SNAKES ON AN URBAN MYTH

With the tremendous interest and rabid fan base that sprung up from the moment Snakes on a Plane went into production, it was inevitable that more than a few urban myths would develop around the film. Here’s a look at some of the most common misconceptions about Snakes on a Plane.

FICTION: The original title for Snakes on a Plane was Pacific Air 121.

FACT: The real genesis of Snakes on a Plane began with a screenplay written nearly a decade ago by David Dallesandro called Venom. That script, which told the story of one snake that gets loose on a plane, caught the attention of producer Craig Berenson who bought the underlying rights to the material with the idea of one day turning it into something bigger, better, and deadlier. Years later, Berenson’s assistant, John Heffernan, sparked to the idea and penned a new version of the story which would eventually be called Pacific Air 121 for a brief period of time before settling on its ultimate title – Snakes on a Plane.

FICTION: The famous Samuel Jackson line that was added to the film is “I want these motherf#%$in’ snakes off this motherf#%$in’ plane!”

FACT: It’s true that in response to the overwhelming fan interest in the film, a line of dialogue was added to the film for Samuel L. Jackson’s character. However, the real line that made it into the film is, “Enough is enough! I’ve had it with these motherf#%$in’ snakes on this motherf#%$in’ plane!”

FICTION: Snakes could never actually get loose on a plane.

FACT: Tell that to West Virginia pilot Monty Coles. He recently found himself face to face with a four-and-a-half-foot black snake that was peering out at him from his plane’s instrument panel as he prepared to land over southern Ohio, according to an Associated Press story. At 3,000 feet, Coles grabbed the snake in one hand and made an emergency landing with the other. As he told the control tower…”I have one hand full of snake and the other full of plane.”

FICTION: Snakes on a Plane is just a movie title.

FACT: Quite to the contrary, Snakes on a Plane has become a true piece of pop culture slang. As originally defined by writer Josh Friedman in an August 2005 blog posting, the phrase “Snakes on a Plane” has come to symbolize “…a sort of philosophy. Somewhere in between ‘C’est la vie,’ ‘Whattya gonna do?’ and ‘Shit happens.’”

FICTION: The snakes in Snakes on a Plane are all CGI.

FACT:It may help you sleep at night to believe that all the snakes in the film were computer generated, but the production actually used more than 400 live snakes during the shoot.

SNAKES ON THE WORLD (AND THE WEB)

As the buzz surrounding Snakes on a Plane has built over the past year, it has spread around the world and back again. The film has inspired everything from fashion trendsetters to kindergarten classes. It has fueled an explosion of online fan websites and fan-created content to the point where a simple Google search on the film’s title returns more than 14 million hits. And it has even been referenced in some terrifying incidents in which life imitated art.

Here’s a look at some of the varied places (online and off) that Snakes on a Plane has surfaced in recent months:

www.snakesonablog.com - Twenty-six-year-old Georgetown law student Brian Finkelstein started this blog back in January 2006 to document his quest to attend the Hollywood premiere of Snakes on a Plane. In the months that followed it has evolved into the leading chronicle of all things Snakes-related.

Paducah, Kentucky – The assistant athletic director at Eastern Kentucky University finds a two-foot-long ball python in his rental car as he was leaving a baseball tournament. He saw the snake draped across the console of his car when he entered the car and, thinking it was a rubber snake as part of a practical joke, gave the snake a pat and put the car into drive. But as he drove toward the exit, the snake lifted its head. The man hit the brakes and started to get out of the car, but the snake was on the gear shift, forcing the man to keep his foot on the brake.

www.tagworld.com/snakesonaplane - Social networking site Tagworld features links to hundreds of fan-created songs that competed to be a part of the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack.

Kansas City, Missouri – A kindergarten teacher creates a children’s story based on Snakes on a Plane that his students have requested to hear every day. The class also sings along with the teacher’s Snakes on a Plane theme song and has made Snakes on a Plane coloring pages as a class project.

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2006/4/10keinathnuske.html - McSweeney’s offers up a clever list of possible surprise endings to Snakes on a Plane.

