- Notes provided by Warner Bros. -

What would you do if you got a second shot at life?
Class of 1989: Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) is a star on the high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decides to throw it all away to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlet and the baby he just learned they are expecting.
Almost 20 years later, Mike's (Matthew Perry) glory days are decidedly behind him. His marriage to Scarlet (Leslie Mann) has fallen apart, he has been passed over for a promotion at work, his teenage kids think he is a loser, and he has been reduced to crashing with his high school nerd-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned (Thomas Lennon).
But Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17. Unfortunately, Mike may look 17 again, but his thirtysomething outlook is totally uncool among the class of 2009.
And in trying to recapture his best years, Mike could lose the best things that ever happened to him.
New Line Cinema Presents An Offspring Entertainment production, "17 Again," starring Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight, Melora Hardin and Matthew Perry.
The film is directed by Burr Steers from a screenplay by Jason Filardi. The producers are Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot. Toby Emmerich, Mark Kaufman, Keith Goldberg and Jason Barrett are the executive producers, with Dara Weintraub serving as co-producer.
The behind-the-scenes creative team is led by director of photography Tim Suhrstedt, production designer Garreth Stover, editor Padraic McKinley and costume designer Pamela Withers Chilton. The music is composed and conducted by Rolfe Kent, and the music supervisor is Buck Damon.
"17 Again" will be distributed domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
This film has been rated PG-13 for language, some sexual material and teen partying.
www.17againmovie.com
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
SECOND CHANCES
At 17, Mike O'Donnell is young and in love and thinks he has all the answers. The problem is he doesn't even know the questions. And years later, he finds himself wishing he could retake the test. But as the saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for."
Zac Efron, who stars as Mike O'Donnell-at age 17 and at 17 again-remarks, "It's that grand idea of being able to go back and change the whole trajectory of your life. If you went back armed with the knowledge that you have now, what decisions would you alter and what would the outcome be?"
Burr Steers, the director of "17 Again," offers, "I think anyone can relate to being stuck on that seminal moment when a decision led you down a certain path in life, and always wondering: if you could go back and take the other route, would you?"
The screenplay was written by Jason Filardi, who says that it's not just a matter of getting a do-over. The key is retaining the memories of the first time around and trying not to follow in your old footsteps. "I have always thought there was a lot of comic potential in the saying 'If only I knew then what I know now,'" he attests. "As an adult going back to high school, you would assume knowledge is power. I mean, you would know how to work the teachers, the cliques, the sports... It would be a dream come true, right?"
Maybe not.
Producer Adam Shankman notes, "It all goes back to that fundamental idea of appreciating what we have in life and not taking anything for granted, which is a recurring theme for me, both in my personal life and in my work. Our hero, Mike O'Donnell, is at a crossroads and is disappointed in how his life turned out. And, apparently, when a man who is not where he wants to be holds a mirror up, he prefers to see Zac Efron's face," he smiles.
That's understandable, considering "when you look at him through the camera, it's just extraordinary," continues Shankman, who had just collaborated with the actor on the hit movie musical "Hairspray." "Zac just has that indefinable 'It' factor. But he is also very talented and works so hard. He's extremely dedicated; he puts so much into everything he does, and I've watched him grow leaps and bounds over the last few years."
In fact, when Shankman and his producing partner and sister, Jennifer Gibgot, got the "17 Again" script from Filardi, they immediately saw it as a perfect starring vehicle for Efron. Gibgot affirms, "We thought this would be a great opportunity to cast Zac outside of the musical comedy mold. We knew how funny he could be, and how good he is with physical comedy. He has a lot of layers that most people haven't had the opportunity to see yet."
Reading the script, the young actor appreciated that the story offered him the chance to take on a role that was literally beyond his years. "That's what initially drew me to the part," Efron says. "I've played teenagers, but it was intriguing to think about playing a guy in his 30s. That's an area I have no familiarity with. I can relate to playing a kid-I've had a first kiss, I've had awkward dates, I've had fights with my parents... But one thing I've never done is gotten into a fight with my teenage daughter," he laughs. "So having no personal experience to draw on was a little intimidating, but, at the same time, it seemed like it would be a lot of fun."
With Efron set to star, the producers chose Burr Steers to direct the film. Steers had made his feature film debut with the acclaimed indie hit "Igby Goes Down," which Shankman calls "a great character study. Burr is a terrific actors' director; that was important to us. When we met with him, he had a really interesting take on the script, which was exciting to us."
Gibgot says, "When Burr talked about what he loved about the story, it was all the same things that I loved about it. We also wanted a director with a bit of a quirky sensibility, who wasn't going to make a straight-down-the-middle comedy, and I think he really achieved that."
"The first thing that hooked me about the concept was the combination of heart and humor," recalls Steers. "And Adam and Jennifer are such fun, creative people. I was already an admirer of Adam's work-he did such an amazing job on 'Hairspray'-and Jennifer is an incredibly effective producer. She has only one agenda: to make the movie better. Then I met with Zac and we really hit it off, and that sealed the deal."
"I learned so much from Burr," Efron says. "He taught me a lot about being real in front of the camera, even in a story that takes a leap of faith, and that's where a lot of the comedy is generated from. I loved working with him."
