PRESENTS

A FILM BY SCOTT WALKER

THE FROZEN GROUND

IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE AND ON DEMAND AUGUST 23, 2013

Running Time: 105 minutesRating: RFor Press Materials: www.lionsgatepublicity.com

For Further Information Please Contact: Kevin McAlpine Shelby Kimlick Jennifer SandlerMPRM MPRM Lionsgatekmcalpine@mprm.com skimlick@mprm.com jsandler@lionsgate.com 323.933.3399 323.933.3399 310.255.4072

THE FROZEN GROUNDTHE FROZEN GROUND is based on the events surrounding Alaska's most notorious

serial predator, Robert Hansen (John Cusack), a respected family man who, for over 12

years, systematically abducted more than 24 women and flew them into the Alaskan

wilderness to be hunted. But when one principled and dedicated Alaskan State Trooper,

Sgt. Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage), finds Cindy Paulsen (Vanessa Hudgens), Hansen's

only surviving teenage victim alive on the street, she becomes the vital key in an unlikely

partnership that finally brings Hansen to justice. THE FROZEN GROUND stars Nicolas

Cage (National Treasure), John Cusack (The Paperboy), and Vanessa Hudgens (Spring

Breakers). The film features Dean Norris, Kevin Dunn and Jodi Lyn O’Keefe; and Katherine

LaNasa, Ryan O’Nan, Radha Mitchell and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson also make

appearances.

THE FROZEN GROUND is written and directed by Scott Walker. Mark Ordesky,

Jane Fleming, Randall Emmett, Curtis Jackson, Remington Chase and Jeff Rice produced

the film, with Brandon Grimes and Gus Furla serving as co-producers. Director of

photography Patrick Murguia, A.M.C., production designer Clark Hunter, costume designer

Lynn Falconer and editor Sarah Boyd, ACE, led the creative behind-the-scenes team.

Casting for THE FROZEN GROUND was done by Anne McCarthy and Kellie Roy, and

music was by Lorne Balfe. Executive producers are George Furla, Stepan Martirosyan,

Kevin Frakes, Martin Richard Blencowe, Mark Stewart, Brandt Andersen, Brett Granstaff,

Corey Large, Ted Fox, Elisa Salinas, Daniel Wagner, Fredrik Malmberg, Olga Valentina,

Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb.

Emmett/Furla Films and Voltage Pictures present a Cheetah Vision Films production,

in association with Emmett/Furla Films and Court Five, and in association with Envision

Entertainment and Valentina Films of THE FROZEN GROUND. The film is distributed

domestically by Grindstone Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of Lionsgate.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Whether against the stark massive landscapes of Alaska or claustrophobic inner

cities across the US, the plight of forgotten or ‘throw-away’ youth is pressing and director

Scott Walker focuses his camera squarely on that desolate world in THE FROZEN

GROUND, inspired by the gripping true story of Alaska's most notorious serial killer, Robert

C. Hansen (John Cusack), and a principled Alaska State Trooper (Nicolas Cage) who must

earn the trust of Hansen's only surviving victim to see justice done.

Walker came across the Hansen case while working on another story. “Someone

suggested that there were similarities, and during my initial research I realized what he did

and wasn’t sure if I wanted this to be my first film,” admits Walker, who describes the film as

a teenage runaway and a cop learning to trust each other in order to solve this case. “There

are so many families that are still affected today by the horrific events, but I kind of let the

people involved tell me whether they thought the film should be made.”

“Scott had the right vision for THE FROZEN GROUND from the start,” affirmed

producer Randall Emmett. “He knew who the characters were and what actors would do

them justice, and the project evolved organically from there.”

“When I first spoke to Nicolas Cage about the role and my intention behind it, he was

very excited,” recalls Walker, who was searching for someone who could disappear into the

role and just be a regular trooper. The film’s protagonist, Sgt. Jack Halcombe, is an

amalgamation of several people, “because we couldn’t fit every officer into the film,”

explains Walker. “It gave Nicolas some room to create the character on his own, as

opposed to trying to do a direct portrayal on one particular person.”

“The story benefitted from Scott’s touch, eliciting a nuanced performance from the

cast given the tough subject matter,” added Emmett. “This is the third time I’ve worked with

Nicolas Cage; he is one of the most talented actors and we were fortunate to secure him for

the movie. Scott knew he was the right man for the role of Sgt. Jack Halcombe”

In 1983 Detective Glenn Flothe, of the Alaska State Troopers, on whom Cage loosely

based his character Jack Halcombe, had a breakthrough in a serial killer case that had

terrorized South Central Alaska for nearly three years. “Whenever you play someone who is

a real hero, it’s an incredible amount of responsibility,” begins Cage, who avows his respect

for Flothe’s “mountain of knowledge and experience in dealing with the Hansen case.” “You

want to get it right, and what I wanted to do for Glenn was portray the integrity and the

courage of the troopers. When you walk up to a car there is always a gamble that you could

die. There’s an enormous amount of integrity in the way they treat one another and the way

they treat people, and I wanted to get that across.”