Palo Alto, California – A lawyer and Stanford PhD. student publishes a lengthy essay for American Spectator magazine calling Snakes on a Plane a “great allegory for the Yale Taliban.”

http://beautifulcandy.blogspot.com/2006/05/snakes-on-mania.html - A 14-page dissection of the Snakes on a Plane phenomenon that compares it to everything from the Beatles coming to America, to the original release of Star Wars, anddeclares that “Snakes on a Plane is redefining a space in the pop culture history of fan worship.”

France – A fan launches a Snakes on a Plane blog which features a recurring Snakes on a Plane comic strip in French.

http://www.myspace.com/snakesonaplanemp3 - One creative fan has compiled a series of Snakes on a Plane prank phone calls and posted them for downloading here.

St. Louis, Missouri – A recreation hockey team changes their name from the Cobras to Snakes on a Plane Hockey and launches SoaPHockey.com to chronicle the ups and downs of their season.

http://www.youtube.com – A simple search for Snakes on a Plane on this popular video sharing site turns up nearly 200 homemade video clips including everything from homemade trailers, Snakes-inspired rap videos, and fake audition tapes.

Chicago, Illinois – Five people enter the Chiditarod – an urban Iditarod in which teams race around the city pushing shopping carts instead of sleds - as team Snakes on a Plane. They finish in 8th place out of 22 teams.

http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=253565 – Who needs Dungeons & Dragons when you can play Snakes on a Plane: The Role Playing Game? At this site, one fan outlines his creation of a Snakes-inspired role playing game.

Wellington, New Zealand – Newspaper detailed the winning entries in the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack contest.

http://media.filmforce.ign.com/articles/703/703744/imgs_1.html -- What better way to decorate your computer desktop than with one of the special Snakes on a Plane desktop wallpapers available at this site?

New York, New York – Fashion gurus at Women’s Wear Daily declare snakeskin a hot new fashion trend thanks to the buzz surrounding Snakes on a Plane in an article titled “Snakeskin on a Plane.”

SNAKES ON A PLOT

When a young man (Nathan Phillips) witnesses a brutal mob murder, it falls to FBI agent Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) to escort his charge safely from Hawaii to Los Angeles to testify. But in an act of self-preservation, the crime boss facing prison smuggles hundreds of poisonous snakes onto the commercial aircraft in a crate timed to release its deadly cargo halfway over the Pacific. Flynn, along with a frightened flight crew and passengers, must then band together in a desperate attempt to survive.

New Line Cinema’s action thriller SNAKES ON A PLANE stars Samuel L. Jackson (Coach Carter, Stars Wars: Episodes III – Revenge of the Sith), Julianna Margulies (ER, Ghost Ship) and Nathan Phillips (Australian Rules, Under the Radar), is directed by David R. Ellis (Final Destination 2, Cellular) and produced by Gary M. Levinsohn (Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot), Don Granger (Timeline) and Craig Berenson. The film’s screenplay is by John Heffernan.

The film’s ensemble cast also includes Rachel Blanchard (Without a Paddle), Flex Alexander (She’s All That), Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live), Sunny Mabrey (XXX: State of the Union), Elsa Pataky (Maxim cover girl), Lin Shaye (There’s Something About Mary), Bobby Cannavale (The Station Agent) and David Koechner (The 40-Year-Old Virgin).

Behind the scenes, the production team includes Director of Photography Adam Greenberg (The Terminator), Production Designer Jaymes Hinkle (The Perfect Score), Costume Designer Karen Matthews (White Noise), Editor Howard Smith (Blade: Trinity), Visual Effects Producer/Supervisor Erik Henry (Dracula), and renowned snake handler Jules Sylvester (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events).

SNAKES ON SAMUEL L. JACKSON

There was only one actor with enough guts to take on a plane full of snakes – Samuel L. Jackson. We thought we’d ask him a few questions about what it was like to get up close and personal with more than his share of slithery creatures.

We know you play an FBI agent, but what’s your real role in this film?

I’m the hero, come on, you know that. I do what heroes do. I act brave, kill snakes, and save the day.

We hear this isn’t the first time you’ve battled snakes?

