I Am Number Four
Encyclopedia
I Am Number Four is a 2011 American teen
action
science fiction film
, directed by D. J. Caruso
, starring Alex Pettyfer
, Dianna Agron
, Timothy Olyphant
, Teresa Palmer
, Kevin Durand
, and Callan McAuliffe
. The film is based on the novel I Am Number Four
, written by Jobie Hughes
and James Frey
, with an adapted screenplay by Alfred Gough
, Miles Millar
, and Marti Noxon
.
The film was produced by Michael Bay
through DreamWorks
. The Hollywood Reporter
projected the budget to be between $50 and $60 million. The film was released in both conventional and IMAX
theatres on February 18, 2011.
) is an alien from planet Lorien who was sent to Earth as a child alongside eight others to escape an invading race, the Mogadorians, which destroyed their home planet. He is protected by a Warrior/Guardian, Henri (Timothy Olyphant
), and has developed "legacies" due to his extraterrestrial nature, such as enhanced strength, speed and agility, telekinesis, and the power to generate light from his hands.
The Mogadorians, led by the Commander (Kevin Durand
) eventually learn about the nine children and come to Earth in search of them. These Loriens can only be killed in a particular sequence, with three of them having already been slain. John is Number Four. Knowing this, he and Henri move from Florida to Paradise, Ohio, where John befriends conspiracy theorist Sam Goode (Callan McAuliffe
), a dog named Bernie Kosar, and falls in love with amateur photographer Sarah Hart (Dianna Agron
), whose ex-boyfriend, school athlete Mark James (Jake Abel
) is a bully who often torments both John and Sam.
During the spring carnival, Mark and his friends try to capture John and Sarah, whom they believe are in a relationship, and follow them into the woods, where they attempt to beat John up. However, he uses his legacies to fend them off and rescue Sarah. Sam witnesses the events, and John tells him his true origin. Shortly thereafter, Mark's father, the local sheriff, interrogates Henri on John's whereabouts when his son and his friends were attacked, and notices that he has a high-tech surveillance system.
Henri tells John that too many people are suspicious of them, in addition to John's random displays of power, caused by his difficulty in controlling them, and that they must leave. However, John tells him he doesn't want to because he's in love with Sarah.
The Mogadorians start searching for John. Another alien from Lorien, Number Six (Teresa Palmer
), decided to go after the Mogadorians instead of running away from them after her Guardian was murdered. The Mogadorians eventually locate John and manipulate two conspiracy theorists into capturing Henri. When John and Sam go to rescue him, they are attacked but manage to fend Mogadorians off. However, Henri is mortally wounded and dies after John and Sam escape with some Lorien artifacts, including a blue rock that acts as a tracking device to locate other Loriens. Sam's father, a conspiracy theorist who disappeared while hunting aliens in Mexico, has another. While Sam searches for it, John tries to say goodbye to Sarah at a party, only to discover that the Mogadorians have framed him and Henri for the murders of the conspiracy theorists, as well as being terrorists due to their cutting-edge technology. Mark sees John and calls his father, who corners John and Sarah. He saves her from a fall, revealing his powers in the process, and they escape to their high school.
Meanwhile, The Commander also arrives at Paradise, blocking the exits with trucks. He is confronted by Mark and his father, and after injuring the latter, he forces the former to show him where John is hiding, Mark then takes him to the school, which he knows is Sarah's hideout.
There, John, Sarah, and Sam are attacked by the Commander and his soldiers, who have brought two giant monsters to hunt the trio. They are saved by Number Six and John's "dog," Bernie Kosar, who reveals his true form as a good Chimera, which can shapeshift, and was sent by his parents to protect him. Bernie Kosar eventually shapeshifts back to a beagle with a very wounded paw. John and Number Six, who can teleport and block energy-based attacks, fight the Mogadorians. They eventually defeat them all, including the Commander, whose energy grenades are overheated by John and explode, destroying his body.
On the following day, John, Number Six, Sam, and Bernie Kosar, unite their blue rocks and discover the location of the other four surviving Loriens. John decides to let Sam come with them with hopes of finding Sam's father. They set off to find the others and rally them together to protect Earth from the Mogadorians, leaving Sarah and a repentant Mark, who has redeemed himself by lying to his father about John's whereabouts and returning to John a box belonging to his father. John, Number Six, and Sam leave Paradise to look for the other Loriens.
The film ends as John narrates that Paradise is the first town he left without Henri, but it's also the first one where he has a reason to come back to.