Flothe and a team of investigators had recently tied together several unsolved

murders, and a criminal psychological profile provided by the FBI led him to Hansen as a

possible suspect. Cindy Paulson, a 17-year-old street hooker, previously claimed to have

escaped Hansen as he tried to load her into his Piper Cub airplane bound for the wilderness

where he planned to hunt her like game. Though her story didn’t stand up against Hansen’s

alibi at the time, Flothe convinced Cindy to submit testimony that helped secure a search

warrant that revealed undisputable incriminating evidence against Hansen.

“Cindy Paulson first ran away from home when she was 11 and had to survive on her

own,” explains Walker. Casting the role was his biggest challenge. “I interviewed at least

eighty or ninety young actresses between the ages of 17 and 23, trying to find someone

who could play basically a little girl who transforms into a woman at the flick of a switch. She

had to have these very different sides of her personality, almost creating multiple

personalities, to try and deal with her life on the street and the way she was treated by men.

I was really only interested in one portrayal of that character, and that was of the real Cindy

Paulson.”

“Vanessa Hudgens blew me away in her casting session,” recalls Walker, who knew

that for the actress to have the best chance of portraying and understanding the

complexities of what it is to live on the street and in this particular situation, she would have

to meet the real Cindy Paulson.

“There’s a rawness that Cindy has, when she opens herself up and lets her emotions

flow,” explains Hudgens, who was drawn to the project by the chance to portray a real

person. “I sat down with Cindy and got to know her whole life story from beginning to end. I

was so fortunate to have her open up to me in such a welcoming way. At the end of the day

she has a good heart and good soul because all she really wants to do is to be able to

capture the bad guy and to help out the victims that didn’t have a voice or a say or a chance

to survive.”

“Cindy told Vanessa stories she had never even imagined, things you don’t think are

real, about how tough life is on the street,” adds Walker. “What was amazing was Vanessa

then delivered that in her performance. She goes on a real roller coaster ride of emotions

within a minute or two, hitting each of those different sides of her personality so quickly, so

erratically. That’s really what it’s like when you are seventeen and on the street and living by

your wits, and that’s what I was after.”

“Vanessa portrayed Cindy brilliantly,” agrees Cage. “Horrible things happened to

Cindy in her childhood and you can understand why she ran away. But she did something

with her life. She had the guts to actually help people and make a difference. She changed

the community in Anchorage with Glenn Flothe.”

Though he was only about seventeen or eighteen at the time, Cusack remembers

hearing stories about Hansen, mostly sensationalized headlines about hunting people in the

wilds of Alaska. “This is a very dark human being, so I sort of pushed it away because I

thought it had to be the right circumstances to do it,” admits Cusack. “But Scott seemed to

really want to tell the story about the system failing these prostitutes, because at that time

they really weren’t seen as equal people, they were seen as vagrants. So he was telling it

from the right perspective.”

Robert Hansen was such a meek and humble citizen of the Anchorage community

that Cindy’s original accusation that he abducted her with the intent of killing her was

brushed off as a frivolous extortion attempt. “My original vision for Hansen was someone

you really believed was a regular guy. He was married with two children, he was the local

baker – everyone knew him and trusted him,” explains Walker. “When I met John, straight

away we shared the same hesitation about not turning this character into a Hannibal Lecter-

like monster. He probably had one of the hardest roles for us to work out. We would spend

hours discussing each scene and each line, and how to deliver those lines in way that

wasn’t over the top and was true to how a real serial killer behaves. I know he wrestled a lot

with why someone does this particular thing.”

Cusack also met with Flothe to gain insight into Hansen. “I started thinking about

Flothe and Hansen as the same but on opposite ends of the spectrum,” says Cusack. “One

was completely courageous, yet self-absorbed, narcissistic, and feeding all of his most

debased fantasies. And Glenn is like an English teacher, a very gentle man, very thoughtful

and a student of history. But he’s got a fierce kind of will and I think he wanted to face this

guy and try to understand why. Even though he caught Hanson, he may feel like he failed

because even when you try to grasp evil you don’t always get the answers you want. At the

end of the day we still feel like we got scarred by the confrontation; maybe we put this guy

away but he didn’t reveal his secrets. I think it’s a very interesting relationship between this

cop and Hansen.”

“Hansen’s dialogue was taken largely from the transcripts, which is very fractured

and has its own weird internal logic to it,” reveals Cusack. “Scott made some very smart

decisions about that, to leave those things in and not try to over explain. As a writer, I think

the script performs even better than it reads in some ways. Sometimes it may seem a little

minimalist, but when you get the whole thing in context and you get it on its feet, the scenes

are so loaded with backstory. He did a good job of not overdoing scenes and just letting

them be, which is a kind of sophisticated thing for a first time writer/director.”

After meeting with Walker, Cage was pleased that they shared a similar take on

shooting in an almost documentary style. “I’ve wanted to get back to that naturalistic, almost

photo-realism style,” says Cage, who compared the shoot to the cinema verite style that

Oliver Stone used in WORLD TRADE CENTER. “To Scott’s credit he hired an incredibly

energetic and passionate cinematographer, Patrick Murguia, and camera operator, Jacques

Jouffret,” adds Cusack. “Both were very sensitive to the actors, and when the actors get hot,

the camera guys are just following them. We go and then they are coming here with energy,

so they are both meeting head on.”

