Ladyhawke

Ladyhawke (1985)

Timing: 2:1 (121 min)

7/10
1098

7.54/10
10255

6.9/10
55000

All about film

Video 2

Photo 46

Actors and characters

Release date

1985-03-27

Country

United States

Production

Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox

Genre

Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Budget

$20 000 000

Revenue

$18 432 000

Website

Director

Richard Donner

Actors

Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Alfred Molina, John Wood, Leo McKern, Ken Hutchison, Giancarlo Prete, Loris Loddi, Charles Borromel
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Richard Donner, Lauren Shuler Donner, Harvey Bernhard

Operator

Vittorio Storaro

Composer

Andrew Powell

Artist

Audition

Mary Selway, Marion Dougherty, Francesco Cinieri

Editing

Stuart Baird
All team (88)

• Initially, Richard Donner intended to cast Rutger Hauer as the "villainous" captain of the guard, and he envisioned Kurt Russell, a younger actor than Hauer, as the "good" captain, Etienne Navarre. However, Hauer much preferred to play Etienne. He was fortunate that Russell turned down the role shortly before filming began.
• Captain Etienne Navarre's horse is a Friesian stallion, a breed originating from the Netherlands, Rutger Hauer's homeland.
• The film features music by The Alan Parsons Project.
• A similar transformation trope is used in the "Magic Hour" episode of the television series *Charmed* (1998-2006), only there a man transforms into an owl, and a woman into a white wolf.
• In 1985, Joan Vinge wrote the novelization *Ladyhawke* based on the film's screenplay.
• Initially, Richard Donner planned to cast Mick Jagger in the role of the bishop-sorcerer in the film.
• In one scene, Etienne Navarre, played by Rutger Hauer, orders Gaston (played by Matthew Broderick) to ride to the castle and slaps the horse on the rump. In the first take, the actor slapped the horse so hard that it bolted and galloped away, soon disappearing from sight, and Broderick was unable to stop it, forcing the entire film crew to sit and wait for their return.
• All three castles used in the filming of the movie belonged to Italian director Luchino Visconti and his family.
• At the end of the film, the character played by Rutger Hauer lifts Isabelle (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) and twirls her around. Hauer came up with this scene for greater emotional impact and suggested it to director Richard Donner before filming began. Donner liked the idea, and they didn't tell Pfeiffer anything specifically so that her reaction to what was happening would be as natural as possible.
• Four wolves from Siberia were brought to California to film the wolf into which Rutger Hauer's character transforms.
• Initially, Richard Donner intended to cast Rutger Hauer as the 'bad' captain of the guard, and Kurt Russell as the 'good' captain, Etienne Navarre – a younger actor than Hauer. But Hauer wanted to play Etienne much more. He was lucky that Russell turned down the role shortly before filming began.