1906 (film)
Encyclopedia
1906 is an upcoming disaster film
directed by Brad Bird
and based on events just prior to and during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
. The film examines corruption within the then government of San Francisco
, as well as the policemen who worked to defeat these criminal activities.
Based on the best-selling novel 1906 by James Dalessandro
, the film will mark the second time director Brad Bird has directed a live action
film
. It will be the second live-action film released that Pixar is involved with, following the Disney
·Pixar
production, John Carter. The film will be also the first disaster film from Walt Disney Pictures and will be the second film to be distributed together by longtime animation rivals Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures.
of sailors, and even trafficking in Chinese slave girls.
Annalisa Passarelli, the Evening Bulletins music critic, is secretly helping Byron Fallon, the chief of detectives, gather dirt on fictional character Adam Rolf. Rolf runs a corrupt political syndicate and secretly spreads his influence via his proxy, mayor Eugene Schmitz
, an actual historical figure. Schmitz employs an army of goons on the waterfront led by the unsavory character, James "Shanghai" Kelly
, also a real person. Byron is killed right as he is about to arrest the mayor. So Byron's son, Hunter, a former student, teams up with Annalisa and the Brotherhood, a group of honest cops, to bring down Rolf. Before they can incriminate Rolf, the San Francisco Earthquake plunges the city into chaos. The widespread acts of fraud and profiteering in the city government further complicate the already tragic disaster.
The historical figure Enrico Caruso is also included. Based on true events, the famous tenor sang at the San Francisco Opera House five hours before the quake hit, and then sang from his hotel room as he surveyed the carnage.
It was reported that the disaster had so frightened Caruso, that he vowed never to return to San Francisco. He never did.
Dalessandro began researching 1906 in 1997 as a prequel to his 1993 historical mystery novel Bohemian Heart. When Titanic
became a blockbuster
in 1997
, Peter Miller, Dalessandro's manager, urged him to get a detailed film treatment ready. They pitched to directors' production companies, specifically Steven Spielberg
's DreamWorks
, Barry Levinson
's company Baltimore Spring Creek, and Wolfgang Petersen
's company.
According to Dalessandro, the pitch was "Titanic was a boat in the North Atlantic - this is an entire city, the most beautiful we've ever seen, destroyed in 40 hours." There was an instant bidding war, and within 24 hours they had sold the script to Warner Bros.
for six figures. The script then went to Barry Levinson
and Paula Weinstein and Spring Creek Productions for production. They settled on this company because producer Len Amato wanted Dalessandro to write at least three drafts, giving the writer more influence. After finishing the drafts, Dalessandro released a best-selling novel by the same name in 2004.
The film has an estimated budget of $200 million, and because of the massive size and scale of the project, it is also financially backed by Pixar Animation Studios
and Walt Disney Pictures
, making it the second time Pixar has been involved in live-action film. Pixar executive John Lasseter
is also involved.
Academy Award-winning director Brad Bird
was selected to direct the film. He paused work on the project to direct the 2007 Pixar
film Ratatouille
, then officially signed onto the 1906 project in March 2008, when Warner Bros. promptly reserved all sound-studios available on their Burbank
lot for production.
However, later that spring, Warner Bros. quietly released the reservations, and Brad Bird has been rewriting the screenplay in order to decrease the massive scope of the story. Much like Titanic
, the studios openly admit the film has enormous box office potential, but blogger Jim Hill suggested the film's start date was postponed due to Disney/Pixar and Warner Bros.' nervousness over the projected $200 million budget.
The film is currently set to be largely filmed in Canada
.
Disaster film
A disaster film is a film genre that has an impending or ongoing disaster as its subject...
directed by Brad Bird
Brad Bird
Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...
and based on events just prior to and during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
. The film examines corruption within the then government of San Francisco
Government of San Francisco
As the only consolidated city-county in California, the government of the City and County of San Francisco is defined by the , which is similar to the other counties of California and defines several officers and entities....
, as well as the policemen who worked to defeat these criminal activities.
Based on the best-selling novel 1906 by James Dalessandro
James Dalessandro
James Dalessandro is an American writer. He is best known for his non-fiction novel 1906 , a story based on the events surrounding the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906....