“The film is set in 1983, but I very specifically did not want to make this feel like a

period film,” explains Walker. “I wanted to do that for a reason: throw away youth and kids

on the street and what happens to them is still an issue today. I wanted to create a

connection to today. These stories happen all the way across the country and really

Anchorage is a city like any other Midwest City. So with my production designer, Clark

Hunter, the key was getting the audience into the story and then letting them forget its 1983

and that we are at the top of North America.”

“I spoke to a number of the victim’s families who’d been very helpful with information

and research and insight into what it was like, what happened and the desperation of trying

to find family members,” recalls Walker. “One of the bigger points that I wanted to keep in

the film as much as we could, is that these girls weren’t just your stereotypical stripper that

gets murdered in a film. These were mothers, daughters, and sisters, and a lot of them just

went up there to earn a little bit of extra money like everybody did because of the oil rush.

They just met the wrong guy.”

“Meeting the real Cindy was probably one of the most inspiring things throughout

this whole film,” concludes Walker. “She is now a grown woman and a long way from where

she was during this time. After everything that she has been through being on the streets,

she has an incredible outlook on life. In one of our deep conversations, I asked Cindy if she

had any regrets,” says Walker. “She said her only regret is that when she was in the

courtroom, when Hansen was being sentenced, and she saw all the families and the

victims’ friends, her only regret was that she wasn’t kidnapped and raped earlier. She felt

that if she could have escaped earlier, some of their children might still be alive. She is

probably one of the most inspiring women I have ever met in terms of her strength and her

bravery.”

ABOUT THE CAST

Nicolas CAGE (Jack Halcombe)

Academy Award-winner Nicolas Cage is one of the most versatile actors of all time, equally

known for his poignant portrayals in both drama and comedy.

Cage most recently lent his voice to the DreamWorks animated film The Croods, which

follows a family through their prehistoric era adventures. The film also features voices from

Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, and Cloris Leachman. Last year he

starred in Stolen, which reunited him with Con Air director Simon West, the 1997

blockbuster action thriller.

Upcoming, Cage stars in David Gordon Green’s Joe, and herecently completed filming

Tokarev alongside Danny Glover.

In 2011, Cage was seen in the comic book sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, as

well as Drive Angry with Amber Heard, Seeking Justice with January Jones, Trespass with

Nicole Kidman, and the Charles Roven produced epic, Season of the Witch, which filmed on

location in Budapest. He also starred in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Cage’s seventh

collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer. In addition, Cage starred in the action comedy, Kick-

Ass produced by Matthew Vaughn.

In the 2009 critically acclaimed film Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Cage plays a

drug and gambling addicted detective in post-Katrina New Orleans. Prior to this film, Cage

lent his voice to two animated features: the Jerry Bruckheimer produced family adventure

G-Force, and the Summit Entertainment family adventure, Astro Boy. Cage also starred in

Summit Entertainment's sci-fi thriller Knowing, and the Pang Brothers directed Bangkok

Dangerous, an action thriller.

Cage starred in the worldwide box office success National Treasure: Book of Secrets. It

marked Cage's fifth collaboration with producer Jerry Bruckheimer following The Rock, Con

Air, Gone in 60 Seconds and National Treasure. His memorable performance as an

alcoholic drinking himself to death in the drama, Leaving Las Vegas, directed by Mike

Figgis, earned him an Academy Award® as well as Golden Globe® and Best Actor awards

from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Chicago

Film Critics and the National Board of Review. Cage further solidified his leading man

status when he received Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British

Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nominations for his dual role as twin brothers

‘Charlie' and ‘Donald Kaufman' in Spike Jonze's quirky comedy, Adaptation, which also co-

starred Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper.

In addition, Cage portrayed ‘Johnny Blaze' in Ghost Rider, based on the Marvel Comic book

character, directed and written by Mark Steven Johnson. The film immediately set a new

record as the highest-grossing opening film for the President's Day weekend in 2007.

Cage's other starring roles include that of Neil LaBute's The Wicker Man, and Oliver Stone's

World Trade Center, both released in 2006, and Gore Verbinski's The Weather Man and

Andrew Niccol's Lord of War, released in 2005. He was also heard as the voice of ‘Zoc' in

the animated film The Ant Bully.

In fall of 2002, Cage made his film directorial debut with Sonny, where he cast an

impressive group of actors, including Golden Globe winner James Franco, Mena Suvari,

Brenda Blethyn and Harry Dean Stanton. The film was accepted at the 2002 Deauville Film

Festival.

Cage's many other films include Next, Matchstick Men, Windtalkers, Captain Corelli's

Mandolin, The Family Man, Bringing Out the Dead, Eight Millimeter, Snake Eyes, City of

Angels, Face Off, Kiss of Death, Guarding Tess, It Could Happen to You, Red Rock West,

Honeymoon in Vegas, Joel and Ethan Coen's Raising Arizona, Vampire's Kiss, Peggy Sue

Got Married, Valley Girl, Racing with the Moon, The Cotton Club and Rumble Fish.

It was Cage's portrayal of a tormented Vietnam vet in Birdy that first established him as a

serious actor. Directed by Alan Parker, Birdy won the jury prize at Cannes. Cage then

received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actor for his role as Cher's lover in

Moonstruck. David Lynch's Wild at Heart, starring Cage and Laura Dern, won the Palme

d'Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.

