title: Jurassic Park III

text: Sam Neill signed to the project in June 2000, reprising his role from the first film as Dr. Alan Grant. Johnston later described Grant in the third film as being more cynical and sarcastic following the character's experience in the first film. Neill was happy to return, as he felt his performance in the first film could have been better. Hawaii was confirmed as a filming location for a three-week shoot, and filming overall was expected to take 18 weeks. Filming was scheduled to begin by August 2000, with a projected release in July 2001. William H. Macy originally turned down his role due to scheduling conflicts, so filming was delayed by a month. Macy had been working with Laura Dern on the 2001 film "Focus", and she urged him to accept the role in "Jurassic Park III". Trevor Morgan and Téa Leoni were subsequently announced as cast members.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Johnston felt that Buchman's draft was too complicated, particularly in getting Alan Grant back to an island of dinosaurs. When screenwriter David Koepp held discussions with Johnston, Koepp suggested the simpler "rescue mission" plot. Koepp had written the previous two films, but had no involvement in writing the script for "Jurassic Park III". In July 2000, about five weeks before filming began, Johnston and Spielberg rejected the entire second script because they were dissatisfied with it; $18 million had already been spent on the film, which had been storyboarded and budgeted. Some set-building had already begun, as well. The rejection came after Johnston and Spielberg approved Koepp's story idea, believing it to be superior to the earlier story. Many sequences from the second rejected draft, and some from the original draft, were incorporated into the final film as a way of salvaging the work that had been put into the project up to that point. At the time, Utah's Dinosaur National Monument and a military base at Oahu were being considered as filming locations.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor began rewriting Buchman's script in July 2000, while Spielberg signed a deal with Universal to receive 20% of the film's profits. Payne and Taylor were hired to improve the film's characters and story, as the script primarily consisted of action. They were surprised to receive the writing offer, as the project differed from past films on which they had worked, but Universal had been impressed with their rewrite on the studio's film "Meet the Parents". Payne and Taylor were not hardcore fans of the "Jurassic Park" franchise, although Taylor enjoyed its premise. The two writers watched the previous "Jurassic Park" films and spent the next four weeks writing their draft of the script.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Payne and Taylor had previously written "Citizen Ruth" (1996), which starred Dern. She had also portrayed Ellie in the first "Jurassic Park" film. The character was absent from the previous "Jurassic Park III" script, so Payne and Taylor decided to write in a small part for Dern to reprise the role. She was initially hesitant to reappear only for a cameo, so Spielberg suggested that Ellie have an important role in saving the characters on the island. Dern was convinced after learning that Payne and Taylor were working on the script. In one draft, Neill and Dern's characters were a couple in the process of splitting up. Johnston said: "I didn't want to see them as a couple anymore. For one thing, I don't think they look like a couple. It would be uncomfortable to still see them together. And Laura Dern doesn't look like she's aged for the past 15 years!"


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Buchman made subsequent revisions to the script, and John August did uncredited work on it, as well. Much of the humor added by Payne and Taylor was not used in the final film. According to Payne: "We gave them a new script, and then we saw the movie, and it's all action. They took the rest out!" Writing credit ultimately went to Buchman, Payne, and Taylor. Johnston described the final film as simpler, faster-moving, and more intense than the earlier films.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: A final draft of the script was never completed during production. While the first act was mostly in place, the middle portion of the script was not as complete, and the ending had yet to be written. Principal photography began on August 30, 2000, and it lasted five months. Filming the script was a lengthy process because of technical preparations before scenes. Macy criticized the project during filming. Commenting on the slow pace of filming, Macy said "we would do a quarter-page, [or] some days, an eighth of a page. And that would be a full 12-hour day". Johnston said that filming ultimately went over schedule by a few days, primarily because of weather and unexpected technical issues, although he was satisfied with how the schedule eventually turned out considering these issues.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Macy also noted that executive producer Spielberg was not seen on set, despite a chair bearing his name that was always present, with Macy saying, "You don't know if it's a threat or a promise!" Spielberg was busy creating the 2001 film "A.I. Artificial Intelligence". While Macy was impressed with the "Jurassic Park III" footage, he criticized the project for starting without a finished script: "The script has been evolving and being rewritten as we go, and what you want to say is, 'Who launched a $100 million ship without a rudder, and who's getting fired for this?' But that's the way it goes. That's the way they make these movies... big deal. I think someone should be shot, but I'm not in charge". Johnston said the actors went through an uncomfortable production shoot and that Macy may have simply made the critical comments on a bad day of filming. As the film approached its release, Macy said: "It was about the most amazing thing I've ever done in this business".


