The Theory of Everything

is the extraordinary and uplifting story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, and of two people defying the steepest of odds through love. The film, based on the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, by , is directed by Academy Award winner (Man on Wire).

The challenge of the physical demands required to play Stephen Hawking loomed large. As Eddie Redmayne's friend and fellow actor – and, soon, The Theory of Everything cast member – Charlie Cox said when Redmayne told him about the role, “You have no option but to give it 3,000%.”

The challenge of the physical demands required to play Stephen Hawking loomed large. As ‘s friend and fellow actor – and, soon, The Theory of Everything cast member – Charlie Cox said when Redmayne told him about the role, “You have no option but to give it 3,000%.”

Screenwriter and producer has long been fascinated by Professor Hawking, in particular the time and effort it took for the severely physically compromised man to write his seminal book. “He has illuminated physics for the world, and there is a sense of the profound in all his work,” says McCarten. McCarten was moved to read Jane Hawking’s memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen. He discovered “a marvelous love story between two people, incredibly intense and challenged in the extreme: first by the physical decline, and then by the advent of fame in their lives. When news of his imminent death proved exaggerated, and two years became 10, then 20, their situation demanded that their love take bold and unorthodox forms if it was to survive. Theirs was a love story without precedent.

Envisioning the couple’s story as a feature film, he began writing a screenplay adaptation of the book with no guarantees in place; he met with Jane at her home to discuss the project. After multiple drafts, he was introduced to producer via their mutual ICM agent, Craig Bernstein. Knowing of Stephen Hawking only as the brilliant man in the motorized wheelchair who communicated via a mechanical voice-activated device, Bruce found the script to be a revelation. It would take McCarten and Bruce several years to secure the full legal rights, and the blessing and permission from Jane and Stephen, to allow this love story to become a movie.

Oscar-winning filmmaker James Marsh joined the project. The award-winning Working Title Films producers and , with whom Bruce had made the telefilm Mary and Martha, also came on board.

For any actor, playing Stephen Hawking was going to be intimidating,” admits screenwriter and producer Anthony McCarten. Director James Marsh adds, “Whomever would play this part would have to do a lot of preparation. He would also have to convince as the Stephen only those close to the man knew, the shy university student.” Producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner had recently worked with one of ‘s rising stars, Eddie Redmayne, on the smash , and the actor was already aware of McCarten’s script.

Accordingly, Redmayne parsed even the smallest details on the man he would be portraying. He notes, “Jane discusses in her book how Stephen had incredibly expressive eyebrows. That was something I spent months in front of a mirror working on.” “When I met Stephen, I noticed how ‘yes’ is sort of a smile and ‘no’ is almost a grimace, yet they only manifest in a couple of the facial muscles for him, so I learned how to isolate those.” Redmayne obtained permission to visit MND patients both at a clinic and at home.

Director James Marsh notes that “Jane’s beats in the story are all emotional ones. I felt that Felicity Jones would match up well with Eddie Redmayne as actors, which she did, and as a director I found the collaboration with her to be exciting.

As co-chairs of one of the world’s leading film production companies, producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner have made movies around the globe – and also closer to home. Accordingly, for the U.K. location shoot of The Theory of Everything, the filmmakers were granted considerable access to Cambridge, the town and campus where Jane and Stephen Hawking’s love story began; Cambridge was also where they made their home and family. The production’s shooting sites included St. John’s College; Stephen had actually attended Trinity Hall. Another key location was the Cavendish laboratory, where the atom was first split and where Stephen is entrusted with a key, as if being passed the task of discovering new breakthroughs.

MoreMovieDetails

All Posts
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Share this article: The Theory of Everything

Facebook
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Email

MORE TOPICS

David O. Russell was honored with a Career Tribute at the Gotham Independent Film Awards

David O. Russell

David Russell was born in New York City, New York, the son of Maria (née Muzio) and Bernard Russell, who was a sales executive for Simon & Schuster. His father was from a Russian Jewish family, while his mother was Italian American and Catholic. He was raised in an atheist household.

Shaun the Sheep Movie

Without a word of dialogue, stop-motion animation comedy Shaun the Sheep Movie powers through visual puns, sight gags and rollicking plot twists to arrive at a hard-won realization: there’s no place like home.

Eclipse set a new record for biggest midnight opening in the United States and Canada in box office history, grossing an estimated $30 million in over 4,000 theaters. The record was formerly held by the previous film, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, with $26.3 million in 3,514 theaters.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, commonly referred to as Eclipse, is a 2010 American romantic vampire film based on Stephenie Meyer’s 2007 novel, Eclipse. It is the third installment of The Twilight Saga film series, following 2008’s Twilight and 2009’s New Moon. Summit Entertainment greenlit the film in February 2009.

JIMI: All Is By My Side

Described by writer-director John Ridley as one of the most rarely told stories in rock history, JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE charts just over a year in a man’s life. The year he blossomed and became Jimi Hendrix.

Hollywood’s Biggest Stars: Where Are They Now?

The world of Hollywood is ever-changing, and many of its biggest stars have taken a step back from the spotlight to focus on their personal lives and pursue new endeavors. While they may not be as visible as they once were, these actors and actresses have left a lasting impact on the entertainment industry and continue to be remembered for their iconic roles.