You know, when I was a kid, snakes didn’t bother me that much because I just spent my summers in the country and if we saw a snake, the snake was in a lot more trouble than we were. Because we chased it and killed it.

Was it a different experience shooting this movie, or was it just another job?

Coming to work was kind of like going to a big amusement part and getting on a thrill ride. I mean, we’re on this set and the hydraulics are working the plane and we’re kind of stumbling around. You’re doing stuff and then there’s a snake over here that pops out and you have to react to the snake in the midst of all this smoke and stuff.

What was it like the first time you saw the snakes on set?

The first day I showed up I went to see the snakes and see how the crew was dealing with them. They were doing the test of when the oxygen masks falls down and they were dumping a big bucket of snakes on a guy’s head. It was fun to watch the snakes hit him and then go into his pockets and down his shirt.

What was your favorite scene to shoot?

I guess the initial encounter when everything starts to go crazy and the snakes first show up because my partner goes crazy and runs downstairs. But I stay and hear all the screaming, then I go down there and there’s snakes everywhere.

SNAKES ON A WRANGLER

Samuel L. Jackson may be the star of Snakes on a Plane, but there’s little doubt that the most important person on set was the man responsible for handling the hundreds of snakes used in the production – renowned snake wrangler Jules Sylvester.

Along with his team, which included Canadian counterpart Brad McDonald who supplied many of the pythons and the film’s rarer species, Sylvester ensured that the actors – and the snakes – were safe throughout the production.

“When I first met with Craig [Berenson] and Dave Ellis, the director, they wanted the taipans and vipers and some really lethal puff adders,” says Sylvester. “Stuff that would knock you dead. But working with an airplane full of people and a camera crew right there might not be such a good idea. These are really hairy animals. They can be used for second unit but otherwise it’s just too dangerous.”

Instead, Sylvester suggested taking advantage of a natural phenomenon - as part of their survival strategy, many benign snakes mimic the deadly ones. Only a trained eye can tell the difference.

“The safest way to shoot a movie like this is to use a bunch of look-a-likes,” explains Sylvester. “For example, this milk snake is relatively harmless but unless you’re an expert herpetologist it looks like a very deadly Brazilian coral snake. The colors are identical, the size is identical, except the coral snake is absolutely lethal. A lot of times a snake’s only defense is that it has the color patterns or behavior patterns of something that could inflict a lot of damage.

“Another example is the tiger rat snake. It doesn’t have rattles on its tail but it’ll shake its tail in leaf litter. You hear a rattle and you think it’s a rattlesnake, so you stay away from it. That’s pretty much the illusion.

“The yellow rat snake is about six-feet, and it could easily pass as a coastal taipan. I’ve got some red-tailed green rat snakes — so there’s your green mamba. We’ve got a water snake that matches a cottonmouth. And we’ve got Russian rat snakes; they look very dangerous but they are actually a very gentle snake.

“We’ve got a bull snake from British Columbia — in California they’re called a gopher snake. They hiss tremendously. Their head flattens out and gives a tremendous strike, and of course they’ve got very sharp teeth.

“Then we have another 250 garter snakes for background bodies when we don’t have people running around. So no, there aren’t any snakes on set that are venomous except for the mangroves, and we won’t be using those around the actors. Even then, a mangrove won’t kill you. Just make you swell and give you a terrible headache.”

Added to the look-a-likes were several pythons including Kitty, the Burmese python featured in a key scene in the film. But, as Sylvester points out, these are not venomous, they’re constrictors.

For the experienced Sylvester (he has more than 300 movies to his credit ranging from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events to There’s Something About Mary), the ultimate sin is getting an actor bitten.

“It means I didn’t read it right,” says Sylvester. “I didn’t teach the actor right. And they have to trust me.”

The actors are not the only ones that Sylvester fears for. “My biggest fear, actually, is that with all these passengers on board in a very limited space and everybody pretending panic, is that they’ll step on my snakes,” he says.

With all the potential minefields, perhaps it can be said that the most amazing performance came from the snake wranglers. “They take what they do extremely seriously and when we used live snakes, they were right there so that if anybody was having an issue they could deal with it,” says Berenson. “And I have to say, Jules was so funny. He said, ‘I have to implore you all to please make sure the set is plugged, no openings. Because at the end of the day, I don’t want to have to account for 100 snakes and only have 97.’”