GENERATION GAP
In "17 Again," we first see Efron as 17-year-old high school senior Mike O'Donnell, who is living a charmed life in 1989. Handsome, popular and the hero of his high school basketball team, Mike is about to take the court for the big game, the game that will make or break his future. But at that moment, his girlfriend, Scarlet, breaks the news that she is pregnant and Mike makes a pivotal decision: he gives up the game, and a sure college scholarship, choosing to be with Scarlet. Almost 20 years later, Mike's once-bright future has been overshadowed by a dead-end job, a failing marriage and two teenage kids he barely knows. And now he can't help but wonder What if...?
"At the beginning," says Efron, "there were so many doors open to him, but he gave up all those opportunities. It all came down to that one day for him; if he could go back and play in that game, he could keep his future open. I mean, what if you made one decision that made the rest of your life dull and monotonous? Of course you'd want to go back and change it."
Matthew Perry, who stars as the adult Mike O'Donnell, comments, "Everybody makes choices they regret in life, but if you're constantly looking back and I thinking, 'I wish I'd done this or that,' you're always going to be miserable. Mike is unhappy with the way his life turned out and is at the end of his rope. He needs to learn to be a little more grateful for what he has-a great wife and terrific kids-and realize that maybe he is the problem. When I read the script, I liked the character even though he's so bummed out. I could sympathize with him."
Gibgot offers, "One of the things Matthew does so brilliantly is play the lovable, put-upon guy. That's what we wanted: somebody who obviously felt all the pain and disappointment but who wasn't too heavy-handed about it, someone who you could laugh with and be rooting for. Matthew balances that better than anyone else."
"Matthew has an instant likeability factor," adds Steers. "That was key to the audience caring about this guy because, initially, Mike is just wallowing in self-pity."
As it turns out, Mike O'Donnell is still living a charmed life. After a seemingly chance encounter with a mysterious old man (Brian Doyle Murray), who somehow seems to know exactly how he is feeling, Mike is given a miraculous gift. The next time he looks in the mirror, he discovers he has been magically transformed back to the age of 17-at least outwardly. Inwardly, he is still 37 and remembers exactly who, where, and how old he truly is. Incredulity soon gives way to joy and renewed optimism as Mike realizes he has been given a second shot at the life he thought he threw away.
Although they have no actual scenes together in the film, Zac Efron and Matthew Perry enjoyed a different kind of collaboration "because we were essentially playing the same part," explains Perry. "So a lot of the rehearsal process was me reading some of his lines and him reading some of my lines and listening to the way we said certain things. He was also eager to emulate some of my mannerisms, like he noticed I have a tendency to put my hands in my pockets. So he was always watching and observing, but at the same time he was very good at making the role his own."
Efron, who takes over the part after Mike's reversal to age 17, states, "It was a blast to split the role with Matt. He has an incredible sense of comedic timing with a kind of dryness in his delivery. He's so naturally funny. Every once in a while, at odd hours of the morning, he would get a phone call from me saying, 'Hey Matt...so I have this line and I'm not really feeling it. How would you do it?' And he'd just pop out a few sarcastic jokes. He's just brilliant at it. He also has a very distinctive smile-I guess I'd call it more of a smirk-and there were other little things I noticed right off the bat that I tried to put into my performance."
Efron also had to master other physical skills. Returning to the age of 17, Mike discovers that he has not only been given back his youthful good looks but also his prowess on the basketball court, and the actor worked hard to make sure that he "had game." He acknowledges, "I wasn't really that good at basketball, so between takes I tried to have a basketball in my hands at all times. I was always spinning or playing around with it until it became like an extension of my body."
"Zac was very diligent about that," Shankman says. "It was important to him that, if he was going to be playing an all-star, he was really good with the basketball. After a while he could do all kinds of crazy tricks, and he acquired those skills with a great deal of joy and commitment. I was so proud of him."
Steers attests, "Zac worked with some coaches and we choreographed those scenes, but he really hit his shots in the film."
Surprisingly, Efron, who is no stranger to performing in front of an audience, admits that he suffered a bit of stage fright during the filming of the basketball games. "In most scenes, there are only a handful of people on the set watching you, but for the basketball scenes they filled the stands, and I really felt the pressure."
Becoming 17 again has its rewards, but there are some unique challenges, too- like the fact that Mike's wife is now old enough to be his mother. Leslie Mann plays the role of the adult Scarlet, who has grown increasingly frustrated with Mike's inability to let go of the past. But Scarlet has her own flash from the past when she meets the new teenage boy in town, "who looks remarkably like her husband did when he was in high school, which is really strange," the actress smiles. "I love any movie that has magic in it and I thought it was a great story," Mann adds, noting that she might also have had some outside influences in taking a role opposite Zac Efron. "My two daughters love him; my older one had pictures of him all over her room. And since I've worked with him I have to agree that he's adorable. We had a great time."
"I've known Leslie for far too long," Shankman teases. "She is so brilliant and funny and has a sense of wonder that was perfect for this film. I just knew she would be a terrific fit with both Zac and Matthew, and she had wonderful chemistry with both of them."
With his marriage to Scarlet on the rocks, the adult Mike has moved in with his longtime friend, Ned Gold. Mike and Ned were opposites in high school-Mike was the big man on campus and Ned was, well, not-but they were nevertheless best friends. Now, Ned has grown up from geek to techno wizard, with an undying passion for the worlds of science fiction, fantasy and comic books and the money to support his "habit." Cast in the role of Ned, Thomas Lennon explains, "Ned has an unparalleled collection of sci-fi memorabilia. Actually, a lot of the things you see in his house are things that you would see in my house...if I weren't a married adult man," he jokes. "But if I were still single, that would pretty much be my house."
