Production Companies Fox 2000 Pictures, Davis Entertainment, Dune Entertainment, Ingenious Film Partners, Major Studio Partners, Mid Atlantic Films, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
ERAGON is directed by Stefen Fangmeier, one of the motion picture industry’s true visual effects geniuses. During his tenure at Industrial Light & Magic, Fangmeier supervised films such as “Saving Private Ryan,” “Twister,” “The Perfect Storm” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.” He is a three-time BAFTA Award winner, and is a four-time Oscar nominee.
For ERAGON, Fangmeier’s visual effects teams employ every state-of-the-art technique to create Saphira and take the audience to the magical, timeless world of Alagaësia – not forward to a futuristic science fiction creation. Under his direction, Wolf Kroeger’s production design, Hugh Johnson’s cinematography, and Kym Barrett’s sleek costumes, give the film a contemporary edge.
For the filmmakers, the stakes couldn’t have been higher in casting their young Dragon Rider, Eragon. Newcomer Ed Speleers emerged from the months-long, worldwide casting search. “Ed came in [to the casting session], and we just looked at each other and said, ‘That’s Eragon, that’s the guy from the book,’” says director Stefen Fangmeier: “I got a strong sense of Ed’s sparkle, of his life. It’s the kind of thing where you just know he’s destined to become a movie star.”
Speleers won the role as he was trying to learn his lines for a school production of “Hamlet.” He couldn’t help but be awed by this, his professional acting debut. “During production in Slovakia, we were lifted by helicopter to the top of a large mountain surrounded by incredible scenery,” he remembers. “I stood at the edge of this mountain, thinking, ‘What’s going on here? I’m supposed to be at school taking my exams, and I’m here having the best time of my life.’ If I continue to make movies – which I would love to do – I don’t think I will ever get that same, overwhelming feeling.”
The young actor easily grew into the role. Indeed, Speleers sees parallels between his experiences making ERAGON and his on-screen character’s journey. “I was on a new adventure, just like Eragon was,” he explains. “I had a well-structured life, doing regular things, and then I was suddenly thrown into this incredible world, starring in a movie. It’s been a great time for me to find myself (as Eragon does in the story), meet new people, and have new experiences.”
A highlight of Speleers’ experiences on ERAGON was working opposite Jeremy Irons, who portrays Eragon’s mentor, Brom. The actors’ off-screen relationship mirrored what was happening on camera. “Jeremy always provided words of advice, and always nurtured me,” Speleers recalls. “He was doing so out of the kindness of his heart, but at the same time so much of Brom was in Jeremy.”
Irons says he was ready to tackle a big action-adventure picture. “ERAGON reaches an audience that I haven’t reached in a while,” he says. “Equally important, Brom appealed to me; he has a wryness and fierceness, but at the same time he’s a good man.”
To prepare for the role, Irons read Eragon, and trained in the method of swordplay Paolini describes in his book. “It’s a specific style of fighting,” Irons notes. “It’s like Eastern swordplay, and is more esoteric than English medieval styles. I practiced almost every day to build the wrist strength necessary to realistically play the fighting scenes.” The many riding scenes were less of a challenge to Irons, an experienced horseman.
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