In March 2010, Alex Pettyfer
was in talks to play the title character in the film, Number Four. It was later confirmed that the 21-year-old British actor would play the lead. Sharlto Copley
was going to star as Henri, Number Four's guardian and mentor, but had to drop out due to press obligations with his film The A-Team
. Copley was replaced by Timothy Olyphant
. Kevin Durand
plays the villain of the film, Commander, an alien who leads the hunt of the escaped aliens on Earth.
DreamWorks
went through multiple rounds of tests to find the right actress for the female romantic lead. Dianna Agron
, a star in the Fox
television series Glee
, won the role. She plays Sarah Hart, a girl who used to date a high school football player, but falls for Number Four and keeps his secret.
Jake Abel
plays the football player, Mark James, an antagonist in the film who doesn't like someone moving in on his ex-girlfriend.
Teresa Palmer
plays another alien, Number Six, and 16-year-old Australian actor Callan McAuliffe
plays Sam Goode, Number Four's best friend.
brought the manuscript of the teen book I Am Number Four
to Stacey Snider and Steven Spielberg
at DreamWorks
. A bidding war
developed for the film rights between DreamWorks and J.J. Abrams, with DreamWorks winning the rights in June 2009, with the intention of having Bay produce and possibly direct the project.
The rights were purchased with the hope of attracting teenage fans of the Twilight saga
films, and the potential of establishing a film franchise
, with at least six more installments planned by the book's publisher.
James Frey
is a co-author of the book, along with Jobie Hughes
, a graduate of Columbia University
's creative writing program.
Al Gough and Miles Millar
, the creators of the television series Smallville
, were hired to write the screenplay in August 2009. Marti Noxon
, writer and producer for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, also contributed to the screenplay. D. J. Caruso
was brought on to direct in early 2010, after Bay opted to focus on directing the third film of the Transformers
series. Caruso had been selected by Spielberg to direct Disturbia
and Eagle Eye
for DreamWorks, and had success with both films. Caruso had less than a year to prepare, shoot and edit the film, due to a worldwide release date set for Presidents Day weekend.
Chris Bender, J.C. Spink and David Valdes
are executive producing the film. Steven Spielberg contributed to the film's characters, but is not expected to take a credit on the film. It was the first DreamWorks film to be released by Disney's Touchstone film label, as part of the new 30-picture distribution deal between DreamWorks and the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. The film is also the first release for DreamWorks after the studio's financial restructuring in 2008.
. The film studio also had a positive experience shooting She's Out of My League
in Pittsburgh in 2008. The production was scheduled to last 12 to 13 weeks.
Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro
shot the film on 35 mm
, using a format known as Super 1:85. Beaver
, the former Conley Inn in Homewood
, and nearby Buttermilk Falls were used as locations in the film; interior and exterior scenes were shot near a boat launch in Monaca
. A spring fair scene was filmed in Deer Lakes Park
in West Deer; Port Vue
, North Park
, New Kensington and Hyde Park
were also used as locations. The setting of the film's fictional town of Paradise, Ohio is Vandergrift, Pennsylvania
, where filming took place from June to July 2010. Producers chose Vandergrift as the "hero town" of the film because of its unique look and curved streets, laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted
, the designer of New York City
's Central Park
.
Franklin Regional High School
in Murrysville was chosen over 50 other schools in the area, due to its proximity to nearby woods
, a part of the film's plot, and its surrounding hills. The school was also selected for its one floor layout, wide hallways, and its football stadium in front. Teachers and recent graduates appear in the film, and a set that replicates the school was built in a studio in Monroeville
for filming explosion scenes. In the last few weeks of production, scenes were filmed at the 200-year-old St. John's Lutheran Stone Church in Lancaster Township
. Additional filming took place in the Florida Keys
in the beginning of the film in Big Pine Key, Florida as well as the spanning of the drive over the bridge showcases the keys 7 mile bridge.
for the alien creatures. It was director D. J. Caruso's first extensive use of computer-enhanced special effects. The film was scored by former Yes
guitarist Trevor Rabin
.
for the film was issued in late September 2010, and a full length trailer premiered on December 8. Advertisements ran in Seventeen
and Teen Vogue
magazines, and Disney released a promotional iPhone app in January 2011. Disney has also developed a lot of Internet content to target a teen audience with their marketing campaign. A cast tour, in association with American retailer Hot Topic
, and cast media appearances were scheduled to lead up to the release of the film.