Gibgot notes, "We knew it was a scene-stealing role, so we auditioned a lot of people. And when Tom came in, no one had made us laugh harder."
Steers remarks, "Tom Lennon just inhabited this part. He was so inventive-just non-stop coming up with great, funny ideas-we actually lost takes because the crew kept cracking up. And the thing that's even more hilarious about him is that he can be totally straight-faced while doing the most insane things."
"You never know what's going to happen when you're in a scene with Tom," Efron attests. "I really had to be on my toes because he would say the most random things and I would be thinking, 'What...?' But you just have to go with it. Working with Tom was one of my favorite things to do in this movie."
Although he is a science fiction fanatic, Ned is unprepared for the fantastical metamorphosis of his now not-so-old best friend. So when Ned wakes up to find a teenage intruder in his house, he reaches for the closest weapon at hand: a lightsaber.
"I think the memorabilia fight is one of the funniest scenes in the movie," Shankman states. "Our stunt coordinator, Webster Whinery, worked with Zac and Tom to choreograph the scene, and the guys really got into it."
Efron recalls, "We practiced with the stunt coordinator, but once we picked up the lightsabers, I said to Tom, 'Dude, we can pull this off,' and he agreed. So we just went for it."
"We actually trained for two months," Lennon reveals. "Basically, we would go out to the parking lot of the studio, and the stunt coordinator would chase me and swing at me with sticks until I got really good at defending myself."
Once he convinces Ned that he has, in fact, been rejuvenated, Mike goes one step further: he talks his friend into acting as his "dad" so that the faux teen can enroll in high school and restart his life. Ned's reluctance turns to rapture when he falls instantly, head-over-heels in love with the school's principal, Jane Masterson, played by Melora Hardin. Steers says, "Melora is really great at playing those authoritative characters but with an underlying warmth and humor. And she and Tom played really well off each other; it was a great pairing."
Finally back in high school, Mike O'Donnell thinks he is again on top of the world and can't wait to get back on the basketball court. But it isn't long before he discovers that being a 21st-century teen is a whole new ball game and that there is a big difference between a youthful appearance and a youthful outlook. Confronted with the uncomfortable fact that his teenage kids are now his peers, he is also treated to a firsthand look at their own teenage angst and finds that parenthood is not as easy to escape as adulthood.
Complicating matters, he has caught the interest of his daughter, Maggie, who obviously has no idea that this new kid is really her old man. "She is sort of a rebellious teen," describes Michelle Trachtenberg, who plays the role. "I liked that she is a strong girl, confident, opinionated and smart. I thought she was a fun, cool, modern teenager, which was attractive to me."
"I've been a fan of Michelle's for years, so it was a big deal for me to meet her. But it was completely strange to be playing her father," Efron laughs.
Matthew Perry echoes that thought, albeit from a slightly different perspective. "It was just disturbing to be playing the father of a teenager," he says, only half joking. "In fact, that's the true magic of the movie-that I'm playing father to a teenager. Forget about switching places; that's the thing I don't think people will believe," he deadpans.
In the film, Efron and Perry also share the role of parenting Mike's son, Alex, who, his father learns, is not exactly a chip off the old block. "He's hopeless," admits Sterling Knight, who makes his major feature film debut in the role. "He has no idea how to dress or how to talk to girls and gets picked on every day. Then this new kid comes in and takes him under his wing. The irony is that Alex had a terrible relationship with his dad. He needed guidance, and he finds what he has been lacking in his new best friend, not knowing it is, in fact, his dad."
Steers comments, "Sterling Knight has a really interesting screen presence. He has the most innocent looking face, which is so deceiving because he has a very dry sense of humor. And Michelle Trachtenberg is very, very funny and just a total pro. So we were lucky to have such a great young cast."
CLASS REUNION
Burr Steers worked with his creative team-including director of photography Tim Suhrstedt, production designer Garreth Stover and costume designer Pamela Withers Chilton-to craft a visual style for the film that subtly conveys Mike's changing perspective at the different points in his life. The director explains, "When Mike is 17, his world is bright and the colors are much more vivid. Then when he is older, he is looking at life through a tainted lens-the colors are muted and drab, reflecting the grim reality of being an adult having to support his family in a job he hates."
"17 Again" was filmed at various locations in and around Los Angeles, California. The O'Donnell home was located in a San Fernando Valley suburb, where Garreth Stover and his team transformed the backyard into a lush garden spot to reflect Scarlet's aspirations of becoming a landscape architect.
A house in the hills near Griffith Park became Ned Gold's house, which was designed to look like the ultimate fanboy retreat, right down to the bed made to look like a landspeeder from "Star Wars." "Our set decorator, Natalie Pope, did a helluva job shopping for much of the memorabilia, which ran the gamut of anything that was science fiction or comic book-oriented," Stover says. "And Lucasfilm gave us permission to use the 'Star Wars' stuff, which was wonderful of them."
