;  Abandon,  for  Stephen  Gaghan;  Everything  Is  

Illuminated,  for  Liev  Schreiber;  My  Own  Love  Song,  for  Olivier  Dahan;  and  Ruby  Sparks,  for  

directors  Jonathan  Dayton  and  Valerie  Faris.    Upcoming  projects  include  The  Circle,  for  writer-­‐

director  James  Ponsoldt.  

  43  

 

Libatique  studied  at  the  prestigious  American  Film  Institute,  where  he  earned  an  MFA  in  

cinematography.    In  1995,  Libatique  began  his  career  as  a  cinematographer  in  the  music-­‐video  

industry.    His  work  has  appeared  on  MTV  for  artists  such  as  The  Cure,  Usher,  Death  in  Vegas,  

Erykah  Badu,  Incubus,  Tupac  Shakur,  Moby,  Snoop  Dogg,  Jay-­‐Z  and  The  Fray.    Libatique  earned  

a  Music  Video  Production  Association  Award  for  “Best  Cinematography”  in  2002,  for  Matchbox  

Twenty’s  “Mad  Season”  and  in  2013  for  Justin  Timberlake’s  “Suit  and  Tie.”    Working  on  

commercials  and  music-­‐videos,  he  has  combined  forces  with  such  talented  directors  as  David  

Fincher,  Stacy  Wall,  Floria  Sigismondi,  Dante  Ariola,  Brian  Beletic,  Phil  Harder,  Terry  Richardson,  

Mark  Pellington,  Traktor,  Kinka  Usher,  StyleWar  and  Noam  Murro.    

 

4. BILLING BLOCKS / GUILD MANDATED CREDITS

PRINT AD BILLING “A” – FULL BILLING BLOCK [20% of artwork title] [per DGA, 30% for trade ads and 35% for outdoor ads]

(Full page ads in NY / LA Times, Daily Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Magazines and Periodicals; 1-sheets; billboards; home entertainment packaging)

THE CIRCLE (artwork title)

EUROPACORP and IMAGE NATION ABU DHABI Present In Association with IM GLOBAL / PARKES + MACDONALD PRODUCTIONS / ROUTE ONE ENTERTAINMENT

A PLAYTONE / LIKELY STORY / 1978 FILMS Production EMMA WATSON TOM HANKS “THE CIRCLE” JOHN BOYEGA

KAREN GILLAN ELLAR COLTRANE PATTON OSWALT GLENNE HEADLY and BILL PAXTON Casting by AVY KAUFMAN, CSA Music Supervisor TIFFANY ANDERS

Music by DANNY ELFMAN Costume Designer EMMA POTTER Editor LISA LASSEK Production Designer GERALD SULLIVAN Director of Photography MATTHEW LIBATIQUE, ASC

Executive Producers STEFANIE AZPIAZU RON SCHMIDT SALLY WILLCOX STEVEN SHARESHIAN EVAN HAYES PETER CRON MARC SHMUGER FEDERICA SAINTE-ROSE RUSSELL LEVINE

Produced by GARY GOETZMAN ANTHONY BREGMAN JAMES PONSOLDT Based on the Novel by DAVE EGGERS Screenplay by JAMES PONSOLDT and DAVE EGGERS

Directed by JAMES PONSOLDT

^ [MPAA RATING/REASON BOX]

MOTION PICTURE ARTWORK © 2017 STX FINANCING, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.