I Am Number Four premiered at the Village Theatre in Los Angeles on February 9, 2011. The film was released in theaters on February 18, 2011, and was also released in the IMAX
format.
The film opened at number two in the USA and Canada
with a gross of $19,449,893. In its second weekend it dropped 43.4%, earning $11,016,126. The only other market where it has grossed over $10 million is China
. It began in third place with $3.4 million, but had an increase of 91% in its second week, therefore topping the box office with $6.4 million. In its third week, it decreased by 21% to $5.0 million. As of March 27, 2011, it has grossed $17,328,244.
Rotten Tomatoes
gives the film a score of 31% based on 152 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 10.
Metacritic
gave it 36% "generally unfavorable" rating, based on reviews from 30 critics.
Roger Ebert
gave the film one and a half stars and wrote, "I Am Number Four is shameless and unnecessary...Why audiences enjoy watching protracted sequences of senseless action mystifies me" and felt that there were many unanswered questions.
Empire Magazine gave the film 3 stars and said, "If you can make it through the bland schmaltz of the first half you'll be rewarded with a spectacular blast of sustained action and the promise of even better to come. This could be the start of something great."
Despite the less favourable reviews from most critics, tha fans of the book series and a large amount of the public have stated their enjoyment of the film. Whether a s sequel will be made is unclear, but many people have been urging the film makers to consider it as this first installment created so much potential for a franchise.
or Windows Media Player
. All versions include bloopers and the "Becoming Number 6" feature, while the 1-disc Blu-ray and 3-disc Blu-ray, DVD, and "Digital Copy" combo pack versions additionally include six deleted scenes with an introduction from the director, D.J. Caruso. In its first three weeks of release, 316,081 Blu-ray units were sold in the US, bringing in $7,693,808. As of October 2, 2011, the standard DVD of 'I am Number Four' has sold 767,692 copies in the United States, generating $12,571,326, and thus bringing the total gross to $166,217,931.
Teen film
Teen films is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the plot is based upon the special interests of teenagers, such as coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation...
action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
, directed by D. J. Caruso
D. J. Caruso
Daniel John "D.J." Caruso is an American director and producer. Caruso has directed the films Disturbia, Two for the Money, Taking Lives, The Salton Sea, Eagle Eye and I Am Number Four. He has also directed television episodes for shows such as The Shield, Over There, Smallville, and Dark Angel...
, starring Alex Pettyfer
Alex Pettyfer
Alexander Richard "Alex" Pettyfer is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of Stormbreaker. Pettyfer was nominated for a Young Artist Award and an Empire Award for his role. He has been...
, Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
, Timothy Olyphant
Timothy Olyphant
Timothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
, Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the suicide drama 2:37. Palmer was seen in The Grudge 2 in 2006, in December Boys, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, and in the 2008 children's fantasy Bedtime Stories, with Adam Sandler...
, Kevin Durand
Kevin Durand
Kevin Serge Durand is a Canadian actor known for his roles as Joshua in Dark Angel, Martin Keamy in Lost, Fred J. Dukes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Archangel Gabriel in Legion, and Little John in Robin Hood....
, and Callan McAuliffe
Callan McAuliffe
Callan McAuliffe is an Australian actor. He starred in the American feature films Flipped and I Am Number Four. He will also star in the 2012 films, The Great Gatsby and Paradise Lost.-Life and career:...
. The film is based on the novel I Am Number Four
I Am Number Four
I Am Number Four is a 2011 American teen action science fiction film, directed by D. J. Caruso, starring Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Agron, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Kevin Durand, and Callan McAuliffe...
, written by Jobie Hughes
Jobie Hughes
Jobie Hughes is an American writer and the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of I Am Number Four and The Power of Six, which were collaborations with writer James Frey. Both of the novels, published by HarperCollins under pseudonym Pittacus Lore, reached #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers...
and James Frey
James Frey
James Christopher Frey is an American writer. His books A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard , as well as Bright Shiny Morning , were bestsellers...
, with an adapted screenplay by Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough III is an American screenwriter and producer.-Early life and career:Born in Leonardtown, Maryland, Gough graduated from St. Mary's Ryken High School and The Catholic University of America...
, Miles Millar
Miles Millar
-Early life and Career:Millar was educated at Claremont Fan Court School, and is a graduate of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was Chairman of Cambridge University Conservative Association.....
, and Marti Noxon
Marti Noxon
Martha Mills "Marti" Noxon is an American television and film writer first known for writing and producing Buffy the Vampire Slayer.- Production :...