SNAKES ON A CAST

SAMUEL L. JACKSON (Neville Flynn), respectfully labeled as one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, is an undisputed star as demonstrated in the fact that his films have grossed the most money in box office sales than any other actor in the history of filmmaking.

Jackson made an indelible mark on American cinema with his portrayal of ‘Jules’, the philosophizing hitman, in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.” In addition to unanimous critical acclaim for his performance, he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations as Best Supporting Actor as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Jackson most recently wrapped production on the film “Home of the Brave” for director Irwin Winkler. The film tells the story of three soldiers returning home after a lengthy tour of duty in Iraq and their struggles to cope with life after war. Jessica Biel and 50 Cent co-star.

Jackson also completed filming on “Black Snake Moan”, filmed entirely on location in Memphis, for director Craig Brewer (“Hustle and Flow”). Jackson portrays ‘Lazarus’ a bluesman who attempts to “cure” a young female, white nymphomaniac played by Christina Ricci. Paramount Classics is distributing the film in February 2007.

Upcoming, Jackson stars in the films “Resurrecting the Champ” and “1408” and he is scheduled to begin production in August on the film “Jumper,” a sci-fi film directed by Doug Liman.

Jackson most recently starred opposite Julianne Moore in Revolution Studio’s “Freedomland” directed by Joe Roth and based on the best selling novel of the same name. Jackson also starred as ‘Agent Derrick Vann’ in New Line’s “The Man” opposite Eugene Levy.

In early 2005, Jackson topped the opening weekend box office charts with the success of the Paramount Pictures film, “Coach Carter.” Jackson portrayed reallife high school basketball coach, ‘Ken Carter’, a dedicated role model and advocate for students succeeding in the classroom as well as on the basketball court. “Coach Carter” was screened as the opening night film of the prestigious Palm Springs Film Festival. Jackson received the Career Achievement Award for Acting from the Festival.

Jackson also starred in the independent film for Sony Classics, “In My Country,” based on the best-selling novel, “Country of My Skull,” by South African writer, Antije Krog. Jackson portrayed an American reporter who must cope with the aftermath of apartheid as his newspaper assigns him to cover the Truth and Reconciliation Trials, established by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, that expose the worst cases of torture, abuse and violence. “In My Country” was directed by John Boorman and produced by Bob Chartoff and Mike Medavoy. Juliette Binoche costars.

In 2005, Jackson reprised his role as ‘Agent Augustus Gibbons’ in “XXX: State of the Union” and as ‘Mace Windu’ in “Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith.” To no one’s surprise, “Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith” made an incredible impact at the box office breaking numerous opening day records.

In 2004, Jackson “appeared” as the character ‘Frozone’ in the Disney animated action-adventure film, “The Incredibles” which was released to record box office results this past November. The film was directed and written by Brad Bird and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture as well as two Academy Award nominations.

In 2003, Jackson starred in “S.W.A.T” for Columbia TriStar. Directed by Clark Johnson, “S.W.A.T.” is about an arrested drug kingpin who is transported by a Los Angeles Police Department S.W.A.T. team and led out of the city and into Federal custody. Plans go awry when the kingpin offers $100 million to anyone who can free him. Colin Farrell and Michelle Rodriguez are also in the film.

In 2002, Jackson starred with Ben Affleck in the box office and critical success, Paramount’s “Changing Lanes.” Jackson delivered an intense yet sympathetic performance of a father who was down on his luck, but intent on getting even with the man that wronged him. Also in 2002, Jackson starred and executive produced the Sony/ Screen Gems film “Formula 51,” with Robert Carlyle; costarred in the sci-fi thriller, “XXX”; and reprised his role as ‘Mace Windu’ in the second installment of George Lucas’ “Stars Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.”

In 2001, Jackson starred in Jersey Franchise/Universal’s “Caveman’s Valentine.” Directed by Kasi Lemmons, the film followed the story of a homeless man in New York City who discovered a murder. Jackson also served as an executive producer on the project, which was the most successful independent film of this year. This was Jackson’s second project with Kasi Lemmons with the first being the applauded, “Eve’s Bayou,” which he also produced.

