The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Timing: 2:46 (166 min)

7.599/10
13615

8.075/10
555790

7.8/10
742000

All about film

Video 4

Photo 80

Actors and characters

Release date

2008-12-25

Country

United States

Production

Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount, The Kennedy/Marshall Company

Genre

Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Budget

$150 000 000

Revenue

$335 802 786

Website

http://www.benjaminbutton.com/

Director

David Fincher

Actors

Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Tilda Swinton, Mahershala Ali, Jared Harris, Elias Koteas, Phyllis Somerville
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Ceán Chaffin

Operator

Claudio Miranda

Composer

Alexandre Desplat

Artist

Aaron Haye, Vincent Gingras-Liberali, Félix Larivière-Charron

Audition

Laray Mayfield

Editing

Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter, Marc A. Hammer
All team (443)

• The film is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• At different times, Ron Howard, Spike Jonze, and Steven Spielberg worked on the script in turn.
• In the 1990s, Steven Spielberg was supposed to direct the film, and Tom Cruise was to play the main role.
• Rachel Weisz declined the offer to play Daisy due to being busy with other projects.
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was the second film after Déjà Vu (2006) to be filmed in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
• Development of the project began as early as 1994.
• Filming took 150 days, not including the time spent creating the visual effects for 'rejuvenating' Brad Pitt.
• Danny Boyle postponed filming of 'Solomon Grundy' because, according to him, the plots of both films are very similar.
• Initially, the film was scheduled for release in May 2008.
• In 1998, Ron Howard was planning to direct the film, and John Travolta was supposed to play the lead role.
• According to Brad Pitt, he spent up to five hours in the makeup chair to transform into his character.
• Originally, the film was supposed to take place in Baltimore. David Fincher and Eric Roth changed the setting to New Orleans because the studio received significant tax breaks for filming there.
• Six out of the seven stories about being struck by lightning are presented in black and white.
• This is David Fincher's first film to receive a PG-13 rating.
• Benjamin's sailboat is called "Button Up".
• Tarsem Singh filmed scenes set in India and Cambodia.
• The film is banned from screening in Bhutan. The ban is related to the Buddhist faith of the country's inhabitants.
• Benjamin's motorcycle is a "650cc Triumph T110".
• The appearance of Benjamin Button in childhood (in the first third of the film) resembles Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, in which patients look much older than their age.
• The film is partially set in Murmansk, a city near the front lines that was subjected to heavy air raids and severely damaged during the war. However, the film features no explosions, destruction, or smoke from fires, and no air raid sirens are sounded. There is no blackout in the city – street lighting even works.
• In addition to Brad Pitt, the role of Benjamin Button was also played by: Peter Badalamenti (1928–1931), Robert Towers (1932–1934), Tom Everett (1935–1937), Spencer Daniels (12-year-old Benjamin), Chandler Canterbury (8-year-old Benjamin), and Charles Henry Wyson (6-year-old Benjamin).
• The head of old Benjamin Button was entirely computer-generated.
• During the scene in the 'Winter Palace' hotel, one can see a Russian officer with the shoulder boards of a junior lieutenant. The scene takes place shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor, as Captain Mike will mention, specifically at the end of 1941. At that time, and until the army reform of 1943, ranks were determined by insignia on the sleeves and epaulettes.
• During the scene in the "Winter Palace" hotel, a Russian officer with the shoulder boards of a junior lieutenant can be seen. The scene takes place shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor, as Captain Mike will say, namely at the end of 1941. At that time, and until the army reform of 1943, ranks were determined by insignia on the sleeves and epaulettes.