Some of Cage's other honors include a 1993 Golden Globe nomination for his role in

Honeymoon in Vegas, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montreal World

Film Festival in 1996, the first ever Distinguished Decade in Film Award at ShoWest in

2001, and the prestigious American Cinematheque honored him in 2001.

In 2009, Cage was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Global Justice for the United

Nations. He traveled to Africa to undertake a mission with the United Nations Office of

Drugs and Crime in Gulu, Uganda, Mombasa, Kenya and Nairobi, Kenya. Here he met with

child soldiers, gang members, inmates, Kenyan judges and magistrates to help stop human

trafficking, child slavery and kidnapping. Cage is also a Luminary for Amnesty International

and helps with their focus on human rights.

Vanessa HUDGENS (Cindy Paulson)

Vanessa Hudgens began her career in the world of musical theatre at the tender age of 8.

Immediately realizing the incredible future that lay before her, she has tirelessly pursued her

dream with much success. These early roles in such productions as “Evita,” “Carousel,”

“The Wizard of Oz,” “The King & I,” “The Music Man,” “Cinderella” and “Damn Yankees”

gave Vanessa the opportunity to showcase her impressive singing and acting skills

The recognition Vanessa received quickly brought her to the big screen. She made her

feature film debut in Catherine Hardwicke’s controversial Thirteen starring Holly Hunter and

Evan Rachel Wood. Soon thereafter, she co-starred in the action-adventure film

Thunderbirds.

It was however Vanessa’s role in Disney Channel’s breakaway sensation High School

Musical that has garnered her much praise and attention. With critics and fans clamoring

for more, Vanessa was also seen in the films’ highly successful follow ups High School

Musical 2 and the theatrical release of High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Vanessa

followed up her High School Musical hits by starring in the critically acclaimed Bandslam as

well Beastly and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. In 2010, Hudgens won the ShoWest

Award for ‘Female Star of Tomorrow.’

Looking to branch out and take on some darker roles Hudgens filmed a series of films that

have surprised audiences. Most recently, Vanessa starred opposite James Franco and

Selena Gomez in one of the most talked about films of 2013 Spring Breakers. The film

directed by the controversial director Harmony Korine premiered at The Venice Film and

Toronto Film Festivals. In the drama, Gimme Shelter, directed by Ron Krauss, Hudgens

plays a pregnant, homeless teenager. For this film based on a true story Vanessa spent

two weeks living in a homeless shelter doing research for her character.

This fall, she will make a cameo in Robert Rodriguez’s highly anticipated Machete Kills.

Hudgens resides in Los Angeles.

John CUSACK (Robert Hansen)

With an impressive body of work spanning the course of two decades, John Cusack has

evolved into one of Hollywood’s most accomplished and respected actors of his generation,

garnering both critical acclaim as well as prestigious accolades for his dramatic and

comedic roles. In April 2012, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce presented Cusack with

the 2,469th Hollywood Walk of Fame star, honoring his long, ground-breaking career in film.

Cusack first gained the attention of audiences by starring in a number of 1980s film classics

such as The Sure Thing, Say Anything and Sixteen Candles. Following these roles, Cusack

successfully shed his teen-heartthrob image by demonstrating his ability to expand his film

repertoire by starring in a wide range of dramas, thrillers and comedies including The

Grifters, Eight Men Out, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity and Grosse Pointe Blank.

Most recently, Cusack starred in the independent film Adult World, which premiered at the

Tribeca Film Festival. IFC Films has picked up U.S. distribution rights and will release the

film later this year. Cusack will also be seen in Lee Daniel’s film The Butler as President

Richard Nixon.

Currently, Cusack is in production on David Cronenberg’s latest film, Maps to the Stars.

Cusack will star opposite Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska. The film

focuses on two Hollywood teen actors who grow up to realize the extent of the spoils of their

early careers. Cusack will play “Dr. Stafford Weiss”, father in the “Weiss family Hollywood

dynasty” and analyst who has made his fortune with self-help manuals.

Next, Cusack will begin production on Love and Mercy, in which he will play iconic Beach

Boys songwriter and musician Brian Wilson. The film will chronicle Wilson’s early success to

his nervous breakdown and subsequent encounter with controversial therapist Dr. Eugene

Landy. Cusack will star opposite Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti. He also recently

finished production alongside Robert De Niro for the crime thriller Motel.

In 2012, Cusack appeared in Lee Daniels’ drama, The Paperboy. Cusack co-starred

opposite Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Matthew McConaughey as Hillary Van Wetter, an

inmate on death row. The Paperboy debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2012.

Cusack also starred in the independent thriller The Raven, where he portrayed the infamous

author, Edgar Allen Poe. The film, directed by James McTiegue and produced by Marc D.

Evans, tells fictionalized account of the last days of Poe's life, in which the poet is in pursuit

of a serial killer whose murders mirror those in the writer's stories.

Cusack also starred in Hot Tub Time Machine, an R-rated comedy centered on a group of

adult men, portrayed by Cusack, Rob Cordry (What Happens in Vegas), Craig Robinson

(“The Office”) and Clark Duke (“Greek”) who take a trip back to the ski lodge where they

partied as youths and are transported back in time to 1987 by the hot tub, a bubbly time

machine. Cusack produced the film through his New Crime Productions banner. The film

was released by MGM in March of 2010.

