Director: Curtis Hanson Genre: Drama Screenwriter: Scott Silver Studio:Universal Pictures
Producers: Brian Grazer, Curtis Hanson, and Jimmy Iovine. Release Date: Summer 2002
Filming is underway in Detroit on Universal Pictures' and Brian Grazer's "8 Mile" (formerly known as "The Untitled Detroit Project"), a drama directed by Curtis Hanson ("Wonder Boys," "L.A. Confidential") from an original screenplay by Scott Silver. The film, which marks the motion picture acting debut of multi-platinum recording artist Eminem, also stars Mekhi Phifer ("O," "Shaft"), Brittany Murphy ("Don't Say a Word," "Girl, Interrupted," "Riding in Cars with Boys"), Eugene Byrd ("Dead Man") and Kim Basinger, who is reuniting with director Hanson for the first time since they collaborated on "L.A. Confidential," for which they both won Academy Awards(R). Hanson and Jimmy Iovine, president of Interscope Records, are producing with Grazer. "8 Mile" is a provocative fictional examination of a critical week in the life of a young man named James Smith, Jr. (Eminem) as he searches for identity and a sense of purpose. Against a backdrop of familial indifference and community decay in 1995 Detroit, Jimmy learns to express his anger, fears and frustrations as he struggles to transcend his bleak circumstances. Basinger portrays Jimmy's mother, Stephanie. Phifer plays his best friend Future, Byrd portrays the opportunistic Wink, and Murphy plays Alex, a provocative and pragmatic girl who catches Jimmy's eye. The production team includes director of photography Rodrigo Prieto ("Frida," "Amores Perros"), production designer Philip Messina ("Ocean's Eleven," "Traffic," "Erin Brockovich"), costume designer Mark Bridges ("Magnolia," "Blow," "Boogie Nights") and editor Jay Rabinowitz ("Requiem for a Dream," "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai"). Eminem will collaborate with Dr. Dre on the music for the film, which will feature a soundtrack from Interscope Records/UMG Soundtracks. Eminem, whose given name is Marshall Mathers, grew up in Detroit and Kansas City, Missouri. His controversial lyrics have sparked heated discussions of social issues ever since he burst onto the scene with "The Slim Shady LP," which sold more than three million copies and captured the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2000. Eminem also won the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance that year, as well as two MTV Music Video Awards and two Billboard Music Video Awards. His follow-up album, "The Marshall Mathers LP," took the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2001 while Eminem once again won the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance that year. In the relatively short time he has been a public figure, Eminem has captured the attention and imagination of a wildly diverse audience. "Marshall connects with audiences on an intensely visceral level in his recordings and his concert performances," said Hanson. "He accesses his emotions in creating his music with an effectiveness that will be extremely helpful to him as an actor. It's very exciting to work with him on his motion picture debut." Hanson produced, wrote and directed "L.A. Confidential," which received nine Academy Award(R) nominations including three for Hanson for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Hanson most recently produced and directed the critically acclaimed "Wonder Boys," which also received several Academy Award(R) nominations. He is also a champion of film preservation and in 1999 was named the first chairman of the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Brian Grazer's latest project, "A Beautiful Mind," is directed by Ron Howard and stars Academy Award(R) winner Russell Crowe, Academy Award(R) nominee Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany. Scheduled to open December 25, "A Beautiful Mind" is a human drama inspired by events in the life of John Forbes Nash, Jr., and in part based on the biography "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasar. The screenplay is by Akiva Goldsman. Grazer co-founded Imagine Entertainment with partner Ron Howard in 1986. Since then, his productions have received more than 23 Academy Award(R) nominations and 17 Emmy Award(R) nominations. His films include such diverse titles as "Parenthood," "Ransom," "Apollo 13" and "Liar, Liar." Grazer received the Producers Guild of America's David O. Selznick Lifetime Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures this year.