The Lost City of Z
Short description
The Lost City of Z follows Percy Fawcett, a British army officer whose modest background limits his prospects at home. Offered a chance by the Royal Geographical Society, he travels to South America to map territory along the border between Brazil and Bolivia. During that work in the Amazon, he comes across traces suggesting a civilization far older and more advanced than Europeans assumed, and he becomes convinced that a lost city he calls "Z" exists somewhere in the jungle. Ridiculed when he presents his claims in England, he returns to the forest repeatedly, later accompanied by his grown son Jack, caught between his family life and his obsession with proving his theory.
James Gray directs and wrote the screenplay, his sixth feature after Little Odessa, The Yards, We Own the Night, Two Lovers and The Immigrant, and before Ad Astra, Armageddon Time and Paper Tiger. Charlie Hunnam plays Fawcett, with Robert Pattinson as Henry Costin, Sienna Miller as Nina Fawcett, Tom Holland as Jack Fawcett and Angus Macfadyen as James Murray, among 44 credited cast members.
Released in 2017, the film runs 141 minutes and was produced through Sierra/Affinity, Plan B Entertainment, Keep Your Head Productions and MadRiver Pictures. Against a budget of about 30 million dollars, it earned roughly 9 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.6 from around 105,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.4 from just over 3,000, while a critics' rating stands at 7.3 from 251 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is based on the book of the same name by David Grann. The book, in turn, is based on real events about British explorer Percy Fawcett, who searched for an ancient lost city in the Amazon.
- Initially, Brad Pitt was slated to play Percy Fawcett. Then Benedict Cumberbatch took on the role, but he dropped out of the project due to a scheduling conflict.
- The film was shot on 35mm film (director James Gray shoots all his films on 35mm), which was quite difficult in the jungle conditions, as the footage couldn't be viewed immediately, but only a week later in the editing room. The decision to shoot on 35mm film increased the film's production costs by $750,000.
- The constant explosions and gunfire on the set frightened animals and local farmers, who complained to newspapers and television.
- Tom Holland was fitted with a false mustache for the filming, as he hadn’t grown his own yet.
- Charlie Hunnam suggested living and sleeping in the trenches during filming, but for safety reasons, he was not allowed to.
- The American Film Association initially gave the film an R rating (persons under 17 are only allowed to watch the film accompanied by a parent or legal guardian).
- While preparing for the role of Colonel Fawcett, Charlie Hunnam lost at least 15 kg.
- On the last day of filming, Tom Holland broke his nose.
- During filming in the jungle, director James Gray almost every evening prepared dinner for the actors and crew.
- Director James Gray wrote to Francis Ford Coppola asking for advice on filming in the jungle. Coppola's reply consisted of just two words: "Don't do it." Coppola himself received the same advice from Roger Corman before filming the war drama "Apocalypse Now" (1979).
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