.
The film was produced by Michael Bay
Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
through DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
. The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
projected the budget to be between $50 and $60 million. The film was released in both conventional and IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theatres on February 18, 2011.
Plot
John Smith (Alex PettyferAlex Pettyfer
Alexander Richard "Alex" Pettyfer is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of Stormbreaker. Pettyfer was nominated for a Young Artist Award and an Empire Award for his role. He has been...
) is an alien from planet Lorien who was sent to Earth as a child alongside eight others to escape an invading race, the Mogadorians, which destroyed their home planet. He is protected by a Warrior/Guardian, Henri (Timothy Olyphant
Timothy Olyphant
Timothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
), and has developed "legacies" due to his extraterrestrial nature, such as enhanced strength, speed and agility, telekinesis, and the power to generate light from his hands.
The Mogadorians, led by the Commander (Kevin Durand
Kevin Durand
Kevin Serge Durand is a Canadian actor known for his roles as Joshua in Dark Angel, Martin Keamy in Lost, Fred J. Dukes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Archangel Gabriel in Legion, and Little John in Robin Hood....
) eventually learn about the nine children and come to Earth in search of them. These Loriens can only be killed in a particular sequence, with three of them having already been slain. John is Number Four. Knowing this, he and Henri move from Florida to Paradise, Ohio, where John befriends conspiracy theorist Sam Goode (Callan McAuliffe
Callan McAuliffe
Callan McAuliffe is an Australian actor. He starred in the American feature films Flipped and I Am Number Four. He will also star in the 2012 films, The Great Gatsby and Paradise Lost.-Life and career:...
), a dog named Bernie Kosar, and falls in love with amateur photographer Sarah Hart (Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
), whose ex-boyfriend, school athlete Mark James (Jake Abel
Jake Abel
Jacob Allen "Jake" Abel is an American actor.Abel was born in Canton, Ohio. His first break was landing a role in the Disney Channel Original Movie Go Figure as Spencer, and later had a recurring role on Threshold, and numerous guest starring roles on such shows as Cold Case and ER...
) is a bully who often torments both John and Sam.
During the spring carnival, Mark and his friends try to capture John and Sarah, whom they believe are in a relationship, and follow them into the woods, where they attempt to beat John up. However, he uses his legacies to fend them off and rescue Sarah. Sam witnesses the events, and John tells him his true origin. Shortly thereafter, Mark's father, the local sheriff, interrogates Henri on John's whereabouts when his son and his friends were attacked, and notices that he has a high-tech surveillance system.
Henri tells John that too many people are suspicious of them, in addition to John's random displays of power, caused by his difficulty in controlling them, and that they must leave. However, John tells him he doesn't want to because he's in love with Sarah.
The Mogadorians start searching for John. Another alien from Lorien, Number Six (Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the suicide drama 2:37. Palmer was seen in The Grudge 2 in 2006, in December Boys, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, and in the 2008 children's fantasy Bedtime Stories, with Adam Sandler...
), decided to go after the Mogadorians instead of running away from them after her Guardian was murdered. The Mogadorians eventually locate John and manipulate two conspiracy theorists into capturing Henri. When John and Sam go to rescue him, they are attacked but manage to fend Mogadorians off. However, Henri is mortally wounded and dies after John and Sam escape with some Lorien artifacts, including a blue rock that acts as a tracking device to locate other Loriens. Sam's father, a conspiracy theorist who disappeared while hunting aliens in Mexico, has another. While Sam searches for it, John tries to say goodbye to Sarah at a party, only to discover that the Mogadorians have framed him and Henri for the murders of the conspiracy theorists, as well as being terrorists due to their cutting-edge technology. Mark sees John and calls his father, who corners John and Sarah. He saves her from a fall, revealing his powers in the process, and they escape to their high school.
Meanwhile, The Commander also arrives at Paradise, blocking the exits with trucks. He is confronted by Mark and his father, and after injuring the latter, he forces the former to show him where John is hiding, Mark then takes him to the school, which he knows is Sarah's hideout.
There, John, Sarah, and Sam are attacked by the Commander and his soldiers, who have brought two giant monsters to hunt the trio. They are saved by Number Six and John's "dog," Bernie Kosar, who reveals his true form as a good Chimera, which can shapeshift, and was sent by his parents to protect him. Bernie Kosar eventually shapeshifts back to a beagle with a very wounded paw. John and Number Six, who can teleport and block energy-based attacks, fight the Mogadorians. They eventually defeat them all, including the Commander, whose energy grenades are overheated by John and explode, destroying his body.