Jackson also co-starred opposite Bruce Willis in writer/director M. Night Shyamalan’s suspense drama, “Unbreakable” for Disney. Jackson’s character, ‘Elijah Price,’ a highly suspicious and wheelchair bound man with a far-fetched theory, holds the key to the film’s underlying question of, “Are You Unbreakable?”

Jackson starred in John Singleton’s “Shaft” in the title role opposite Christian Bale and Vanessa Williams. Jackson also starred in Paramount’s courtroom drama “Rules of Engagement” where he played Col. Terry Childers, a military officer on trial for ordering his soldiers to open fire on civilians. Directed by William Friedkin, the film co-starred Tommy Lee Jones. Both “Shaft” and “Rules of Engagement” were screened at the 2000 Deauville Film Festival, where Jackson was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jackson starred in Warner Bros. “Deep Blue Sea” for director Renny Harlin, and in Francois Girard’s “The Red Violin.” Jackson also made a cameo appearance in George Lucas’ highly successful and popular “Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.”

Jackson also starred in “The Negotiator” and “Jackie Brown,” his second film with director Quentin Tarantino. For the latter he received a Golden Globe nomination and the Silver Bear Award for Best Actor in a Comedy at the Berlin Film Festival.

Jackson starred opposite Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey and

Kevin Spacey in Joel Schumacher’s 1996 film of the John Grisham novel “A Time to Kill.” For his performance Jackson received a Golden Globe nomination and an NAACP Image Award. He also starred opposite Bruce Willis in “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” the top-grossing movie internationally in 1995.

Jackson made movie history with his portrayal of a crack addict in Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever” when he was awarded the first and only Best Supporting Performance Award ever given by the judges at the Cannes Film Festival. He also won the New York Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for that performance.

His other film credits include “Twisted,” “187,” “Sphere,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” “Hard Eight,” “Kiss of Death,” “Losing Isaiah” and “Amos and Andrew.” Additional film credits include: “Ragtime,” “Sea of Love,” “Coming to America,” “Ray,” “Do the Right Thing,” “School Daze,” “Mo’ Better Blues,” Goodfellas,” “Strictly Business,” “White Sands,” “ Patriot Games,” “Jumpin’ at the Boneyard,” “Father and Sons,” “Juice,” “Fresh” and “True Romance.”

On television, Jackson starred in John Frankenheimer’s Emmy Award-winning

“Against the Wall” for HBO. His performance earned him a Cable Ace nomination as Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries, as well as a Golden Globe nomination.

Jackson’s career began upon his graduation from Morehouse College in Atlanta with a degree in dramatic arts. He went on to perform in numerous stage plays, including Home, A Soldier’s Play, Sally/Prince and The District Line. He also originated roles in two of August Wilson’s plays at Yale Repertory Theatre. For the New York Shakespeare Festival, Jackson appeared in Mother Courage and Her Children, Spell #7, and The Mighty Gents.

While still a student at Morehouse, Jackson made his film debut in “Together for Days.”

JULIANNA MARGULIES (Claire Miller), an Emmy and Screen Actors Guild award winner and Golden Globe nominee, gained recognition for her portrayal of Nurse Carole Hathaway in the critically acclaimed series “ER.” Margulies received her sixth straight Emmy nomination for the 2000 season and twice won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series for the program. Margulies recently made her Broadway debut in “Festen” opposite Michael Hayden, Larry Bryggman, Ali MacGraw, and Jeremy Sisto. “Festen” is David Eldridge's dramatization of the Danish 1998 film of the same name.

Margulies will soon be seen in Beautiful Ohio, directed by Chad Lowe, with Rita Wilson and William Hurt. Margulies just completed a multi-episode guest role in HBO's “The Sopranos” opposite James Gandolfini.

Margulies' feature film credits include the dark comedy The Darwin Awards with Winona Ryder and Joe Fiennes, which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival in January 2006, Slingshot opposite David Arquette and Balthazar Getty, Ghost Ship, oppsosite Gabriel Byrne, and Bruce Beresford's Evelyn opposite Pierce Bronson. Other film credits include What's Cooking, an ensemble drama directed by Gurinder Chadha, which opened the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, Richard Linklater's The Newton Boys, Boaz Yakin's A Price Above Rubies, Jack Green's Traveller and Bruce Beresford's Paradise Road.