Additionally, in 2009 he starred in Roland Emmerich’s apocalyptic thriller, 2012. Released

by Sony Pictures, the international blockbuster went on to gross more than $766 million

worldwide. In this science fiction film, Cusack and co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie

Newton, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet and Oliver Platt face natural

disasters such as volcanic eruptions, typhoons and glaciers as a result of the world and

Mayan calendar ending in the year 2012.

In spring of 2008, Cusack starred, wrote and produced the political satire, War Inc. The film

also starred Joan Cusack, Marissa Tomei, Hilary Duff and Sir Ben Kingsley and was

produced under his New Crime Productions banner. The film was shot in Sofia, Bulgaria

and was directed by Joshua Seftel. Cusack wrote the screenplay with Jeremy Pikser and

Mark Leyner. In the film, Cusack plays the role of a hit man hired to kill the CEO of a major

corporation. Set in the future in the desert town of Turagistan, Cusack finds himself torn

between obligation and love. Additionally in 2008, Cusack’s voice was featured in MGM’s

animated feature Igor.

In 2007, Cusack starred in Grace Is Gone, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film

Festival and was recognized with the “Audience Award.” In the film, Cusack plays Stanley

Phillips, a young father who takes his two daughters on an impulsive road trip upon learning

that his wife, Grace, has been killed in service in Iraq. The film was written and directed by

James C. Strouse, produced under Cusack’s New Crime Productions banner and

distributed by The Weinstein Company. That same year, Cusack starred opposite Amanda

Peet, Oliver Platt and Joan Cusack as a writer who, crushed by the death of his fiancé,

adopts a six year old boy who is convinced he is from Mars in the romantic comedy Martian

Child. The film was directed by Menno Meyjes and written by Seth Bass and Jonathan

Tolins.

Cusack also starred in the box office hit 1408 for Dimension Films. In this film, Cusack plays

the role of Mike Enslin, a supernatural phenomena specialist who sets out to prove that a

haunted New York hotel is just an urban legend. As research for his novel, Enslin stays in

the notorious room 1408 only to discover the hard way that these myths and coincidences

are in fact anything but. The film was directed by Mikael Hafstrom and the story was

adapted by Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski from the Stephen King

novel of the same title.

In 2005, Cusack starred opposite Billy Bob Thornton in the dark comedy, The Ice Harvest.

Based on a Scott Phillips novel, Harold Ramis directed the film for Focus Features. The

previous year in Runaway Jury, he stared opposite Hollywood legends Gene Hackman and

Dustin Hoffman. The film was based on John Grisham’s best selling novel of the same title

and was directed by Gary Fleder. In 2003, Cusack joined Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina and

Ray Liotta in the thriller Identity, directed by James Mangold for Columbia Pictures.

In the controversial film, Max, directed by Menno Meyjes and released by Lions Gate in

December 2002, Cusack portrayed Max Rothman, an elegant, sophisticated former cavalry

officer who returns to his native Munich to set up an art gallery, when he meets another

aspiring artist, a young Adolf Hitler (played by Noah Taylor). The film, which Cusack also

produced, garnered strong reactions at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival and has been

debated extensively throughout the country because of its controversial subject matter.

In 2001, Cusack was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an

Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for his role in the feature version of Nick

Hornby's English novel, High Fidelity, for Touchstone Pictures. In addition to starring in the

film, Cusack also co-produced and co-wrote the script with Steve Pink and D.V.

DeVincentis. The film also stars Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Joan

Cusack.

In 1999, Cusack starred in the dark comedy Being John Malkovich for USA Films.

Cusack’s performance earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination in the category

of Best Actor. That year, Cusack also co-starred in Cradle Will Rock, an ensemble drama

written and directed by Tim Robbins, portraying Nelson Rockefeller opposite an ensemble

cast that included Emily Watson, Cary Elwes, Angus McFadden, Susan Sarandon, Hank

Azaria, John Turturro, Ruben Blades and Vanessa Redgrave. He also starred with Billy

Bob Thornton, Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanchett in Mike Newell’s comedy Pushing Tin. In

the same year, he starred in HBO’s The Jack Bull, a traditional Western written by his father

Dick Cusack. John served as executive producer on this film along with Steve Pink and

D.V. DeVincentis under his New Crime Productions banner.

In December 1998, Cusack appeared in the World War II combat epic, The Thin Red Line,

based on the James Jones novel about the Battle of Guadalcanal. Directed by Terrence

Malick for 20th Century Fox, the ensemble cast included George Clooney, Woody

Harrelson, Nick Nolte, Gary Oldman, Sean Penn, Bill Pullman and John Travolta.

In 1997, Cusack starred opposite Joan Cusack, Dan Aykroyd and Minnie Driver in Buena

Vista Pictures, Grosse Pointe Blank. Cusack received rave reviews for the comedy that he

also produced and co-wrote about a hit man who goes through a spiritual crisis during his

high school reunion. This was the first project New Crime developed and produced under

their banner.