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Johnston thought about quitting the project on a few occasions because of uncertainty about how the film would turn out, considering that it did not have a finished script. He said that making the film was "a living hell on a daily basis", and that shooting without a finished script was "nerve-wracking, but it was also a way of freeing up the whole creative process. We could literally decide on the day how we wanted a scene to progress. I'm not saying it's the way to make movies, but it gives you more freedom". Johnston said the actors were "very flexible" and that they dealt with the lack of a finished script "the best they could". Alessandro Nivola criticized the film after its release, saying in a 2002 interview: "It was like the only part I've ever done that just had nothing for me to latch on to, character-wise. [...] It was kind of maddening". The actors were frequently bruised during filming. Leoni said "more of my makeup was to cover the real bruises than to create fake ones". Michael Lantieri, who worked on the previous films, returned as the special effects consultant. Lantieri said that "Jurassic Park III" was the most physically demanding film of the series: "We had a cast that was willing to get real bruises and bumps, be around real heat, and actually go underwater".


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Filming began at Dillingham Airfield in Mokulēia, Hawaii, and continued on Oahu during early September 2000. Filming in Oahu included Heeia Kea Ranch. Aerial footage of Molokai's North Shore cliffs was then filmed over a two-day period, followed by a week of filming in Kauai, where locations included Hanalei Valley and rain forests in the Manoa Valley. Filming in Hawaii concluded in mid-September 2000, after scenes were shot at the South Fork of Kauai's Wailua River. By that time, John August had been hired to do the uncredited script revisions, which were followed by additional work from Buchman. Macy also wrote a scene.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: After the Hawaii shoot, production moved to California. A dinosaur lecture given by the character of Alan Grant was filmed at Occidental College in Los Angeles on October 10, 2000. Scenes were filmed at Center Bay Studios in Los Angeles at the end of October. Other filming locations in California included a rock quarry in Irwindale, while the interior of the InGen compound was filmed in a warehouse located east of downtown Los Angeles. Another scene was filmed at El Mirage Lake, where Udesky and the mercenaries prepare for their visit to Isla Sorna. Dern's small role as Ellie was filmed in a day. Scenes set at Ellie's house were filmed in South Pasadena, California.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Filming subsequently moved to Universal Studios' backlot in Los Angeles for 96 days. Production designer Ed Verreaux and greensman Danny Ondrejko created a jungle rain forest at Universal's Stage 12. Ondrejko and his 14-member team took two months to create the jungle set, and Lantieri's team created mist and fog through the use of pipes. Johnston was impressed with the set and had difficulty distinguishing it from the jungles in Hawaii.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: The most challenging scene for Lantieri was the "Spinosaurus" attack on the plane, which was filmed on a soundstage. Lantieri's team built four plane props for the scene. The beginning of the scene depicts the crashed airplane in a tree, above ground, before the plane later falls to the ground and is rolled around by the "Spinosaurus". For the early portion of the sequence, Lantieri created a pneumatic gimbal disguised as a tree, with the plane placed on top. The gimbal had 100 horsepower and was powered by hydraulics and hoses. It allowed the plane to be shaken and tilted. The plane also had a breakaway cockpit area for a shot in which the "Spinosaurus" tears the front end off. A later portion of the attack scene required close collaboration with Winston's team, which created a full-scale "Spinosaurus" leg prop, controlled by puppeteers. The leg, suspended in the air by two poles, was slammed down into one of the plane fuselage props for a series of shots. Another prop plane was rigged with a hydraulic machine, which crushed the fuselage from the inside, giving the impression that it was being crushed by the "Spinosaurus". With another prop plane, the actors were filmed inside the fuselage as it is rolled around. The actors agreed to do their own stunts for the scene, which Macy compared to being inside a clothes dryer. Stunt people were only used for one shot during this scene.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: The film is the first in the series not to be based on a novel, although it includes characters and ideas from Crichton, who wrote the novels that inspired the previous two films. For "Jurassic Park III", Crichton received a "based on characters created by" credit. Scenes involving a pterosaur aviary and a "T. rex"s attempted attack on a river raft were featured in the first novel "Jurassic Park" (1990). Although these scenes were absent from the novel's film adaptation, they were added into "Jurassic Park III". The film's "Spinosaurus" attack on the boat is a modified version of the scene from the novel. At Falls Lake, located on the Universal lot, Verreaux and his team built a giant rock wall as part of a set that would depict InGen's "Pteranodon" aviary. Three months were spent laying foam blocks that were molded by hand to form jagged rock. A team subsequently built a 10-story, three-sided scaffold covered with netting to simulate the aviary. The aviary scene was filmed in early December 2000. The set was then redecorated for the nighttime exterior sequence in which the "Spinosaurus" attacks the boat. The scene involved rain and fire and took nine nights of filming. Part of the scene required Macy to stand on a giant crane and distract the "Spinosaurus". Macy fell off the crane, but had a harness. Another portion of the scene required the actors to perform under water. The scene depicting the satellite phone in "Spinosaurus" feces was filmed using of oatmeal.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: In a November 2000 draft of the script, the U.S. State Department was to send in a helicopter and Ellie to rescue the characters, with Ellie explaining that she arrived thanks to a good friend at the department. This ending was not considered exciting enough, resulting in the final ending with the Marines and Navy coming to rescue the characters, while excluding Ellie from coming to the island. In the final film, Ellie's husband is an employee of the State Department, although his involvement in rescuing the group is not specified. The new ending was written in December, and the Pentagon lent two Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawks to the production, as well as four assault amphibious vehicles and 80 Marines. Production returned to Hawaii in January 2001 to film the ending on Kauai's Pila'a Beach. The film's longest rough cut without credits was around 96 minutes long. The final film, including credits, is 92 minutes, making it the shortest installment in the series.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: As with the previous films, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) provided dinosaurs through computer-generated imagery (CGI), while Stan Winston and his team provided animatronics. The animatronics were more advanced than those used in previous films, and included the ability to blink, for an increased sense of realism. While animatronics were used for close-up shots, other scenes used sticks with pictures of dinosaur heads attached, as placeholders to which the actors could react. Puppeteers worked together to create the "T. rex", "Spinosaurus", and "Velociraptor" movements. Multiple puppeteers were assigned to operate different parts of each animatronic dinosaur, and in some cases, hours of practice were needed for a dinosaur's puppeteers to perform in synchrony. The animatronics were powerful and considered dangerous, as one wrong move could kill someone. One scene, depicting Udesky's death, was filmed with Winston team member John Rosengrant wearing a partial raptor suit. Winston's team took roughly 13 months to design and create the various practical dinosaurs. ILM scanned dinosaur sculptures, also created by Winston's team, to create the computer-generated versions of the animals. ILM also designed some dinosaurs entirely through CGI, including "Ankylosaurus" and "Brachiosaurus". New dinosaurs not featured in earlier films included the "Ankylosaurus", in addition to "Ceratosaurus" and "Corythosaurus".


