Filming Commences On Matchstick Men

Posted on August 23, 2002

Warner Bros. Pictures' comedy-drama Matchstick Men, starring Nicolas Cage (The Family Man, Leaving Las Vegas), Sam Rockwell (Charlie's Angels, The Green Mile) and Alison Lohman (White Oleander), commenced principal photography in Los Angeles on July 15th under the helm of three-time Oscar nominated director Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise). The announcement was made by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Motion Pictures, Warner Bros.

Produced and directed by Ridley Scott, Matchstick Men is also produced by Jack Rapke (Cast Away), Steve Starkey (Forrest Gump, Cast Away), Sean Bailey (Stolen Summer) and Ted Griffin for Image Movers, with Scott Free Productions, in association with Sean Bailey/Ted Griffin. Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) is the film's executive producer. The co-producers are Charles J.D. Schlissel (Insomnia) and Giannina Facio. The screenplay is by Ted Griffin (Ocean's Eleven) and his brother Nick Griffin, adapted from the unpublished eponymous novel by Eric Garcia.

In Matchstick Men, phobia-addled con artist Roy (Cage) and his protege Frank (Rockwell) are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the unexpected arrival of Roy's teenage daughter Angela (Lohman) disrupts his carefully-ordered life and jeopardizes his high-risk scam.

Matchstick Men will be shot entirely in the Los Angeles area. The film co-stars Bruce McGill (Animal House) as Frechette, the con men's mark, and Bruce Altman (Changing Lanes) as Roy's psychiatrist, Dr. Klein.

Joining director Ridley Scott behind the camera is Oscar-nominated cinematographer John Mathieson (Gladiator), who reteams with Scott for a third time; production designer Tom Foden (The Cell) and Oscar-nominated film editor Dody Dorn (Memento).