She starred in “The Grid,” a mini-series from TNT and BBC, alongside Dylan McDermott for which she received a Golden Globe nomination, the CBS original movie, “Jenifer,” about he life of Jenifer Estes opposite Annabella Sciorra and Jane Kaczmarek, and in TNT's original “The Mists of Avalon” with Anjelica Huston and Joan Allen and starred opposite Andy Garcia and Mick Jagger in the film The Man From Elysian Fields.

Margulies completed a successful run in Jon Robin Baitz's “Ten Unknowns” at Lincoln Center opposite Donald Sutherland for which she won the Lucille Lortel Award. Other theater credits include “The Vagina Monologues,” both Off Broadway and the Los Angeles premiere, “Fefu and Her Friends” for the Yale Repertory Theatre, “The Substance of Fire” at the Aolso Theatre, “Living Expenses,” “Dan Drift,” and “Book of Names” at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York, and “Intrigue with Faye” at the NY Stage and Film Festival. She also appeared on stage in “The Lover,” “In the Boom Boom Room” and “Balm and Gilead.”

NATHAN PHILLIPS (Sean Jones) is one of Australia's hottest export actors. He has most recently signed on to star in Andy Cheng's auto-thriller Redline.

Snakes on a Plane follows Phillips’ co-starring role in the thriller Wolf Creek. Picked up by the Weinsteins right before premiering at Sundance in 2005, the film received a lot of buzz and is considered one of the best films to come out of Australia in some time. It even received a standing ovation at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. Upon its release in Australia, Wolf Creek opened with recordbreaking box-office numbers.

Phillips originally broke through the Australian film market with his first leading role in the award winning film Australian Rules, which screened at Sundance in 2002. He earned himself a Best Actor nomination from the Film Critics Circle of Australia for this performance.

Phillips has been working steadily with a wide range of roles to his credit. They include the short film, West, which he recently wrapped in Australia; a romantic comedy called Take Away, opposite Rose Byrne; a drama about rave culture called One Perfect Day; Under the Radar, a comedic thriller in which he plays a surfer, having fibbed to the director about his surfing abilities to get the part; and most recently, You and Your Stupid Mate which can be most likened to Dumb & Dumber in the States. He even starred in a children’s action film, Warriors of Virtue 2, which he filmed on location in China.

RACHEL BLANCHARD (Mercedes) has become one of the most sought after young actresses in Hollywood. She was last seen as one of the female leads opposite Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth in the critically-acclaimed film Where the Truth Lies.

Blanchard burst onto the US scene with her groundbreaking portrayal of “Cher Horowitz” in the television adaptation of the big-screen blockbuster, “Clueless”. Rachel also appeared in last year’s British comedy series “Peep Show.”

Blanchard is fast becoming a prominent actress in the film world having been seen in 2004’s hilarious Without a Paddle for Paramount Pictures, and, prior to that, in the critical favorite The Wild Dogs, written and directed by Thom Fitzgerald.

Blanchard will soon be seen in Comeback Season opposite Ray Liotta.

FLEX ALEXANDER (Three G’s), a New York native, got his start in entertainment as a dancer and choreographer working with the likes of Salt ‘N Pepa, Queen Latifah, Toni Tony Toné, and Mary J. Blige. In 1992, he made the leap to acting with Juice and the television series Uptown Comedy Club. This was followed by the series Where I Live and regular roles in Steven Bochco’s Total Security and the UPN comedy Homeboys in Outer Space. Alexander’s additional television credits include guest-starring roles in Girlfriends, Cuts, New York Undercover, Brooklyn South and The Parkers, and the MOWs Ice and Santa and Pete. Alexander recently portrayed Michael Jackson in the VH1 biopic Man in The Mirror.

