LIONS GATE SHOOTING “SHATTERED GLASS,” STARRING HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN AS CONTROVERSIAL JOURNALIST STEPHEN GLASS
Written and Directed by Billy Ray, Film is Based on 1998 Vanity Fair Article
MONTREAL, September 4, 2002 – Production is underway on “Shattered Glass,” a feature film about Stephen Glass, one of the most controversial figures in contemporary journalism. Billy Ray is directing the film from his own screenplay, which is based on an article by H.G. Bissinger that appeared in the September 1998 issue of Vanity Fair. “Shattered Glass” is jointly produced by Cruise / Wagner Productions and Baumgarten Merims in association with Forest Park Pictures. The film’s executive producers are Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner of Cruise / Wagner as well as Lions Gate executives Michael Paseornek, Marc Butan and Tom Ortenberg. “Shattered Glass” is being produced by Craig Baumgarten, Adam Merims, Gaye Hirsch and Tove Christensen. A Lions Gate production, “Shattered Glass” will be distributed worldwide by the company next year.
Hayden Christensen stars as Glass, a staff writer for the respected current events and policy magazine The New Republic and a freelance feature writer for publications such as Rolling Stone, Harper’s and George. By the mid-90s, Glass’ articles had turned him into one of the most sought-after young journalists in Washington, but a bizarre chain of events – chronicled in Bissinger’s Vanity Fair piece — suddenly stopped his career in its tracks. “Shattered Glass” is a study of a talented – and flawed – character.
Hayden Christensen most recently starred as Anakin Skywalker in this summer’s hit “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones,” and will appear in Star Wars III in 2005. But it was the role of a troubled teenager he portrayed in Irwin Winkler’s drama “Life as a House” for which Christensen first received acclaim, including an award for Best Breakthrough Performance from the National Board of Review and nominations for Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe awards.
Supporting cast members in “Shattered Glass” include Peter Sarsgaard as Charles Lane, the incoming editor of The New Republic. Hank Azaria plays Michael Kelly, the outgoing editor of The New Republic under whose reign Glass had become a star. Chloe Sevigny plays a staff writer at TNR. Steve Zahn plays Adam Penenberg, the reporter at Forbes Digital Tool whose findings changed the direction of Glass’ promising career. Rosario Dawson plays a fellow reporter at Forbes.
“This is a cautionary tale – a story about the difference between being a good reporter and being a hot one,” said writer-director Billy Ray (“Hart’s War”), who makes his directorial debut with “Shattered Glass.” “That’s what Buzz Bissinger’s article was about, and that’s what we’re trying to capture.”
Production begins on “Shattered Glass.”
Lions Gate President of production Michael Paseornek said, “This is a fascinating story that fits right in with other recent LGF productions such as CONFIDENCE, MONSTER’S BALL and RULES OF ATTRACTION that combine cutting edge material with commercial sensibilities.
Baumgarten added, “This is a great opportunity and Adam and I are thrilled to be making this film with Billy and help launch what we believe will be an important and exciting directing career. The story and Billy have attracted one of the most talented casts that we have ever been privileged to work with.”
Wagner said, “Cruise / Wagner Productions has had several successful collaborations with Billy Ray as a writer. Now, we are thrilled to support his directorial debut with such a highly regarded project that has attracted Hayden Christensen and this stellar cast.”
Said Forest Park Pictures’ Tove Christensen: “Forest Park has been looking at ‘Shattered Glass’ as a great role for Hayden for about a year, and the fact that the project has come together so quickly is a testament to the quality of Billy’s script.”
“Shattered Glass” will complete production in Montreal during the third week of September.
Lions Gate Films is the motion picture division of Lions Gate Entertainment (AMEX and TSE: LGF). Lions Gate creates, produces and distributes a broad range of filmed entertainment content worldwide through its four operating divisions – Motion Pictures, Television, Animation and Studio Facilities. The Lions Gate brand name is synonymous with original, cutting edge, quality entertainment in markets around the globe.
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