Also in 1997, Cusack starred with Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi in

Buena Vista's blockbuster, Con Air from director Simon West. Later that year he starred

with Kevin Spacey in the Warner Bros. feature, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

directed by Clint Eastwood. Based on John Berendt's nonfiction bestseller of the same

name, Cusack portrayed John Kelso, the movie version of the author/narrator. Additionally,

Cusack lent his voice to FOX's full-length animated feature, Anastasia, opposite the voices

of Meg Ryan as Anastasia, Christopher Lloyd as Rasputin and Kelsey Grammer as

Vladimir.

In 1995, Cusack starred opposite Al Pacino in Castle Rock's political thriller, City Hall,

directed by Harold Becker for Columbia Pictures. In 1994, he re-teamed with Woody Allen,

who cast him in the 1991 film Shadows and Fog, to portray playwright David Shayne in the

acclaimed Bullets Over Broadway for Miramax. The ensemble cast included Chazz

Palminteri, Jennifer Tilly, Dianne Wiest and Tracey Ullman. Some of his other feature film

credits include The Road to Wellville, True Colors, Broadcast News, Stand By Me and

Better Off Dead. Cusack also starred in several romantic comedies, including Miramax’s

Serendipity, directed by Peter Chelsom and co-starring Kate Beckinsale; as well as starring

with Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Billy Crystal in America’s Sweethearts for

Sony Pictures.

Cusack divides his time between Los Angeles and Chicago.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Scott WALKER (Director/Writer)

Scott Walker is a filmmaker who is drawn to and has a talent for telling stories of courage,

passion and triumph of the human spirit. His main focus as a screenwriter and director is on

creating a deep sense of honesty, intensity and integrity for the characters in his films.

Walker will make his feature film debut with the dramatic thriller The Frozen Ground starring

Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and Vanessa Hudgens. The film, which Walker has written and

directed, tells the true story of the search for Alaskan serial killer Robert Hansen and the

fragile relationship between one state trooper and the teenage survivor who helped bring

him to justice. Walker completed hundreds of hours of first-time-ever research and

interviews with the lead investigator and the key surviving victim in his preparation for

writing the film, which is to be released by Lionsgate this August.

Walker is currently working on numerous film projects through his production company

Happy Dog Entertainment including a true story action thriller about the largest DEA sting

operation in Mexican drug cartel history, a high thrills motor-racing epic about the most

famous team to rival Ferrari and a comedy about in-treatment werewolves trying to clear

their karma.

Prior to his work on The Frozen Ground, Walker worked in advertising and marketing in

London for over 13 years. Walker oversaw dozens of commercial productions and created

his own agency with clients including Xbox, PlayStation, Pepsi and Virgin.

Walker is a New Zealander with joint British citizenship who currently resides in Los

Angeles.

Mark ORDESKY and Jane FLEMING (Producers)

Founded by former New Line Cinema executives Mark Ordesky and Jane Fleming, Court

Five is a multi-faceted media company focused on developing and converting diverse

intellectual property and brands into filmed entertainment for distribution in all media

worldwide. As a team, Ordesky and Fleming bring a unique combination of expertise in

motion picture development, production and distribution, as well as in-depth knowledge of

film financing and business management.

Since 2011, Ordesky and Fleming have produced three films as Court Five. In addition to

The Frozen Ground, they currently have in post-production Exists, a terrifying "first person"

film based on the Bigfoot mythos, co-produced with Haxan Films, creators of The Blair

Witch Project; and Lovely Molly, also co-produced with Haxan, is in worldwide distribution.

While at New Line, films acquired or overseen by the Court Five partners grossed nearly $4

billion at the worldwide box office. Ordesky most notably executive produced The Lord of

the Rings trilogy, in addition to 60 other films. Fleming was Senior Vice President, Business

Development for New Line and its Fine Line Features subsidiary. She was responsible for

new business and strategic analysis for film production, acquisition, and distribution.

Randall EMMETT (Producer) Randall Emmett is one of the entertainment industry's most prolific film producers, with over

over 70 feature films to his credit since his start as Mark Wahlberg’s assistant in the 1990s.

Combining financial acumen with an incisive creative sensibility, Emmett is partner and co-

founder alongside George Furla of Emmett / Furla Films, a production company dedicated

to the development, financing and production of top tier filmed entertainment for the

theatrical marketplace with its own equity fund. He is also founder and partner of Curtis "50

Cent" Jackson's production company, Cheetah Vision Films. Additionally, he launched a TV

division, with the first series, “Rescue 3”, slated for premiere Fall 2013.

In the last decade, Emmett’s ability to package films with well-known actors and filmmakers

resulted in major box office success – netting more than a quarter of a billion dollars in the

U.S. box office alone. Throughout that time he forged strong partnerships with major

Hollywood studios to finance and distribute commercial films to domestic and international

audiences. Aside from high concept films, Emmett also produced smaller, critically

acclaimed indie fare such as Narc and Wonderland. These films and others played at world

acclaimed film festivals such as Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Venice, Telluride, and many

have been nominated for Independent Spirit Awards and Golden Globe Awards.