Alexander’s feature film credits include I’m Perfect, opposite Wayne Brady; Her Minor Thing, opposite Estella Warren; City of Industry, opposite Harvey Keitel; The Sixth Man, co-starring Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison; and Out Cold. Alexander has also enjoyed a successful stand-up comedy career, and has both acted in and produced UPN’s One on One for five seasons.

KENAN THOMPSON (Troy) made his television debut as a member of Nickelodeon’s all-kid sketch comedy series, All That, and its spin-off show, Kenan and Kel. Thompson is now in his second season as a featured player on Saturday Night Live; and previously had a recurring role on the WB’s Felicity.

Thompson recently starred in the title role of Fat Albert in the feature live-action update of the classic cartoon. Other feature film credits include D2: The Mighty Ducks, Good Burger, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Barbershop 2, Heavyweights with Ben Stiller, and The Boss’ Daughter with Ashton Kutcher.

KEITH DALLAS has worked extensively on both American and Canadian television and feature projects including principal roles in such TV series as Neon Rider, Dark Angel, Seven Days, UC: Undercover, Da Vinci’s Inquest, Cold Squad, The Twilight Zone, and The Collector. His film credits include Final Destination 3, Underclassman, A Guy Thing, I Spy, Scary Movie, and Romeo Must Die.

LIN SHAYE is a veteran with more than 30 years on the screen, a prolific supporting actor with no less than nine credits in 2005 alone including Hate Crime, 2001 Maniacs, Vegas Baby, and Hoboken Hollow with Dennis Hopper. In addition to Snakes on a Plane, 2006 will see Shaye in Surf School, Hood of Horror, and Driftwood. Shaye’s other credits include David R. Ellis’ Cellular, with Kim Basinger; A Cinderella Story, with Hilary Duff; the Farrelly Brothers’ Stuck on You; Say It Isn’t So, with Heather Graham and Sally Field; Living Out Loud, with Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, and Queen Latifah; and There’s Something About Mary, with Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, and Ben Stiller.

SUNNY MABREY (Tiffany) made her feature film debut in the Revolution Studios comedy The New Guy, followed by the independent film A Midsummer Night’s Rave. She then co-starred in Species III, and as Charlie Mayweather in XXX: State of the Union. In addition to her film work, Mabrey has guest-starred on such acclaimed TV series as CSI: Miami, Angel, Lateline, and the critically acclaimed House, MD.

ELSA PATAKY (Maria) is one of the most exciting young actresses to burst onto the international scene. She recently graced the cover of the August issue of Maxim magazine. A native of Spain, Elsa has appeared in more than 10 Spanish films and crossed over into the French market with her co-starring role in the box office hit Iznogoud (2004). She can also be seen in the upcoming Spanish film Ninette, helmed by Oscar-winner José Luis Garci.

SNAKES ON A CREW

With over thirty years of experience as a stuntman, stunt coordinator and second unit director, Director DAVID R. ELLIS made a name for himself as one of the most sought-after second unit action directors in Hollywood, garnering an impressive list of box office hits such as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Perfect Storm, Master and Commander, Matrix Reloaded, and Matrix Revolutions.

Ellis made his directorial debut on Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco, then directed the hit thrillers Final Destination 2 and Cellular before taking the helm of Snakes on a Plane.

Producer GARY L. LEVINSOHN, a founder and co-partner of Mutual Film Company, has been attached to some of the industry’s highest profile and most profitable films, establishing himself as one of the most successful financier/producers in the motion picture industry. Mutual, which Levinsohn established in 1996 for the production, co-financing and international distribution of feature films, has earned a reputation as a highly innovative film financing entity, known both for delivering eclectic, high quality films and its relationships with overseas distributors, broadcasters and theater owners. Some of the titles Levinsohn has been involved with under the Mutual Film banner include: Saving Private Ryan, the Tomb Raider franchise, The Patriot, Wonder Boys, A Simple Plan, The Jackal, and 12 Monkeys.

Producer DON GRANGER made his debut as an Executive Producer on Paramount’s Timeline, based on the Michael Crichton novel. Granger’s next film is Lone Wolf and Cub, a live-action adaptation of Kazuo Koike’s graphic novel series, again for Paramount.

Producer CRAIG BERENSON began his film career as an actor on such films as Airplane!, Airplane II, The Three Amigos, and numerous television shows.

