Eight Below
Short description
A scientific expedition in Antarctica goes wrong when geologist Davis McClaren is talked into a risky final trip by the base's experienced guide, Jerry Shepard. Jerry leads the journey with his team of sled dogs, and the animals prove essential when McClaren ends up in freezing water. Back at the station, word arrives that one of the worst storms in decades is closing in, forcing an immediate evacuation by plane. There is no room on the aircraft for the eight huskies, so Jerry leaves them behind with a promise to come back for them. He then spends months seeking support for a return mission while the dogs try to survive the polar winter on their own.
Frank Marshall directed the film, which sits between his 1995 release Congo and his 2020 documentary about the Bee Gees. David DiGilio wrote the screenplay, and Patrick Crowley and David Hoberman produced. Paul Walker plays Jerry, with Bruce Greenwood as McClaren, Moon Bloodgood as Katie, Jason Biggs as Charlie Cooper, Wendy Crewson as Eve McClaren and Duncan Fraser as Captain Lovett. The production, made by Walt Disney Pictures with Spyglass Entertainment, Vertigo Entertainment and Mandeville Films, cost about 40 million US dollars and earned roughly 120 million worldwide.
On IMDb the film holds a rating of 7.3 from around 72,000 votes, and on TMDB it has a 7 from about 1,865 votes, indicating a generally favourable audience response. A critics' rating of 6.6 from 152 reviews places professional assessments somewhat below those audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film was shot in northwestern British Columbia (Canada), near the town of Smithers. When the main characters return to Antarctica for the second time, their short shadows are visible on the snow. At the end of winter in Antarctica, due to the sun's low position on the horizon, the shadows should be much longer.
- According to the Antarctic Treaty, the introduction of dogs onto the continent or ice shelves is prohibited. All dogs that were in Antarctica had to be removed by April 1, 1994. The film takes place in 1993.
- Between the 36th and 37th minute of the film, a Leningrad 002 radio receiver can be noticed in the background of the station setting on the left.
- Each dog had at least one canine double. More than 30 dogs were involved in the filming, and at least 5 of them participated in Brian Levant’s comedy “Snow Dogs” (2002).
- A leopard seal appears in one of the scenes. Filming with a real animal was out of the question, as leopard seals are very aggressive, so an animatronic model with hydraulic drives was created, indistinguishable from the real predator.
- The film is based on real events from 1958, when a Japanese expedition was evacuated. However, only two out of fifteen dogs were rescued at that time.
- The film received a PG rating (parental guidance suggested for children under 13) due to a scene of a leopard seal attack and the depiction of a dead whale carcass.
- At the 37th minute, when Jerry Shepard drives the scientist after he suffers from frostbite, a yellow bag appears and disappears on the sled.
- At the beginning of the film, when Jerry Shepard meets the dogs, the last two dogs, Shadow and Buck, are standing on the right side of the leashes. When the dogs are shown in close-up, they are already on opposite sides.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