In the past five months Emmett finished shooting Lone Survivor, directed by Peter Berg,

starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch and Emile Hirsh; 2 Guns, written by Steven Grant and

Blake Master, and directed by Baltasar Kormákur, starring Mark Wahlberg and Denzel

Washington; Empire State, written by Adam Mazer and directed by Dito Montiel, starring

Liam Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, and Emma Roberts; and The Tomb, written by Miles

Chapman and directed by Mikael Håfström, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester

Stallone.

Films that were recently released include: Broken City, starring Oscar winner Russell

Crowe, Mark Wahlberg and Oscar winner Catherine Zeta Jones; End of Watch, written and

directed by David Ayer, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña; Lay The Favorite, with

two-time Oscar nominated director Stephen Frears, starring Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-

Jones, Rebecca Hall, and Vince Vaughn; and Freelancers, starring Robert De Niro, Curtis

“50 Cent” Jackson, and Forest Whitaker. Past films include: Bad Lieutenant , Righteous Kill,

88 Minutes, King of California, 16 Blocks and The Contract.

Born and raised in Miami, Emmett graduated from the respected performing arts high

school, New World School of the Arts. As an undergrad, he attended the prestigious The

School of Visual Arts in NYC. Presently, he speaks at various industry conferences and

mentors up and coming filmmakers at UCLA’s School of Continuing Education. He lives in

Los Angeles with his family.

Curtis “50 Cent” JACKSON (Producer, and Clate Johnson)

Curtis Jackson (AKA ’50 Cent’) is widely recognized as one of the most talented and prolific

music artists of his time. In recent years he has managed to leverage his star power into

record-breaking brand extensions encompassing a broad spectrum of businesses including

music ownership, artist management, film production, footwear and clothing, video games,

publishing, health drinks and supplements, and a premier consumer electronics company.

With annual sales approaching $300 million from a variety of business interests along with

numerous business endeavors on the horizon, Jackson has cemented his position in the

industry as both a business and entertainment powerhouse.

Jackson made his feature debut with the Paramount Pictures movie Get Rich or Die Tryin a

loose biographic piece, which chronicled his life growing up in poverty and surrounded by

negative influences on the streets of Queens, New York, as he rose to stardom as a rap

artist.

In 2009, Jackson formed Cheetah Vision, a producing partnership with Randall Emmett.

Some of the films produced under this banner are: Setup, the diamond-heist action film

featuring Bruce Willis, Ryan Phillippe, and Jackson; Gun, a drama set in the world of gun-

running, written and produced by Jackson, and featuring Jackson and Danny Trejo; Mario

Van Peebles’ sports drama, All Things Fall Apart, with Ray Liotta, Lynn Whitfield, Jackson,

and Van Peebles, which premiered at the 2011 Miami International Film Festival; and the

soon-to-be-released NYPD action-mystery film Freelancers, with Jackson featured opposite

Forest Whitaker, Robert De Niro, and Dana Delany.

Jackson’s other forthcoming screen appearances include Danny Trejo’s high body-count

war film Vengeance; and Mikael Håfström’s action-thriller The Tomb, alongside Sylvester

Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In 2010, Jackson also appeared alongside Chance Crawford in Joel Schumacher’s Twelve,

based on Nick McDonell’s acclaimed novel about the drug scene among Manhattan’s upper

east side’s privileged teens; in the romantic comedy Morning Glory, starring Rachel

McAdams, Harrison Ford, and Jeff Goldblum; with Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke in 13,

director Gela Babluani’s English language remake of his debut feature; and in the crooked-

cop drama Caught in the Crossfire.

Additional film credits for Jackson include: the 2006 Golden Globe nominated war drama

Home of the Brave; Street of Blood, the post-Katrina crime drama with Val Kilmer and

Sharon Stone; Before I Self Destruct , a film he directed, starred in, and executive

produced, inspired by his album of the same name; and Righteous Kill, alongside Al Pacino

and Robert DeNiro.

George FURLA (Executive Producer)

After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in business

administration, began his career with Cantor Fitzgerald and Company. At Cantor Fitzgerald

he served as an equity trader from 1982 to 1985. After his run with Cantor Fitzgerald, Mr.

Furla worked with Jones and Associates for three years in a similar capacity. In 1988, Mr.

Furla left Jones and Associates to run a hedge fund, which he also established, specializing

in risk arbitrage and equity trading. Mr. Furla ran the hedge fund for ten years, after which

he jointly formed a film production company with his partner, Randall Emmett.

At Emmett/Furla Films, Mr. Furla utilizes his hedge fund approach to model out film

financing scenarios. Mr. Furla and Mr. Emmett share responsibility in both concept

development and arrangement of the financing of the films. Emmett/Furla Films has

produced a large number of films including Broken City, End Of Watch, Conan the

Barbarian, Righteous Kill, Rambo, The Wicker Man, and 16 Blocks. They are currently in

various stages of production on Lone Survivor, The Tomb, 2 Guns, and Empire State.

Patrick MARGUIA, A.M.C. (Cinematographer)

Patrick Murguia began his career after studying fine arts and photography in Florence, Italy

and later cinematography at the the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica in his native

Mexico City. After establishing himself as a much sought after Cinematographer in both

Mexico and Europe, he relocated to the US and has gone on to work with some of

Hollywood's most well known directors including Antoine Fuqua, Diego Luna and Cameron

Crowe.

