Production Information

When Universal Pictures’ comedy Bruce Almighty arrived at the summer box office on Memorial Day weekend in 2003, it blew audiences and box-office records away. Director/Producer TOM SHADYAC had crafted yet another film that spoke to moviegoers’ desires to suspend disbelief and spend time following extraordinarily funny people who were put in outlandish circumstances.

In the ‘90s, the talented filmmaker had made a household name out of Bruce Almighty’s star, comedian Jim Carrey, with such comedy classics as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Liar Liar. Shadyac had also, along with comic actor Eddie Murphy, reintroduced a new generation to a lovable, unlucky college teacher known as Sherman Klump, a.k.a. The Nutty Professor.

Bruce Almighty would prove just as much a comic springboard for another man. The film was an explosive hit, earning almost one-half billion dollars in revenue at the global box office. In addition to the praise Carrey received, the world was quite enchanted by a polished, preening newscaster by the name of Evan Baxter. The chief rival of Jim Carrey’s title character, Evan and his omnipresent smugness were rewarded with an interesting affliction by the all-powerful Bruce—the ability to speak only in a torrent of babble while Evan was on the air.

And so was launched the film career of actor STEVE CARELL (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, television’s The Office). The comedian had previously found success on sitcoms and as a regular correspondent on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. Carell’s scene-stealing performance led to parts in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and as the lead of NBC’s hit comedy The Office. But it was the Second City alum’s decision to portray a shy, romantically curious electronics store employee named Andy Stitzer in 2005’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin that would officially put Carell on the star map.

Four years after his Buffalo reporter had audiences doubling over, Carell returns to the role, playing the next one anointed by God to accomplish a complicated and hilarious mission in Shadyac’s latest comedy: Evan Almighty.

MORGAN FREEMAN (Million Dollar Baby, Bruce Almighty)—bringing his unique brand of sly comedy and quiet wisdom—also returns to the franchise as God, coming to intercede in the life of the Baxters with a command for the husband and father that will shake the very foundation upon which Evan stands.

Newly elected to Congress, Evan has left Buffalo behind to shepherd his wife, Joan (LAUREN GRAHAM, television’s Gilmore Girls, Bad Santa), and three sons— Dylan (JOHNNY SIMMONS, My Ambition), Jordan (GRAHAM PHILLIPS, The Ten Commandments: The Musical) and Ryan (JIMMY BENNETT, Firewall)—to the suburban town of Huntsville, Virginia, where they will begin the next chapter of their lives.

As the Baxters become ensconced in their enormous home nestled within the pristine hills of northern Virginia, Evan prepares for his first day on the job as the freshman congressman from New York. The casually spiritual politico offers a prayer to God to “change the world.” Little does he know that The Man upstairs already has big plans for him.

Invited to co-sponsor a high-profile bill by one of the House’s most powerful members, Congressman Long (JOHN GOODMAN, The Big Lebowski, television’s Roseanne), Evan is sure that his prayers have been answered. His crackerjack team of aides—assistant Rita (WANDA SYKES, Monster-in-Law, Clerks II), chief of staff Marty (JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS, The Break-Up, Fun With Dick and Jane) and intern Eugene (JONAH HILL, Accepted, Knocked Up)—couldn’t be more thrilled at this opportunity, although Evan realizes it will take him away from his oft-neglected family. However conflicted, power is important to Evan, and so he accepts the offer.

Almost immediately, odd things begin occurring, and the self-centered representative’s life becomes officially turned upside down. From mysterious deliveries of ancient tools and large parcels of wood to curious stalkings by birds of every feather, Evan is certain he’s losing it. His certain descent into comic confusion culminates with a visit from a tall stranger claiming to be God who has one simple, albeit ludicrous, command: Evan must build an ark to prepare his friends and family for a mighty flood.

With the help of his three boys and armed with a first edition “Ark Building for Dummies,” Evan begrudgingly begins to build the ship, not knowing what’s in store once it’s completed. To his utter dismay, animals of all shapes and sizes begin appearing two by two, until a menagerie of God’s creatures inhabits the wooded forest surrounding his home.