On the following day, John, Number Six, Sam, and Bernie Kosar, unite their blue rocks and discover the location of the other four surviving Loriens. John decides to let Sam come with them with hopes of finding Sam's father. They set off to find the others and rally them together to protect Earth from the Mogadorians, leaving Sarah and a repentant Mark, who has redeemed himself by lying to his father about John's whereabouts and returning to John a box belonging to his father. John, Number Six, and Sam leave Paradise to look for the other Loriens.
The film ends as John narrates that Paradise is the first town he left without Henri, but it's also the first one where he has a reason to come back to.
Cast
- Alex PettyferAlex PettyferAlexander Richard "Alex" Pettyfer is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of Stormbreaker. Pettyfer was nominated for a Young Artist Award and an Empire Award for his role. He has been...
as John Smith/Number 4/Daniel Jones - Dianna AgronDianna AgronDianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
as Sarah Hart - Teresa PalmerTeresa PalmerTeresa Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the suicide drama 2:37. Palmer was seen in The Grudge 2 in 2006, in December Boys, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, and in the 2008 children's fantasy Bedtime Stories, with Adam Sandler...
as Number 6 - Timothy OlyphantTimothy OlyphantTimothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
as Henri - Callan McAuliffeCallan McAuliffeCallan McAuliffe is an Australian actor. He starred in the American feature films Flipped and I Am Number Four. He will also star in the 2012 films, The Great Gatsby and Paradise Lost.-Life and career:...
as Sam Goode - Kevin DurandKevin DurandKevin Serge Durand is a Canadian actor known for his roles as Joshua in Dark Angel, Martin Keamy in Lost, Fred J. Dukes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Archangel Gabriel in Legion, and Little John in Robin Hood....
as Mogadorian Commander - Jake AbelJake AbelJacob Allen "Jake" Abel is an American actor.Abel was born in Canton, Ohio. His first break was landing a role in the Disney Channel Original Movie Go Figure as Spencer, and later had a recurring role on Threshold, and numerous guest starring roles on such shows as Cold Case and ER...
as Mark James - Jeff Hochendoner as Sheriff James
- Greg Townley as Number 3
- Reuben LangdonReuben LangdonReuben Christopher Langdon is an American stunt actor, motion capture actor, actor, martial artist and voice actor for various martial arts films, television shows, and video games. He is a co-founder, producer and action director for Just Cause Productions, a motion capture company for various...
as Number 3's Guardian - Judith HoagJudith HoagJudith Hoag is an American actress.She is perhaps best known for portraying April O'Neil in the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, as well as in the 1998 feature film Armageddon...
as Sarah's Mom - Brian HoweBrian Howe (actor)Brian Howe is an American actor, most famous for his portrayal of stockbroker Jay Twistle in the film The Pursuit of Happyness. His other films include The Majestic, Catch Me If You Can, RV, Déjà Vu, Evan Almighty and Gran Torino...
as Frank - Charles CarrollCharles CarrollCharles Carroll may refer to:*Charles Carroll , Continental Congressman from Maryland*Charles H. Carroll , U.S...
as Sam's Stepdad - Ken BeckKen BeckKen Beck is a retired Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League .Originally from Stawell, Beck was a tall ruckman and made his league debut in 1962. He was a regular member of the team during the 1960s and was a reserve in their 1971 premiership...
as Jackson - Tucker AlbrizziTucker AlbrizziTucker Albrizzi is an award-winning American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Tyler on Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush and Jake on Disney’s Good Luck Charlie...
as Tuck - Emily Wickersham as Nicole
- Patrick Sebes as Kevin
- Andy Owen as Bret
- L. Derek Leonidoff as Mr. Berhman
- Garrett M. Brown as Mr. Simms
- Megan FollowsMegan FollowsMegan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian/American actress. She is most known to international audiences for her role as Anne Shirley in the acclaimed 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels.-Biography:Follows was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the...
as Supermarket Cashier - Sabrina de Matteo as Physics Teacher
- Cooper Thornton as Sarah's Dad
- Jack Walz as Sarah's Brother
- Bill Laing as Demented Farmer
- Beau MirchoffBeau MirchoffWilliam Beau Mirchoff is an American actor, best known for starring as Danny Bolen on the sixth season of ABC's Desperate Housewives . He also appeared in films such as Scary Movie 4 and The Grudge 3...