, the film will mark the second time director Brad Bird has directed a live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. It will be the second live-action film released that Pixar is involved with, following the Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
·Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
production, John Carter. The film will be also the first disaster film from Walt Disney Pictures and will be the second film to be distributed together by longtime animation rivals Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Plot
1906 follows a young investigative reporter and a young cop trying to uncover rampant political corruption in 1906 San Francisco. The city is one of the most beautiful in the world, but underneath the veneer there is mob rule, shanghaiingShanghaiing
Shanghaiing refers to the practice of conscripting men as sailors by coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as crimps. Until 1915, unfree labor was widely used aboard American merchant ships...
of sailors, and even trafficking in Chinese slave girls.
Annalisa Passarelli, the Evening Bulletins music critic, is secretly helping Byron Fallon, the chief of detectives, gather dirt on fictional character Adam Rolf. Rolf runs a corrupt political syndicate and secretly spreads his influence via his proxy, mayor Eugene Schmitz
Eugene Schmitz
Eugene Edward Schmitz was an American politician and the 26th mayor of San Francisco, who became notorious for his conviction by a jury on charges of corruption.-Life and career:...
, an actual historical figure. Schmitz employs an army of goons on the waterfront led by the unsavory character, James "Shanghai" Kelly
James Kelly (crimper)
James "Shanghai" Kelly was an American criminal of the 19th century who kidnapped men and forced them to work on ships. The terms "crimp" and "shanghaier" are used to describe this type of criminal. Kelly wore a red beard and had a fiery temper to match...
, also a real person. Byron is killed right as he is about to arrest the mayor. So Byron's son, Hunter, a former student, teams up with Annalisa and the Brotherhood, a group of honest cops, to bring down Rolf. Before they can incriminate Rolf, the San Francisco Earthquake plunges the city into chaos. The widespread acts of fraud and profiteering in the city government further complicate the already tragic disaster.
The historical figure Enrico Caruso is also included. Based on true events, the famous tenor sang at the San Francisco Opera House five hours before the quake hit, and then sang from his hotel room as he surveyed the carnage.
It was reported that the disaster had so frightened Caruso, that he vowed never to return to San Francisco. He never did.
Production
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
became a blockbuster
Blockbuster (entertainment)
Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
in 1997
1997 in film
-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
, Peter Miller, Dalessandro's manager, urged him to get a detailed film treatment ready. They pitched to directors' production companies, specifically Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
, Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer of film and television. His films include Good Morning, Vietnam, Sleepers and Rain Man.-Early life:...
's company Baltimore Spring Creek, and Wolfgang Petersen
Wolfgang Petersen
Wolfgang Petersen is a German film director and screenwriter. His films include The NeverEnding Story, Enemy Mine, Outbreak, In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, The Perfect Storm, Troy, and Poseidon...
's company.
According to Dalessandro, the pitch was "Titanic was a boat in the North Atlantic - this is an entire city, the most beautiful we've ever seen, destroyed in 40 hours." There was an instant bidding war, and within 24 hours they had sold the script to Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
for six figures. The script then went to Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer of film and television. His films include Good Morning, Vietnam, Sleepers and Rain Man.-Early life:...
and Paula Weinstein and Spring Creek Productions for production. They settled on this company because producer Len Amato wanted Dalessandro to write at least three drafts, giving the writer more influence. After finishing the drafts, Dalessandro released a best-selling novel by the same name in 2004.
The film has an estimated budget of $200 million, and because of the massive size and scale of the project, it is also financially backed by Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
and Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
, making it the second time Pixar has been involved in live-action film. Pixar executive John Lasseter
John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter is an American animator, director and the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also currently the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering....
is also involved.
Academy Award-winning director Brad Bird
Brad Bird
Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...
was selected to direct the film. He paused work on the project to direct the 2007 Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
film Ratatouille
Ratatouille (film)
Ratatouille is a 2007 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the eighth film produced by Pixar, and was directed by Brad Bird, who took over from Jan Pinkava in 2005...
, then officially signed onto the 1906 project in March 2008, when Warner Bros. promptly reserved all sound-studios available on their Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
lot for production.
However, later that spring, Warner Bros. quietly released the reservations, and Brad Bird has been rewriting the screenplay in order to decrease the massive scope of the story. Much like Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
, the studios openly admit the film has enormous box office potential, but blogger Jim Hill suggested the film's start date was postponed due to Disney/Pixar and Warner Bros.' nervousness over the projected $200 million budget.
The film is currently set to be largely filmed in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
External links
- JimHill Article About Brad Bird and 1906 - February 10, 2009