That’s not the only thing changing. Evan’s normally manicured appearance heads south as his befuddled wife observes him transforming into a barely recognizable bearded, longhaired, robe-wearing weirdo. No amount of trimming, tussling or trickery keeps the beard from growing…and growing.

Despite being on the verge of losing everything he previously held precious, Evan continues to build for the flood that will either destroy the land or prove to be a figment of his imagination. And while all around him shake their heads and stare, one man must discover whether he is having an extraordinary midlife crisis or is truly onto something of biblical proportions...

In addition to his duties as director, Tom Shadyac produces Evan Almighty with production partner MICHAEL BOSTICK (Bruce Almighty, Accepted) for Shady Acres Entertainment. GARY BARBER (The Pacifier, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and ROGER BIRNBAUM (Shanghai Knights, Rush Hour 3) produce for Spyglass Entertainment, along with NEAL H. MORITZ (Click, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift). ILONA HERZBERG, DAVE PHILLIPS, MATT LUBER, TOM HANKS and GARY GOETZMAN serve as executive producers.

The film’s behind-the-scenes team includes cinematographer IAN BAKER (It Runs in the Family) and Bruce Almighty alumni including costume designer JUDY RUSKIN HOWELL (Guess Who), production designer LINDA DESCENNA (Yours, Mine and Ours) and film editor SCOTT HILL (Monster-in-Law). Longtime Shadyac collaborator STEVE OEDEKERK (The Nutty Professor, Bruce Almighty) created the screenplay from a story by Oedekerk and JOEL COHEN (Garfield) & ALEC SOKOLOW (Cheaper by the Dozen) and based on characters created by STEVE KOREN (Bruce Almighty) & MARK O’KEEFE (Bruce Almighty).

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Months of filming, hundreds of animals and an exhausted cast and crew later, principal photography on Evan Almighty was finally finished, and it was time for editing and VFX to work their magic in their respective bays. A weary but wiser Shadyac reflects on not only the comedy of his film, but the place where it comes from and why it was so important to make the latest in the Almighty series.

The director/producer concludes: “You can give all the charity dollars to all the habitats you want, but if you’re polluting the air for that family and the kids that will be in that house in the future, you’re not doing a good thing. I just started waking up. I was Evan. The journey of Evan is so much the journey of me. The guy grows a beard and has long hair by the end of the movie. Coincidence?”

Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment Present—In Association with Relativity Media—a Shady Acres/Barber-Birnbaum/Original Film Production of a Tom Shadyac Film: Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman in Evan Almighty, starring Lauren Graham, John Goodman, John Michael Higgins, Jimmy Bennett, Wanda Sykes, Jonah Hill. Music for the film is by John Debney; the costume designer is Judy Ruskin Howell.

Co-producers are Jonathan Watson, Amanda Morgan Palmer and Ori Marmur; the film editor is Scott Hill. Evan Almighty’s production designer is Linda DeScenna; the director of photography is Ian Baker. Executive producers for the film are Ilona Herzberg, Dave Phillips, Matt Luber, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman. It is produced by Tom Shadyac, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Neal H. Moritz and Michael Bostick and based on characters created by Steve Koren & Mark O’Keefe. Evan Almighty is from a story by Steve Oedekerk and Joel Cohen & Alec Sokolow and a screenplay by Steve Oedekerk. It is directed by Tom Shadyac. www.evanalmighty.com © 2007 Universal Studios.

NEXT
And Bruce beget Evan: The Next Chapter in the Almighty Series
Four years after the release of Bruce Almighty, Tom Shadyac remained intrigued by the spiritual. Though having declined offers to sequels before, he very much wanted to return to familiar territory with this next installment in the Almighty series. “We always thought it would be fun to make different chapters in a God series rather than just make a straight sequel to Bruce Almighty,” remarks the director. “It always felt more fruitful, creatively, to spin off different characters.”