Throughout his career Patrick has received international acclaim for his cinematography in

both commercials and features. He has lensed such award-winning films as Brooklyn’s

Finest, starring Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke, and Diego Luna's directorial debut Abel,

both of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Last fall, Patrick shot the pilot of

AMC's “Low Winter Sun”, which has been subsequently picked up for series. He now

makes his home in Los Angeles.

Clark HUNTER (Production Designer) Clark Hunter, a native Angelino, attended both Sherwood Oaks Experimental College and

The California Institute of the Arts. He began his career as a ‘griptrican’ in theater, working

at a Broadway-style roadhouse. From the catwalks Clark watched as stories unfolded and

the machinery of how sets were built was exposed. In spite of the fact that he had really no

experience, he convinced one of the production companies to allow him to design a show.

Apparently Clark was cheap enough that they hired him to design a couple more, including

MY FAIR LADY.

At the roadhouse Clark was also put in charge of producing live special effects for a version

of A Christmas Carol. Drawing on his past work as a professional birthday party magician,

he cobbled together several illusions that worked in the show, including floating a 350-

pound man 20 feet above the stage using thread-like wire he found at a hardware store.

The flying rig lasted exactly to the final curtain on closing night, before crashing to the floor

as the curtain call ended, and narrowly avoiding the tragedy that would have been

witnessed if just one more performance had been added.

From there, Clark set his sights on feature films. Working from a small warehouse space, he

was enlisted by one of his college buddies, Tim Burton, to build his first live action short. It

was a strange and ultimately doomed version of Hansel and Gretel for the brand new

Disney Channel. Through this small shop of his he began designing and building music

videos during the format’s heyday. Directors he worked with included Dave Fincher, Julian

Temple, and Dominic Sena.

He began getting small exploitation films, two of which took Clark to Moscow, Russia, with

Menahem Golan, with the idea that it could be made to look like New York City in the ‘30s.

Regardless, two weeks after arriving a revolution broke out, as the Soviet Union collapsed

around him. Clark spent the next nine months helping to make those two movies and

watching the country change from communism to a so-called democracy.

Upon returning from this adventure he took a rest by convincing another production

company to hire him as a writer. Again with no experience or reason Clark got the job and

became a hack writer for the television series “Divorce Court”. He was able to sell a couple

of other screenplays along the way, but nothing ever got made.

Clark’s big break came when he was called by a little known actor who was directing his first

picture: Billy Bob Thornton’s Slingblade. After its success the job offers started getting

better, and since then Clark has worked with Bill Bob on all the pictures he's directed and a

few he's been in. Clark became known as the go-to production designer for first time

directors, and did the first films for David Dobkin, Todd Phillips, and John Guliger among

others. He has also worked with 'indie darlings’ the Polish Brothers on three pictures.

Clark Hunter's career has run the gamut from birthday party magician, carnival barker, set

builder, hack writer, second unit director, special effects guy, and production designer, and

a bunch of other stuff he can't remember. He also built large props and set pieces for

amusement parks and exhibits; his proudest moment was building a set for a wax figure of

Mr. T. He currently divides his time between Los Angeles, CA, Albuquerque, NM and a Uni-

bomber shack near Joshua Tree, CA.

Lynn FALCONER (Costume Designer)

Lynn Falconer is an established costume designer of many recent film and commercial

projects. She recently completed Intrepid Films’ Oculus, a Mike Flanagan directed ghost

thriller about a haunted mirror, starring Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites. This past spring

she also designed costumes for the New York set romantic comedy A Case of You, directed

by Kat Coiro, starring Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood and Sienna Miller.

Falconer’s earlier costume design career encompasses an extensive range of films. She

also worked on the Rod Lurie directed remake of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs, starring

Alexander Skarsgård, Kate Bosworth and James Marsden. Other notable works include

Salvation Boulevard, with Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly and Greg Kinnear, and Nothing

but the Truth, starring Kate Beckinsale, Vera Farmiga and Alan Alda.

Falconer divides her time between the east and west coast; she is a native Californian and

resides in New York City with her husband Michael Pelzman and her son Harry.

Sarah BOYD, A.C.E. (Editor)

Sarah Boyd has edited the last three features directed by Rod Lurie, most recently the

remake of Straw Dogs, starring James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, and Alexander Skarsgård.

She also edited Mr. Lurie’s Nothing but the Truth, starring Kate Beckinsale, Vera Farmiga,

Alan Alda and Angela Bassett, and Resurrecting the Champ, starring Samuel L. Jackson

and Josh Hartnett. Her other feature credits include Pawnshop, Chronicles, starring Paul

Walker, Matt Dillon and Brendan Fraser, as well as Hard Pill and Topa Topa Bluffs, the

directorial debut of Oscar-nominated director Eric Simonson.

Boyd has edited a number of successful and critically acclaimed television shows. She

received two Emmy nominations and an ACE Eddie nomination for her work on “Lost”, and

cut the pilot for “Commander-In-Chief”, starring Geena Davis and Donald Sutherland. Other

television credits include “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Ugly Betty”, “Kevin Hill”, starring Taye Diggs,

“Line of Fire”, and “The Education of Max Bickford”, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Marcia

Gay Harden.

Boyd is a graduate of USC Film School and Yale University.