as Drew - Cody Johns as Kern
In March 2010, Alex Pettyfer
Alex Pettyfer
Alexander Richard "Alex" Pettyfer is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of Stormbreaker. Pettyfer was nominated for a Young Artist Award and an Empire Award for his role. He has been...
was in talks to play the title character in the film, Number Four. It was later confirmed that the 21-year-old British actor would play the lead. Sharlto Copley
Sharlto Copley
Sharlto Copley is a South African producer, actor, and director who has produced and co-directed short films which have appeared at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as commercials and music videos...
was going to star as Henri, Number Four's guardian and mentor, but had to drop out due to press obligations with his film The A-Team
The A-Team
The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
. Copley was replaced by Timothy Olyphant
Timothy Olyphant
Timothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
. Kevin Durand
Kevin Durand
Kevin Serge Durand is a Canadian actor known for his roles as Joshua in Dark Angel, Martin Keamy in Lost, Fred J. Dukes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Archangel Gabriel in Legion, and Little John in Robin Hood....
plays the villain of the film, Commander, an alien who leads the hunt of the escaped aliens on Earth.
DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
went through multiple rounds of tests to find the right actress for the female romantic lead. Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
, a star in the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, won the role. She plays Sarah Hart, a girl who used to date a high school football player, but falls for Number Four and keeps his secret.
Jake Abel
Jake Abel
Jacob Allen "Jake" Abel is an American actor.Abel was born in Canton, Ohio. His first break was landing a role in the Disney Channel Original Movie Go Figure as Spencer, and later had a recurring role on Threshold, and numerous guest starring roles on such shows as Cold Case and ER...
plays the football player, Mark James, an antagonist in the film who doesn't like someone moving in on his ex-girlfriend.
Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the suicide drama 2:37. Palmer was seen in The Grudge 2 in 2006, in December Boys, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, and in the 2008 children's fantasy Bedtime Stories, with Adam Sandler...
plays another alien, Number Six, and 16-year-old Australian actor Callan McAuliffe
Callan McAuliffe
Callan McAuliffe is an Australian actor. He starred in the American feature films Flipped and I Am Number Four. He will also star in the 2012 films, The Great Gatsby and Paradise Lost.-Life and career:...
plays Sam Goode, Number Four's best friend.
Development
Film producer and director Michael BayMichael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
brought the manuscript of the teen book I Am Number Four
I Am Number Four
I Am Number Four is a 2011 American teen action science fiction film, directed by D. J. Caruso, starring Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Agron, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Kevin Durand, and Callan McAuliffe...
to Stacey Snider and Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
at DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
. A bidding war
Bidding war
Bidding War is a card game typically involving two players. A radical variation of the classic game War, the result is not predetermined and a good player can win consistently....
developed for the film rights between DreamWorks and J.J. Abrams, with DreamWorks winning the rights in June 2009, with the intention of having Bay produce and possibly direct the project.
The rights were purchased with the hope of attracting teenage fans of the Twilight saga
The Twilight Saga (film series)
The Twilight Saga is a series of supernatural romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four Twilight series novels by the American author Stephenie Meyer. The films star Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. The series has grossed over $2 billion in worldwide...
films, and the potential of establishing a film franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
, with at least six more installments planned by the book's publisher.
James Frey
James Frey
James Christopher Frey is an American writer. His books A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard , as well as Bright Shiny Morning , were bestsellers...
is a co-author of the book, along with Jobie Hughes
Jobie Hughes
Jobie Hughes is an American writer and the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of I Am Number Four and The Power of Six, which were collaborations with writer James Frey. Both of the novels, published by HarperCollins under pseudonym Pittacus Lore, reached #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers...
, a graduate of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's creative writing program.
Al Gough and Miles Millar
Miles Millar
-Early life and Career:Millar was educated at Claremont Fan Court School, and is a graduate of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was Chairman of Cambridge University Conservative Association.....
, the creators of the television series Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
, were hired to write the screenplay in August 2009. Marti Noxon
Marti Noxon
Martha Mills "Marti" Noxon is an American television and film writer first known for writing and producing Buffy the Vampire Slayer.- Production :...