Pamela Withers Chilton was also able to get wildly creative with Ned's wardrobe, which Thomas Lennon says "ranges from nerdy to totally hideous, but Ned is supposed to be rich, so it's all quite expensive. Every time they hung something in my trailer, I could hardly believe it-I wore a shiny vest that looks like it was made out of a plastic garbage bag and it was something like eleven hundred dollars. I guess the mission statement for my character was 'There's no accounting for taste.'"
Chilton offers, "Thomas Lennon is hilarious and was so much fun to work with. Putting together his wardrobe was truly a collaboration: I would go out and find pieces that struck me and then bring them in for him to try on. I think my favorite moment was when he put on an outfit and said, 'Okay, maybe we have gone too far,'" she laughs.
The costume designer says she conceived Zac Efron's clothes to reflect the transition of his character as Mike adjusts to the styles of the day. "The first time he goes to register for school, he is overly trendy and realizes that he is out of touch with the current fashion sense of teenagers. The next time we see Mike, he is trying hard to be cool in his jeans, white t-shirt and leather jacket. But as we go on, he becomes more and more comfortable in his 'new skin,' and there is no need to grandstand. He looks great, but it appears effortless."
One of the main locations utilized in "17 Again" was Santa Monica High School, where the cast and filmmakers got a taste of what it might be like to step into Mike O'Donnell's shoes...at least for the moment. Efron reflects, "The idea of going back to high school as an adult is incredible...until you actually get there. It's like this scary world of adolescent insecurities, where everyone is trying to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives. It's organized chaos."
"I would not want to go back to high school," producer Jennifer Gibgot states. "I feel lucky that I don't have to relive all those awkward phases to become the person that I am. But," she smiles, "I can happily look back on that time, and I confess I did enjoy experiencing a little bit of it again vicariously through this film."
Producer Adam Shankman concludes, "Those moments of wanting to be young again and start over is something I believe most people can relate to. I like aspirational entertainment, living out my dreams through movies. I think that's what makes movies like this so much fun."

ABOUT THE CAST
ZAC EFRON (Mike O'Donnell) is one of Hollywood's most versatile talents with an already impressive body of work that encompasses both film and television.
Efron previously worked with director Adam Shankman when he starred as the lovable Link Larkin in 2007's smash hit movie musical "Hairspray." As part of the all-star cast, he shared in a Critics Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble, the 2007 Hollywood Film Festival Award for Ensemble of the Year, and was honored with a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast. In addition, Efron won an MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance.
Efron co-starred with Ben Chaplin and Claire Danes in Richard Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles," an adaptation of the period coming-of-age novel by Robert Kaplow. Efron portrays a high school student who happens upon the yet-to-open Mercury Theatre and is then noticed by Orson Welles. The film premiered to rave reviews at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival.
Most recently, he starred in Kenny Ortega's "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," which set a box office record for the highest grossing opening weekend for a musical. Efron played the role of basketball team captain Troy Bolton, the role he originated on the small screen in the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel phenomenon "High School Musical."
Efron first garnered attention in 2006 as the star of the original "High School Musical," for which he won the Teen Choice Award for Breakout Star. He returned to the role of Troy Bolton in "High School Musical 2," which broke cable TV records with
17.5 million viewers.
Efron's additional television credits include a role on the WB series "Summerland" and guest-starring roles on such shows as "ER," "The Guardian," "CSI: Miami" and "NCIS."
On the stage, Efron has starred in the musical "Gypsy," and appeared in productions of "Peter Pan," "Mame," "Little Shop of Horrors" and "The Music Man."
MATTHEW PERRY (Mike O'Donnell - Adult) is perhaps best known for his Emmy-nominated work as Chandler Bing on NBC's long-running series "Friends." He has also earned praise for his work in a broad range of film and television projects.
Perry most recently completed an upcoming pilot for Showtime entitled "The End of Steve," in which he stars in the title role as an egomaniacal local talk show host on a reluctant path to redemption. Perry also co-wrote the script, with Peter Tolan, and serves as a co-executive producer on the project.
A four-time Emmy nominee, he received his latest Emmy nod, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, for his work in the title role of the 2006 true-life TNT telefilm "The Ron Clark Story." In addition, Perry was honored with Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® nominations for his portrayal of the dedicated teacher who left his home in North Carolina to teach in one of New York City's worst schools and went on to win the coveted Disney Teacher of the Year Award in 2002.
In 2006, Perry returned to series television to star in Aaron Sorkin's NBC drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" in a role that was written for him. He had previously worked with Sorkin when Perry played the recurring role of Joe Quincy on the series "The West Wing," garnering back-to-back Emmy nominations in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, in 2003 and 2004, for his work on the show.
Perry received his first Emmy nomination in 2002 for his starring role on "Friends." During his ten seasons on the show, he also shared in a SAG Award® and six more SAG Award® nominations for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
On the big screen, Perry recently starred in the independent feature "Birds of America," which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Craig Lucas, the film also stars Hilary Swank, Lauren Graham, Ben Foster and Ginnifer Goodwin. The year before, Perry starred in the indie feature "Numb," directed by Harris Goldberg and also starring Mary Steenburgen, Kevin Pollak and Lynn Collins. Perry also executive produced the film, which premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.
