ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS: 1. PRODUCTION INFORMATION Everyone has experienced the unsettling mystery of déjà vu – that flash of memory when you meet someone new you feel you’ve known all your life or recognize a place even though you’ve never been there before. But what if these strange, spooky feelings were actually warnings sent from the past or clues to an unfolding future?... 2. DÉJÀ VU : THE STORY BEGINS The spine-tingling sensation of déjà vu has mystified humankind for centuries. The feeling hits at the strangest moments – when we fall instantly and madly in love with a total stranger, when we arrive at a brand new place we know like the back of our hand.... 3. THE CAST OF DEJA VU From the beginning, Jerry Bruckheimer knew exactly who he wanted to cast in DÉJÀ VU’s lead role of ATF agent Doug Carlin – the tough-minded investigator who is forced to look in wildly unexpected directions for the answers to a heartbreaking crime.... 4. AN EXPLOSIVE CAREER: DENZEL WASHINGTON TRAINS AS AN ATF AGENT To keep the emphasis on realistic action at the core of DEJA VU, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tony Scott brought in a number of consultants from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the agency that in real-life is charged with the investigation of all federal bombings – including such infamous events as the tragic explosion of the Alfred E. Murrah building in Oklahoma City and the 1993 car bombing of the World Trade Center.... 5. THE MYSTERY OF DÉJÀ VU: WHAT DO WE KNOW? While the action elements of DÉJÀ VU are all about realism, the unconventional underpinning of the thriller is an inquiry into just what the feeling of déjà vu really is – and what it might reveal about the workings of the universe... 6. THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE NEW ORLEANS: THE PRODUCTION OF DEJA VU Production of DÉJÀ VU was set to begin in Fall of 2005 amidst the watery beauty and inimitably soulful atmosphere of New Orleans. But in August of 2005, the unprecedented power of Hurricane Katrina struck, devastating the city and rocking the nation. While recovery efforts began, the film was put on indefinite hold.... 7. CHASES THROUGH TIME: CREATING DÉJÀ VU’S INVENTIVE ACTION SEQUENCES Beginning with the ferry explosion, the tension in DÉJÀ VU builds on both a psychological level and a physical level. As the story crescendos, so too does the action, with innovative chase scenes that not only travel the roads – but also travel through time.... 8. SECRETS OF SURVEILLANCE : CREATING THE TIME WINDOW LAB Doug Carlin’s search to understand what happened at the moment the ferry bomb exploded and what it has to do with his past and future ultimately takes him to one of DÉJÀ VU’s most intriguing locations: the secret time window lab in which Doug can view surveillance footage of past events.... 9. HIGH SPEED AND HIGH DEFINITION: THE VISUAL DESIGN OF DEJA VU The look of DÉJÀ VU is as innovative as its storyline. Says Jerry Bruckheimer, “Tony Scott’s films have a signature look with fast cuts and unusual camera angles. In DÉJÀ VU, he uses many unique visual techniques to enhance the storytelling.”....

CHASES THROUGH TIME: CREATING DÉJÀ VU’S INVENTIVE ACTION SEQUENCES

Beginning with the ferry explosion, the tension in DÉJÀ VU builds on both a psychological level and a physical level. As the story crescendos, so too does the action, with innovative chase scenes that not only travel the roads – but also travel through time.

For the actors, the challenges were intense. As the bombing’s prime suspect, Oerstadt, Jim Caviezel was especially put to the test, over and over again. In one riveting scene, Oerstadt is smashed right through with a car – which necessitated that Caviezel shoot the stunningly realistic scene inside a steel cage for his own safety. Notes the actor, “They put me in a cage and then ran two cars into me. It took everything in me not to say no. All I kept thinking was if this cage collapses, there goes my legs.”

Caviezel also had to shoot physically demanding MP-5 machine guns. To prepare, he trained in preproduction with ATF agents who let him feel the full throttle of these powerful weapons by practicing with live rounds. “I knew my gun-toting had to look believable for the scene to get the intensity it deserves. Even though on film I had blanks, I wanted to show that realistic torque and pressure. Especially against Denzel Washington. I had to prepare on the highest level.”

Washington also had to face moments of fear. “There was this day when we were shooting under the Mississippi bridge and just to get down to the set we had to climb over railings and shimmy on narrow planks while 350 feet in the air,” he recalls. “I saw Tony Scott go over the side, but you know he has experience rock climbing. That is when ego comes into play. My faith was tested but it was cool, fun and exciting.”

Meanwhile, newcomer Paula Patton was not only zip-tied, bound, gagged and beaten, she also had to shoot a scene submerged in the treacherous Mississippi River – with her hands tied to a 5 lb. steering wheel prop. She explains: “I had no protection; just this little sundress on with a leather jacket. No flotation devices. Tony wanted it to look real. Suddenly there I was kicking in the heavy river currents, literally kicking for my life. The Coast Guard and stunt crew were standing by in case of any trouble. I was scared but didn’t want to say no to Tony, and we got the shot.”

Scott is particularly proud of the film’s intricately choreographed car chases which he hopes will take the high-speed scenes that often become audience favorites to the next level.

“The car chases in this movie are so cool and nothing has ever been done like them before,” says Scott. “Because of the time travel elements, you will see a split-level chase happening both four days in the past and in the present moment. The four days in the past chase is happening at night in the rain, and the present day chase is happening during daytime commuter traffic. Denzel spins around and is suddenly driving against traffic. I think at one point there are 5 car wrecks in the span of 15 seconds. It’s pretty amazing.”

The majority of the car action was set in motion on the Mississippi Bridge which connects the west and east banks of New Orleans. The bridge is 300 feet high so there was absolutely no room for mistakes even while flipping cars right and left. Stunt coordinator Chuck Picerni of Stunts Unlimited comments: ”Everything had to be precise. We had to make the chase on the bridge exciting, but at the same time think about safety and the aspect that we were closing down this major thoroughfare. I think at one point with the local precision drivers and stunt professionals we had a stunt crew of over 50 people orchestrating the car chase sequences.”

Veteran action cinematographer Paul Cameron, who previously worked with Denzel Washington on “Man on Fire,” enhanced the visual excitement of the chases even more with a special camera rig called the Ultimate Arm -- which feature a large arm that can swing the camera 360 degrees around a car in five seconds.

Still, not all of the chases in DÉJÀ VU happen in cars. Jim Caviezel got to try his hand at a chase scene that takes place aboard the whizzing airboats that ply the bayous swamps -- all while three helicopters were hovering just above his head to capture birds-eye aerials.

“Boy that was hairy,” says Caviezel. “You don’t want to go full speed in an airboat because the steering is all over the place and the boat leans so easily. There was a point when a helicopter was overhead, there were two other airboats in the water, and three police boats. Suddenly there were 12-foot swells in the water, and on top of that gun fire. I am lucky our stunt team were such great athletes as they controlled the situation to make it easier on me. I am sure it will look great on film.”