, writer and producer for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, also contributed to the screenplay. D. J. Caruso
D. J. Caruso
Daniel John "D.J." Caruso is an American director and producer. Caruso has directed the films Disturbia, Two for the Money, Taking Lives, The Salton Sea, Eagle Eye and I Am Number Four. He has also directed television episodes for shows such as The Shield, Over There, Smallville, and Dark Angel...
was brought on to direct in early 2010, after Bay opted to focus on directing the third film of the Transformers
Transformers (film series)
Transformers is an American film franchise directed by Michael Bay, and based on the toys created by Hasbro and Takara Tomy. The first film, Transformers, was released in 2007, the second film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, in 2009, and the third film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011...
series. Caruso had been selected by Spielberg to direct Disturbia
Disturbia (film)
Disturbia is a 2007 American thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and executive produced by Ivan Reitman. It is an updated version of Alfred Hitchcock's classic film Rear Window...
and Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye is a 2008 thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization...
for DreamWorks, and had success with both films. Caruso had less than a year to prepare, shoot and edit the film, due to a worldwide release date set for Presidents Day weekend.
Chris Bender, J.C. Spink and David Valdes
David Valdes (producer)
David Valdes is an American Academy Award nominated film producer more notable in the western genre and collaborating with Clint Eastwood.- Career :...
are executive producing the film. Steven Spielberg contributed to the film's characters, but is not expected to take a credit on the film. It was the first DreamWorks film to be released by Disney's Touchstone film label, as part of the new 30-picture distribution deal between DreamWorks and the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. The film is also the first release for DreamWorks after the studio's financial restructuring in 2008.
Filming
Filming began on May 17, 2010, using 20 locations all within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. DreamWorks selected the area primarily due to tax incentives from the Pennsylvania Film Production Tax CreditPennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit
The Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit is a tax credit program supporting the production of feature films and television programs in Pennsylvania. The tax credit was signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell in July 2004....
. The film studio also had a positive experience shooting She's Out of My League
She's Out of My League
She's Out of My League is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Jim Field Smith and written by Sean Anders and John Morris. The film has, in its starring roles, Jay Baruchel and Alice Eve, and was produced by Jimmy Miller for Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks and filmed in Pittsburgh,...
in Pittsburgh in 2008. The production was scheduled to last 12 to 13 weeks.
Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro
Guillermo Navarro
Guillermo Navarro, ASC, A.M.C. is a Mexican cinematographer. He has worked in Hollywood since 1993 and is a frequent collaborator of Guillermo del Toro and Robert Rodriguez. In 2006 he won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the film, Pan's Labyrinth...
shot the film on 35 mm
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
, using a format known as Super 1:85. Beaver
Beaver, Pennsylvania
Beaver is a borough in and the county seat of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, at the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio Rivers. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,775, having dropped from 5,641 in 1940....
, the former Conley Inn in Homewood
Homewood, Pennsylvania
Homewood is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 147 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Homewood is located at ....
, and nearby Buttermilk Falls were used as locations in the film; interior and exterior scenes were shot near a boat launch in Monaca
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Ohio River, northwest of Pittsburgh. Monaca was first incorporated as Phillipsburg in 1840, and had been known by that name since the 1820s. In 1892, the name of the borough was changed to Monaca in honor of the Native...
. A spring fair scene was filmed in Deer Lakes Park
Deer Lakes Park
Deer Lakes Park is a county park in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is a part of the county's network of nine distinct parks....
in West Deer; Port Vue
Port Vue, Pennsylvania
Port Vue is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,798 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Port Vue is located in western Pennsylvania along the Youghiogheny River near its confluence with the more navigable Monongahela River...
, North Park
North Park (Pittsburgh)
North Park is a county park in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the largest in the county's 12,000 acre network of nine distinct parks....
, New Kensington and Hyde Park
Hyde Park, Pennsylvania
Hyde Park is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 513 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hyde Park is located at ....
were also used as locations. The setting of the film's fictional town of Paradise, Ohio is Vandergrift, Pennsylvania
Vandergrift, Pennsylvania
Mosher shows how Vandergrift was representative of the new industrial suburbs of Pittsburgh. Caught up in a dramatic round of industrial restructuring and labor tension, Pittsburgh steelmaker George McMurtry hired Frederick Law Olmsted's landscape architectural firm in 1895 to design Vandergrift...
, where filming took place from June to July 2010. Producers chose Vandergrift as the "hero town" of the film because of its unique look and curved streets, laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, the designer of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
.
Franklin Regional High School
Franklin Regional School District
Franklin Regional School District is a school district located in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, serving Murrysville and the neighboring towns of Delmont and Export.- School campus :...
in Murrysville was chosen over 50 other schools in the area, due to its proximity to nearby woods
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, a part of the film's plot, and its surrounding hills. The school was also selected for its one floor layout, wide hallways, and its football stadium in front. Teachers and recent graduates appear in the film, and a set that replicates the school was built in a studio in Monroeville
Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Monroeville is a home rule municipality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located about east of the city of Pittsburgh, Monroeville is a bustling suburb with mixed residential and commercial developments...
for filming explosion scenes. In the last few weeks of production, scenes were filmed at the 200-year-old St. John's Lutheran Stone Church in Lancaster Township
Lancaster Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster Township is a township in Butler County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 2,511.-Geography:...
. Additional filming took place in the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
in the beginning of the film in Big Pine Key, Florida as well as the spanning of the drive over the bridge showcases the keys 7 mile bridge.
Post-production
I Am Number Four was edited by Jim Page, with Industrial Light & Magic developing the visual effectsVisual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
for the alien creatures. It was director D. J. Caruso's first extensive use of computer-enhanced special effects. The film was scored by former Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
guitarist Trevor Rabin
Trevor Rabin
Trevor Charles Rabin is a South African born musician, best known as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British progressive rock band Yes from 1983–1994, and since then, as a film composer.- Early years :...
.
Release
A teaser trailerTeaser trailer
A teaser campaign is an advertising campaign which typically consists of a series of small, cryptic, challenging advertisements that anticipate a larger, full-blown campaign for a product launch or otherwise important event. These advertisements are called "teasers" or "teaser ads"...
for the film was issued in late September 2010, and a full length trailer premiered on December 8. Advertisements ran in Seventeen
Seventeen (magazine)
Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
and Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue magazine began as a version of Vogue magazine for teenage girls. This US magazine focuses on fashion and celebrities and offers information about the latest entertainment and feature stories on current issues and events.- Description :...
magazines, and Disney released a promotional iPhone app in January 2011. Disney has also developed a lot of Internet content to target a teen audience with their marketing campaign. A cast tour, in association with American retailer Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
, and cast media appearances were scheduled to lead up to the release of the film.
I Am Number Four premiered at the Village Theatre in Los Angeles on February 9, 2011. The film was released in theaters on February 18, 2011, and was also released in the IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
format.
Box office
The film earned $55,100,437 at the North American box office and an estimated $90,882,360 overseas, for a worldwide total of $145,982,797. It topped the worldwide box office on its second weekend (February 25–27, 2011) with $28,086,805.The film opened at number two in the USA and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with a gross of $19,449,893. In its second weekend it dropped 43.4%, earning $11,016,126. The only other market where it has grossed over $10 million is China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It began in third place with $3.4 million, but had an increase of 91% in its second week, therefore topping the box office with $6.4 million. In its third week, it decreased by 21% to $5.0 million. As of March 27, 2011, it has grossed $17,328,244.
Critical response
The film received negative reviews from critics.Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives the film a score of 31% based on 152 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 10.
Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave it 36% "generally unfavorable" rating, based on reviews from 30 critics.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film one and a half stars and wrote, "I Am Number Four is shameless and unnecessary...Why audiences enjoy watching protracted sequences of senseless action mystifies me" and felt that there were many unanswered questions.
Empire Magazine gave the film 3 stars and said, "If you can make it through the bland schmaltz of the first half you'll be rewarded with a spectacular blast of sustained action and the promise of even better to come. This could be the start of something great."
Despite the less favourable reviews from most critics, tha fans of the book series and a large amount of the public have stated their enjoyment of the film. Whether a s sequel will be made is unclear, but many people have been urging the film makers to consider it as this first installment created so much potential for a franchise.
Home media
The film was released on iTunes, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 24, 2011. The release was produced in three different packages: a 3-disc Blu-ray, DVD, and "Digital Copy" combo pack, a 1-disc Blu-ray, and a 1-disc DVD. The "Digital Copy" included with the 3-disc version is a stand-alone disc that allows users to play the film from any location via iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
or Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
. All versions include bloopers and the "Becoming Number 6" feature, while the 1-disc Blu-ray and 3-disc Blu-ray, DVD, and "Digital Copy" combo pack versions additionally include six deleted scenes with an introduction from the director, D.J. Caruso. In its first three weeks of release, 316,081 Blu-ray units were sold in the US, bringing in $7,693,808. As of October 2, 2011, the standard DVD of 'I am Number Four' has sold 767,692 copies in the United States, generating $12,571,326, and thus bringing the total gross to $166,217,931.
External links
- I Am Number Four at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...