In the early 1990s, Craig segued from acting into film development/production. He first worked as an executive at Davis Entertainment and supervised the productions of Grumpy Old Men, Grumpier Old Men, Fortress I and II, Storyville, Gunmen, and the HBO movie The Last Outlaw, starring Mickey Rourke.

In September 1999, Berenson was hired to run the live action division of Patchwork Productions, a company formed by then Dreamworks Animation Co- Presidents Sandra Rabins and Penney Finkelman Cox. Berenson’s duties included supervising internal development of spec material while also developing original ideas for the company. Projects included Boone, WDIA In Memphis, and now Snakes on a Plane.

In 2002, Berenson left Patchwork to form Berenson Pictures Inc. The company focuses on developing with writers and directors both selective spec projects and original material. Current projects include 36 Hours at Warner Bros., and Barking Orders at Lakeshore Entertainment. Other feature projects include: Bay City, by Eddie Richey, to which Nicolas Cage is attached; The Resurrectionist, based on the book by Gary Wolf; Cowboys and Indians by Scott Sommer; and a thriller project with Gary Scott Thompson, the creator and Executive Producer of NBC’s Vegas. Television projects include Hearts Afire, by Donald Reiker and Patrica Jones, and an Untitled Comedy from Joe Ide, creator of Rising Son.

Director of Photography ADAM GREENBERG has over 40 years behind the lens. He has worked on many memorable films including James Cameron’s The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Turner and Hooch, Ghost, Sister Act, Dave, Sphere, Rush Hour, and Collateral Damage. Prior to Snakes on a Plane, Greenberg manned the camera on The Santa Clause 2.

Production Designer JAYMES HINKLE began in the art department on such films as the Die Hard and Lethal Weapon franchises, as well as Blade Runner, Heavens Gate, Thief, and 48 Hours, eventually working his way first to Art Director on the HBO series Tales From the Crypt, and finally to the helm on the TV movie Parker Kane. His credits also include Loaded Weapon, Ready to Rumble, The Perfect Score, and David Ellis’ Cellular.

While between film projects, Hinkle sharpened his skills on commercials for American Express, Budweiser, Coke, Pepsi, Lexus, Lincoln, GMC and many others. He has also done music videos for such performers as Dave Matthews, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Megadeth, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Seal.

Costume designer KAREN MATTHEWS’ career has spanned 24 years and in all areas of performance and fashion. After graduating with an honors MFA degree in Costume Design from New York University she went on to design more than 30 stage productions in addition to a successful career as a fashion stylist for print ads and TV commercials, working with some the world’s top models and photographers.

Snakes on a Plane marks her 37th production in film and television. Among her credits are Timecop, The Omen, Captains Courageous, Stealing Sinatra, and White Noise. Matthews won a Leo Award for Outstanding Costume Design for her work on the Hallmark mini-series Voyage of the Unicorn and has been nominated twice for Gemini Awards, once for an Ace Award, and three times for Jessie Awards for her work in theatre.

Editor HOWARD SMITH has pieced together such features as Sonny for Director Nicholas Cage; Glengarry Glen Ross, The Corruptor, After Dark, My Sweet, At Close Range, Strange Days, Point Break, Near Dark; The Saint of Fort Washington, River’s Edge, and Tex. Additionally, he edited such films as Blade: Trinity, The Crow: Salvation, and was second editor on The Abyss. Smith was Associate Producer and Editor on the ABC-TV specials, Oscars’ Best Actors and Oscars’ Best Movies. He has worked on six Academy Awards broadcasts, producing and editing all the film segments for the broadcasts.

Visual Effects Producer/Supervisor and former Visual Effects Editor ERIK HENRY made the magic for such films as James Cameron’s The Abyss, Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall, Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, Alexander Payne’s About Schmidt, as well as Alien: Resurrection, Dracula 2000, Gothika, Battlefield Earth, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.

A snake handler for over 37 years, JULES SYLVESTER has over 300 film and television credits including Hook, Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park, The X-Files, From Dusk Till Dawn, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, There’s Something About Mary, Psycho, and Dr. Dolittle 2.