He previously starred alongside Bruce Willis in the hit comedy "The Whole Nine Yards," and re-teamed with Willis in the sequel, "The Whole Ten Yards." His other film credits include "Serving Sara," opposite Elizabeth Hurley; "Three to Tango," with Neve Campbell, Dylan McDermott and Oliver Platt; "Almost Heroes," with Chris Farley and Eugene Levy; Andy Tennant's "Fools Rush In," opposite Salma Hayek; and "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon," starring River Phoenix, which marked Perry's first feature.
In May 2003, Perry realized a long-held goal when he made his professional stage debut in London's West End in David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago," with Minnie Driver, Hank Azaria and Kelly Reilly. The production broke the record for the largest box office advance for a West End show.
Behind the camera, he made his directorial debut in 2004 with an episode of the comedy series "Scrubs." Perry also appeared in the episode as a man willing to donate a kidney to his father, who was played by his real-life father, actor John Bennett Perry.
Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Perry was raised in Ottawa, Canada. At age 15, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his father. In addition to performing in several high school stage productions, he was an avid tennis player, ranking number seventeen nationally in the junior singles category and number three in doubles.
In July 2005, Perry returned to the athletic arena to host the ESPY Awards. The broadcast earned the highest rating in the history of the ESPYs. In addition, Perry is a longtime supporter of the Lili Claire Foundation, and hosts their annual gala to raise funds for those born with Williams Syndrome and other neurogenetic birth defects.
LESLIE MANN (Scarlet) will next star in Judd Apatow's "Funny People" opposite Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. The film will be released on July 31, 2009. This summer, Mann also stars in Robert Rodriguez's family film "Shorts," joining an ensemble cast that also includes James Spader, Jon Cryer and William H. Macy.
Earlier this year, Mann co-starred with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in "I Love You Phillip Morris." Loosely based on a true story, the film was written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
In 2007, Mann starred in Judd Apatow's acclaimed film "Knocked Up," opposite Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd. Mann's performance in the film garnered her rave reviews, as well as a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the Chicago Film Critics Association. "Knocked Up" grossed over $300 million worldwide and won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Comedy. It was also nominated for a Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy Movie and was named as one of the American Film Institute's Top Ten Films of the Year.
Mann's other film credits include: "Drillbit Taylor," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Big Daddy," "The Cable Guy," "Stealing Harvard," "Orange County," "Timecode," "George of the Jungle" and "She's the One."
THOMAS LENNON (Ned Gold) is a writer and comedian from Oak Park, Illinois. He attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where he cofounded the influential sketch comedy group The State. The State's eponymous hit television series ran on MTV for three seasons, and received an ACE Award nomination for Best Comedy Series. After his work on "The State," Lennon and his partner, Robert Ben Garant, created two more hit shows: "Viva Variety," which ran for three seasons and was also an ACE Award nominee for Best Comedy Series; and "Reno 911!," on which he also plays Lt. Jim Dangle. "Reno 911!" is currently in its 6th season, and syndicated around the world.
As an actor, Lennon has appeared in numerous films, including "Le Divorce," "Heights," "Conversations with Other Women" and "Memento." He next stars in the comedy "I Love You, Man."
As a writer, he has written for the television series "The State," "Reno 911!," "Viva Variety," and "Strangers with Candy." He is also the author of four of IFC's "50 Greatest Comedy Sketches of All Time."
He and Robert Ben Garant have written nine feature films together, including: "Night at the Museum," "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian," "Taxi," "Reno 911!: Miami," "Balls of Fury," and "The Pacifier."
Lennon lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Jenny Robertson.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG (Maggie) next co-stars in the comedy "Young Americans," with Topher Grace and Anna Faris, opening in April 2009. She also costars with Joseph Fiennes in the independent drama "Against the Current," which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. On the small screen, she can presently be seen in the recurring role of Georgina Sparks on the popular CW series "Gossip Girl."
In 2006, Trachtenberg starred in director Chad Lowe's acclaimed coming-of-age tale "Beautiful Ohio," alongside William Hurt and Rita Wilson. The film screened at several festivals, including the Sarasota Film Festival, where Trachtenberg won the Breakthrough Performer Award. Her recent film work also includes the horror film "Black Christmas," with Oliver Hudson and Lacey Chabert; the title role in "Ice Princess"; Gregg Araki's independent drama "Mysterious Skin"; and the ensemble comedy "EuroTrip."
A familiar face to television audiences, Trachtenberg starred last year in the telefilm "The Circuit," opposite Bill Campbell. In addition, she has had regular, recurring or guest roles on many series, including her current stint on "Gossip Girl," as well as an earlier recurring role on HBO's award-winning series "Six Feet Under." However, she is perhaps best known for the starring role of Dawn Summers on the hit show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," for which she won a Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Young Actress in a Drama Series. In addition, she earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for her work as the host/narrator of the Discovery's "Truth or Scare."
Trachtenberg was already a busy child actress when, at age 10, she won the title role of the film "Harriet the Spy," winning a Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film. She later starred opposite Matthew Broderick in the action comedy "Inspector Gadget."
In 2003, Trachtenberg was named one of "20 Teens Who Will Change the World" by Teen People Magazine. She has also served as a spokesperson for such charities as R.A.D.D., DARE America, and the Starlight Children's Foundation. She also had the honor of representing the youth of America when then-President Clinton launched the "Coalition for a Drug Free America" campaign.
STERLING KNIGHT (Alex) makes his major feature film debut in "17 Again."
Knight is currently playing heartthrob Chad Dylan Cooper in the new Disney Channel original series "Sonny with a Chance," which premiered in February. His additional television credits include guest-starring roles on "The Closer," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Hannah Montana."
A native of Houston, Knight has starred on the stage in his hometown productions of "On Golden Pond," "Lost in Yonkers," "Bye Bye Birdie" and "The Mad Adventures of Mr. Toad."
MELORA HARDIN (Principal Jane Masterson) is today best known for her portrayal of Jan Levinson, Steve Carell's former corporate boss and love interest, on the hit NBC series "The Office." As part of the show's ensemble cast, she has shared in two Screen Actors Guild Awards® for Outstanding Performance by a Comedy Series Cast. She has also been seen on the popular USA Network series "Monk," appearing in flashback's as Monk's late wife.
Hardin will next be seen as Billy Ray Cyrus's love interest in the feature film "Hannah Montana: The Movie," which hits theaters on April 10th. She recently made her directorial debut with the independent feature "You," which is also slated for release in April 2009.
Her additional film acting work includes roles in the romantic comedy "27 Dresses," with Katherine Heigl; the sports comedy "The Comebacks"; Jason Reitman's satire "Thank You for Smoking"; the thriller "Absolute Power," with Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman; Sidney Furie's "Iron Eagle," with Louis Gossett, Jr. and Jason Gedrick; and "The North Avenue Irregulars," which marked her feature film debut. In addition, Hardin, who began her career as a child actress, has guest starred on dozens of popular television series over the past 30 years.
Also a talented singer, Hardin has performed in several productions, including the feature "The Rocketeer" and the telefilm "Tower of Terror." She has released two CDs: "Purr," in 2000, and "The Meloradrama," in 2008. On stage, she recently concluded a triumphant Broadway run as Roxie Hart in the smash hit musical "Chicago." In August 2008, Hardin played the lead role of Fantine in "Les Miserables in Concert," a one-weekend engagement that played to sold-out audiences at the famed Hollywood Bowl.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
BURR STEERS (Director) made his feature directorial debut with the acclaimed 2002 offbeat comedy drama "Igby Goes Down," starring Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum and Susan Sarandon. Steers also wrote the screenplay for the film, for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay. He was also honored as Best First Time Director at the 2003 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. Additionally, Culkin and Sarandon earned Golden Globe Award nominations for their performances in the film.
Steers subsequently co-wrote the romantic comedy hit "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," which marked the first onscreen pairing of stars Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. He is next set to direct the romantic comedy "The Fiancé," starring Anne Hathaway.
For the small screen, he has directed episodes of the HBO series "Big Love" and the Showtime series "The L Word" and "Weeds."
Prior to launching his filmmaking career, Steers was an actor. He counts among his credits such features as the indie film "The Last Days of Disco" and Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction."
JASON FILARDI (Screenwriter) made his screenwriting debut with the smash hit comedy "Bringing Down the House," directed by Adam Shankman and starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, which was one of the highest-grossing comedies of 2003. Filardi switched gears the following year, writing and executive producing the South African-set fact-based drama "Drum." The film starred Taye Diggs as Henry Nxumalo, the South African journalist whose courageous investigative reporting helped sparked the anti-apartheid movement in the 1950s.
Currently, Filardi is reunited with Shankman for their third collaboration: a remake of the classic ghostly comedy "Topper," with Steve Martin set to star.
Filardi also has several other films in development, including a comedy called "Life for Sale," and a culture clash comedy entitled "Korean Wedding," which he will also executive produce.
A graduate of George Washington University, Filardi most recently returned to his alma mater to teach a course in screenwriting.
ADAM SHANKMAN (Producer) is a multi-faceted filmmaker, who has enjoyed success as a director, producer and choreographer. He mostly recently directed the family comedy "Bedtime Stories," starring Adam Sandler and Keri Russell. Opening on Christmas Day 2008, the film went on to gross more than $192 million worldwide.
In July 2007, Shankman's "Hairspray," the feature film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, opened to rave reviews. It went on to earn more than $202 million at the worldwide box office and received three Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture - Musical or Comedy. In addition, the film's remarkable cast, including John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Zac Efron and newcomer Nikki Blonsky, won a Critics' Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble.
As a producer, Shankman and his sister, Jennifer Gibgot, are partnered in Offspring Entertainment, which currently has a wide range of projects in various stages of production and development. Offspring is next set to produce "All of Me," starring Queen Latifah in a story based on the 1984 comedy starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin. The company's upcoming projects also include "Monday Monday," about a neurotic teenager forced to relive the first day of high school until he gets it right, and, in association with Benderspink, a film revolving around a treasure hunt for adults.
Under the Offspring banner, Shankman previously produced "Step Up," directed by his co-choreographer Anne Fletcher, which grossed more than $114 million worldwide; its successful sequel, "Step Up 2: The Streets," helmed by Jon M. Chu, which earned over $148 million at the global box office; and the thriller "Premonition," starring Sandra Bullock.
Shankman began his directing career in 2001 with his debut feature, "The Wedding Planner," starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. The next year he directed the romantic drama "A Walk to Remember," starring Mandy Moore and Shane West. Shankman followed with the 2003 comedy "Bringing Down the House," starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, which was number one at the box office for three weeks in a row on its way to grossing $165 million worldwide. In 2005, he directed the action comedy "The Pacifier," starring Vin Diesel, and the family comedy "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," reuniting Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt from the 2003 comedy hit.
Prior to launching his directing and producing career, Shankman was one of the entertainment industry's premiere dance and physical comedy choreographers, putting his creative stamp on many well-known comedies, dramas, thrillers, and animated films. His projects include "The Addams Family," "Casper," "Inspector Gadget," "Anastasia," "George of the Jungle," "Boogie Nights," "Miami Rhapsody," and "The Flintstones," for which he was nominated for a Bob Fosse Award. Shankman also won a Bob Fosse Award for his commercial work with Simon West.
At age 24, Shankman teamed up with influential video director Julian Temple as a music video choreographer. One of his first videos as choreographer was Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight." In addition, he has choreographed videos for the B-52s, Barry White, Aaron Neville, Chic, and Stevie Wonder.
A native of Los Angeles, Shankman developed a love for the theatre at an early age. Following high school, he moved to New York and attended the Juilliard School. After five years as an actor and dancer on the stages of New York and regional theatre, he moved back to Los Angeles and began dancing in music videos for such artists as Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson. He also performed at the 1989 Academy Awards®.
JENNIFER GIBGOT (Producer) began her producing career in 1995 running Tapestry Films. During her eight-year tenure at Tapestry, she set up numerous projects and produced such successful films as "She's All That" and "The Wedding Planner," starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. Gibgot hired her brother, Adam Shankman, who was already an established choreographer, to helm "The Wedding Planner," which launched his directing career.
In 2003, Gibgot and Shankman formed Offspring Entertainment and signed a first-look deal at Disney. Gibgot went on to serve as an executive producer on the Shankman-directed films "The Pacifier," starring Vin Diesel, and the family comedy "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. In addition, Gibgot and Shankman teamed to produce the dance movie hit "Step Up" and its even more successful sequel, "Step Up 2: The Streets."
Under the Offspring banner, Gibgot and Shankman executive produced the 2007 smash hit musical "Hairspray," starring John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Zac Efron and newcomer Nikki Blonsky. Directed and choreographed by Shankman, "Hairspray" earned more than $202 million at the worldwide box office and received several honors, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy.
Most recently, Offspring produced the comedy hit "Bedtime Stories," which opened on Christmas Day 2008. The family comedy, starring Adam Sandler and Keri Russell, has grossed more than $192 million worldwide.
Offspring is currently in pre-production on "Step Up 3D," as well as a movie starring Miley Cyrus, based on a novel by best-selling author Nicholas Sparks.
TOBY EMMERICH (Executive Producer) is President and Chief Operating Officer for New Line Cinema.
From 2001 to 2008, he was President of Production and oversaw the most successful period in company history, thanks to the success of such hits as the Oscar®winning "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy; "Wedding Crashers," which was 2005's highest-grossing comedy; "Monster-in-Law"; "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"; "Elf"; "The Notebook"; "Hairspray"; and "Sex and the City." Under the New Line banner, he was more recently an executive producer on such films as "Journey to the Center of the Earth," "Four Christmases" and "He's Just Not That Into You."
A longtime studio veteran, Emmerich previously served as President of New Line Music. He has also worked as a screenwriter and producer; he wrote and produced the New Line sleeper hit film "Frequency."
Emmerich attended Wesleyan University. He currently serves on the boards of directors for both the Neil Bogart Foundation and the American Cinematheque, and is on the board of trustees for The Calhoun School in New York City.
MARK KAUFMAN (Executive Producer) is Executive Vice President of production at Unique Features, a newly formed production company headed by New Line Cinema founder Bob Shaye and his longtime business partner Michael Lynne.
Over the course of his 15 years at New Line Cinema, Kaufman played an instrumental role in the studio's music, film production and theatrical divisions. As a film production executive, he oversaw such films as "Secondhand Lions," "Take the Lead" and "Hairspray." He more recently served as an executive producer on the hit holiday comedy "Four Christmases," starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, and he is also an executive producer on the upcoming drama "My Sister's Keeper," due out this June.
Kaufman holds a M.F.A. in Film Studies from Columbia University and a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania.
KEITH GOLDBERG (Executive Producer) is a Senior Vice President at Darkhorse Entertainment. He is currently producing the action comedy "Furry Vengeance," being directed by Roger Kumble and starring Brendan Fraser.
Prior to joining Darkhorse, Goldberg was a Vice President of Development at New Line Cinema, where he oversaw the production of such films as "Rendition," "Mr. Woodcock" and "The Number 23."
JASON BARRETT (Executive Producer) is a principal at Alchemy Entertainment, which represents many notable actors, as well as writers and directors. In 2007, Alchemy and LL Cool J partnered with Anthony Zuiker, the creator of the "CSI" television franchise, to produce a one-hour pilot for CBS entitled "The Man."
Barrett started his career at the age of 16, creating Barrett Sports Enterprises (BSE), which promoted baseball card shows and booked personal appearances for athletes. At BSE, he worked with such legendary athletes as Dave Winfield, Jose Canseco, Hank Aaron and Willy Mays, to name only a few.
At age 21, Barrett landed a job at International Creative Management (ICM), starting out in the mailroom. In four short years, he worked his way up to become one of the youngest agents at the company, representing a number of high-profile clients. In 2001, Jim Wiatt departed ICM to become CEO of the William Morris Agency (WMA). Six months later, Barrett joined him at WMA, bringing a majority of his clients with him.
