City of Ember (2008)
Adventure, Family, Fantasy |.
City of Ember is a American science fiction adventure film based on the 2003 novel The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. Directed by Gil Kenan in his live-action directorial debut, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau, Mary Kay Place, Toby Jones and Tim Robbins.
Produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone and Walden Media, City of Ember was theatrically released on October 10, 2008 by 20th Century Fox, two months after the release of the final book in the series, The Diamond of Darkhold. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office bomb, grossing only $17.9 million against a budget of $55 million. It became a cult film over time. As of 2019, there are no plans for a sequel or reboot.
As an unspecified global catastrophe looms, an underground city known as Ember is constructed to shelter a large group of survivors. In addition, a small metal box intended for a future generation of Emberites is timed to open after 200 years. This box is entrusted to the Mayor of the City of Ember, and each Mayor passes it on to his or her successor. When the seventh Mayor dies suddenly, the succession is broken, and over time, the significance of the box is forgotten. The box opens by itself at the allotted time, but this goes unnoticed. Several decades later, Ember’s generator begins to fail, and food, medicine and other necessities are in dangerously short supply.
At a rite of passage for all graduating students of Ember City School, Mayor Cole stands before the students as their adult occupations are assigned by lottery.
Director: Gil Kenan
Writers: Caroline Thompson (screenplay), Jeanne Duprau (book)
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau, Mary Kay Place, Toby Jones, Tim Robbins
►Cast:
| Saoirse Ronan | … | Lina Mayfleet |
| David Ryall | … | Chief Builder |
| Harry Treadaway | … | Doon Harrow |
| Mary Kay Place | … | Mrs. Murdo |
| Tim Robbins | … | Loris Harrow |
| Bill Murray | … | Mayor Cole |
| Mackenzie Crook | … | Looper |
| Toby Jones | … | Barton Snode |
| Liam Burke | … | Mr. Boaz |
| Brid Ni Chionaola | … | Seely Schnap |
| Maureen Dow | … | Mrs. Sample |
| Lucinda Dryzek | … | Lizzie Bisco |
| Lorraine Hilton | … | Miss Thorn |
| B.J. Hogg | … | Mayor’s Guard |
| Marianne Jean-Baptiste | … | Clary |
| Matt Jessup | … | Joss |
| Simon Kunz | … | Captain Fleery |
| Martin Landau | … | Sul |
| Conor MacNeill | … | Student |
| Eoin McAndrew | … | Student |
| Frankie McCafferty | … | Arbin Swinn |
| Ian McElhinney | … | Builder |
| Lara McIvor | … | Roner |
| Rachel Morton | … | Student |
| Mark Mulholland | … | Portrait Painter |
| Valerie O’Connor | … | Person in Line |
| Ann Queensberry | … | Doctor Tower |
| Amy Quinn | … | Poppy |
| Catherine Quinn | … | Poppy |
| Liz Smith | … | Granny |
| Becky Stark | … | Song Master |
| Myles Thompson | … | Smat |
| Laura Webster | … | Townsperson |
| Heathcote Williams | … | Sadge Merrall |
| Terry Bamber | … | Third man in line |
| Bernadette Dobbin | … | Various |
| Judy Donovan | … | Mayor’s Secretary |
| Cathal J. Ferris | … | Messenger / Pipe Worker |
| Jot Maxi | … | Street Sweeper |
| Christopher L. Parson | … | Additional Voices (voice) |
| Megan Riordan | … | Believer |
| Drew Thompson | … | Other Believer |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia