The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • E3

FRIDAY E3 THE FRESNO BEE-PRERUNTHE FRESNO BEE PRERUN 3 E3 Logical Page is THE FRESNO 17:18 By Rick Bentley The Fresno Bee Edward Speleers was heavily into rehearsals for his production of in Chichester, England. A passing sugges- tion took Speleers from that tragedy to probable stardom. drama teacher told me there was going to be an audition for a film and that I should Speleers, now 18, says during a telephone interview from San Francisco. The fact Speleers is chatting with the press instead of finalizing travel plans with some of his buddies back in England is a huge clue that Speleers went to the audition and landed the role. The unknown actor is the star of The big-budget fantasy film swoops into theaters today.

is based on the novel by Christopher Paolini. The book deals with a mythology where Dragon Riders had once brought peace to the land of Alagae- sia. The evil Galbatorix eliminated all of the dragons to give himself the ultimate power. Eragon (Speleers) discovers an egg that hatches a new age of Dragon Riders. The book, released in 2003, spent 87 consecutive weeks on The New York Times best-sell- er list and 21 consecutive months on Weekly young adult fiction best-seller list.

More than 2.5 million copies have been sold in North America. Speleers may have been the star of his school productions, but he has never even been in a movie, let alone been its star. He auditioned for roles in Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the and Nothing came from those tryouts. The young actor actually hates the casting process. He was able to face the necessary evil because he had read the book.

That gave him a little extra background to use in the audition. did have a good feeling after the Speleers says. So did first-time director, longtime visual effects master Stefen Fangmeier. a good thing he liked audition. The young actor was cast just weeks before the movie started filming in Eastern Europe.

first, the studio wanted to age up the film. They wanted to go with a story about someone who was 20-22 instead of a teenager. We were concentrating on guys that Fangmeier says of the auditions. Both the director and studio realized that the way the book was written just fit with casting an older star. The audition process started again.

Foul winter weather in Eastern Europe meant the crew only had a short time to film. Any delay in starting that would eventually force the crew to work past Novem- ber, meaning the production would have to be delayed a year. Fangmeier put the 10 best auditions of the younger actors on a DVD for studio executives. The executives agreed with the director that Speleers was the best choice. The director says there were numerous other reasons Speleers was cast.

The fact the young actor has not starred in a film means that moviegoers will not come with any preconceived notions about him. his story is a real parallel to Eragon. Both start out in this small place, and through their journeys, reach this magical Fangmeier says. Most of the film was shot chronologically. That helped, since Speleers, like Eragon, was young and learning during the initial days of filming.

The director sur- rounded his young star with Jeremy Irons and other veteran actors, who became mentors to him. The reality of what he had accomplished hit Speleers during filming in Slovakia. A helicopter lifted him to the top of a mountain to film a scene. He looked at his surroundings and thought to himself: going on here? supposed to be at school taking my exams, and here having the best time of my Even good times have some bad moments. Speleers had to learn how to act with imagi- nary creatures that would not be added until a year later through computer wizardry.

He also spent hours suspend- ed 20 feet above the studio loor atop a machine that simulated how a dragon would ly. Speleers tore tendons in his wrist when he almost fell from the rigging. Fangmeier also was going through his own growth. He has a lengthy as a special effects artist on movies such as and 2: Judgment It was his work on two Steven Spielberg films, Private and that gave the novice director the keys to dealing with being a director on the big-budget movie. wanted to make a film that starts small and expands.

In visual effects, I could wow and thrill an audience. I wanted to make a film that would make people feel deeper emotionally. I learned that working with Fangmeier says. The director says he felt he was able to bond with his young star because they were both novices. That connection never would have been made had Speleers not heeded the words of his drama teacher.

I had not gone to that audition, I would be hanging out with my friends and working at a pub or as a gardener. I would have been working to save money so I could Speleers says. The reporter can be reached at or at (559) 441-6355. Edward Speleers career colleges, inc. 432-4343 A Beauty College and More.

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If this sounds like not just a fantasy, but a teenage fantasy, right. Instead of being required to prove yourself worthy of interacting with the adult world by showing responsibility or courage, or at least working your way up the ladder by doing grunt jobs first getting the nod from a dragon means you get to play with the big boys from the start. Aging mentor Brom (an appropriate- ly grizzled Jeremy Irons, looking only slightly peeved that he get cast in of the tells our hero: must try to understand, your life No wonder this film is going to be so popular with boys ages 10-14. Its appeal to audiences older and younger than that is limited; it have the wit or complexity of Lord of the for adults, and too scary (and dawdling) for little ones. In the title character (an appealing Edward Speleers) figures destined to life on the farm.

But these are ominous times. The evil King Galbatorix (John Malkovich doing the bored-villain thing) rules with an iron hand. When word comes that a dragon egg is about to hatch the great winged creatures were wiped out in a coup Galbatorix orders his chief henchman, Durza (Robert Carlyle), to destroy it. where Eragon gets entangled. The dragon, born a chirpy little thing, has chosen him.

Together they must find the Varden rebels, not hairstylists) and fight the Urgals (the brutish troops who serve the king). is larded with familiar motifs: the orphaned hero, the tragic loss of a father figure, the captured princess, the mismatched-buddy routine. (The dragon, Saphira, is voiced by Rachel Weisz, and she seems oddly miscast, sounding more like Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil than as a strong female figure. Maybe it should have been Sandra Bernhard.) Director Stefen Fangmeier puts together these motifs painstakingly by the numbers, and if many of the elements are boringly deriva- tive creepy and menacing castle looks like it was picked up at a of the clearance sale), at least the lying sequences fall lat. Like any self-respecting fantasy franchise, this one comes in installments, and the film blatantly sets itself up for a sequel.

The studio had better hurry on this one, however. Kids who enjoy are going to outgrow it as fast as a dragon making an emergency landing. The reporter can be reached at or (559) 441-6373. Continued from Page E1 star swoops out of nowhereEragon: Casting for Saphirawas not exactly inspired YOUR MOVIE DESTINATION Opens Friday, December 15 559.299.0660 www.sierravistamall.com Southeast corner Clovis and Shaw Avenues, Clovis Grand Opening Weekend something in it for you fresnobee.com the fresno bee MOVIES friday, december 15, 2006 page E3.