Near the end of 2004, Barrett left the agency to start up Alchemy Entertainment.
TIM SUHRSTEDT (Director of Photography) has lensed more than 50 films ranging from major studio releases to small independent features, including the recent Oscar®-winning sleeper hit "Little Miss Sunshine." He is also an Emmy-winning television cinematographer.
His upcoming film credits include "This Side of the Truth," written and directed by and starring Ricky Gervais; "The Marc Pease Experiment," starring Ben Stiller; "All About Steve," starring Sandra Bullock; and "Extract," for writer/director Mike Judge.
Suhrstedt previously collaborated with Judge on the features "Idiocracy" and "Office Space." His other film credits include "The Brothers Solomon," "Clockstoppers," "Summer Catch," "The Wedding Singer," "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday," "Noises Off...," "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" and "Mystic Pizza."
Suhrstedt won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for his work on the television series "Chicago Hope." He more recently returned to the medical drama genre, serving as the cinematographer on multiple episodes of the hit series "Grey's Anatomy."
GARRETH STOVER (Production Designer) has designed for a wide range of film and television projects. His work will next be seen in Rob Zombie's horror film "H2: Halloween 2," set for release in August.
He has collaborated with director Jon Turteltaub on four movies: "The Kid," "Instinct," "Phenomenon" and "While You Were Sleeping." Among Stover's other film credits are the live-action adventure comedy "Underdog"; "Christmas with the Kranks" and "America's Sweethearts," both for director Joe Roth; Gary Winick's "13 Going on 30"; Barry Sonnenfeld's "Big Trouble"; and Diane Keaton's "Unstrung Heroes."
For the small screen, Stover most recently served as the production designer on Lifetime's acclaimed original movie "Prayers for Bobby," a fact-based drama starring Sigourney Weaver. He also worked on multiple episodes of the Showtime series "Californication." His television credits also include such longform projects as "Family Man"; Jon Favreau's "Smog"; the HBO movie "The Late Shift"; the Mimi Leder-directed telefilms "Baby Brokers" and "There Was a Little Boy"; and "Wildflower," directed by Diane Keaton.
Stover studied for a year at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, received a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from UCLA and did graduate studies in Biochemistry at Columbia University. His work has been featured in Architectural Digest and Cinematographer, and he has co-authored several scientific articles in Cell and Nature.
PADRAIC McKINLEY (Editor) edited last year's biographical sports drama "The Express," directed by Gary Fleder and starring Dennis Quaid. He is currently working on the upcoming family film "Eloise in Paris," for director Charles Shyer.
He had earlier collaborated with Shyer on the remake of the film "Alfie," starring Jude Law. McKinley first worked with director Burr Steers as an editor on the offbeat independent film "Igby Goes Down." His film credits also include "Bordertown," written and directed by Gregory Nava, and the romantic drama "If Only." He also served as an additional editor on Reggie Rock Bythewood's "Dancing in September."
For television, McKinley has edited episodes of such diverse series as "Lie to Me," "Dexter," "The Shield" and Gregory Nava's acclaimed PBS drama "American Family."
In 2007, McKinley was listed in the Hollywood Reporter's Next Generation issue.
PAMELA WITHERS CHILTON (Costume Designer) served as the costume designer on the Adam Shankman-directed films "Bringing Down the House," starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, and "The Wedding Planner," pairing Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey.
She has also frequently collaborated with acclaimed filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrelly, most notably as the costume designer on the comedies "Shallow Hal," "Osmosis Jones" and "Me, Myself & Irene." Additionally, Withers Chilton served as assistant costume designer on the Farrelly brothers' smash hit comedy "There's Something About Mary" and as costume supervisor on "Kingpin" and "Dumb and Dumber."
Her additional film credits as costume designer include "Kicking & Screaming," "Sleepover," "American Wedding," "A Guy Thing," "Nobody's Baby" and "Dude, Where's My Car?"
Withers Chilton has also designed costumes for several television series, including Lifetime's "Rita Rocks" and the WB sitcom "Living with Fran," starring Fran Drescher.
ROLFE KENT (Composer) has created the music for more than 40 feature films. He earned Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award nominations for his score for Alexander Payne's acclaimed comedy drama "Sideways," and also collaborated with Payne on the films "About Schmidt," "Election" and "Citizen Ruth."
Kent has worked with director Mark Waters on five films, most recently including the upcoming romantic comedy "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner and opening May 1st. Kent also wrote the music for the Waters-directed films "Just Like Heaven," "Mean Girls," "Freaky Friday" and "The House of Yes." In addition, Kent has repeatedly worked with director Richard Shepard, scoring the films "The Hunting Party," "The Matador," "Mexico City" and "Oxygen."
Kent's film composing credits also include Neil Burger's indie drama "The Lucky Ones"; Mike Binder's "Reign Over Me"; the satire "Thank You for Smoking," directed by Jason Reitman; David Dobkin's comedy hit "Wedding Crashers"; "Legally Blonde" and its sequel, "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde"; Neil LaBute's "Nurse Betty"; and Paul Greengrass's "The Theory of Flight."
In 2007, Kent received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music for the Showtime series "Dexter."
Born in England, Kent began his musical career creating compositions for Peter Morgan's stage musical "Gross" at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a springboard for authors, composers and performers.