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Paleontologist Jack Horner worked as the film's technical advisor, as he had done for the previous films. Horner was brought on early in the film's development when story ideas were being considered. After two films, the filmmakers wanted to replace the "T. rex" with a new dinosaur antagonist. "Baryonyx" was originally considered, and early concept posters reflected this. Horner ultimately convinced the filmmakers to replace the "T. rex" with the larger "Spinosaurus", an animal which had a distinctive sail on its back. Johnston said that "a lot of dinosaurs have a very similar silhouette to the "T. rex" ... and we wanted the audience to instantly recognize this as something else". Horner hypothesized that "T. rex" was more of a scavenger, while "Spinosaurus" was a true predator. The roars of the "Spinosaurus" in the film were created by mixing the low guttural sounds of a lion and an alligator, a bear cub crying, and a lengthened cry of a large bird that gave the roars a raspy quality.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Winston and his sculptors created an initial "Spinosaurus" design, and Horner then provided his scientific opinion. Winston's team began with a 1/16 maquette version of the "Spinosaurus", before creating a 1/5-scale version with more detail, leading to the creation of the final, full-scale version. The process took 10 months. The "Spinosaurus" animatronic was built from the knees up, while full body shots of the animal were done through CGI. The "Spinosaurus" animatronic measured 44 feet long, weighed 13 tons and was faster and more powerful than the 9-ton "T. rex". Winston and his team had to remove a wall to get the "Spinosaurus" animatronic out of Winston's studio, located in Van Nuys, California. It was then transported by flatbed truck to the jungle set at Universal Studios' Stage 12. Verreaux had to design the set to accommodate the dinosaur. At the soundstage, the "Spinosaurus" was placed on a track that allowed the creature to be moved backward and forward. Four Winston technicians were required to fully operate the "Spinosaurus" animatronic.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: The fight between the "Spinosaurus" and "T. rex" was one of the last scenes shot for the film, and the two animatronics were put to extensive use for the fight. A "T. rex" animatronic from the previous film was re-skinned for its appearance in "Jurassic Park III". The "Spinosaurus" animatronic was so powerful that it ripped the head off of the "T. rex" during filming. Johnston said the fight was meant as a modern homage to various earlier films that featured dinosaurs created by Ray Harryhausen. An early script featured a death sequence for the "Spinosaurus" near the end of the film, as Alan Grant would use the resonating chamber to call a pack of raptors which would attack and kill it.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Because of new discoveries and theories in the field of paleontology, several dinosaurs are portrayed differently in this film from in previous ones. Discoveries suggesting velociraptors were feathered prompted the addition of quill-like structures on the head and neck of the males in the film. Horner said: "We've found evidence that velociraptors had feathers, or feather-like structures, and we've incorporated that into the new look of the raptor".


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Spielberg insisted that Johnston include "Pteranodons", which had been removed from the previous films for budget reasons, with the exception of a brief appearance in "The Lost World: Jurassic Park". The "Pteranodons" featured in "Jurassic Park III" are a fictionalized version of the actual animal. The animals were created with a combination of animatronics and puppetry. Winston and his team created a "Pteranodon" model with a wingspan of 40 feet, although the creatures are predominantly featured in the film through CGI. ILM animators studied footage of bats and birds while in flight, and also closely worked with a "Pteranodon" expert to create the creatures' flight movements. Winston's team also designed and created five rod puppets to depict baby pteranodons in a nest, with puppeteers working underneath the nest to control them. Johnston chose the pteranodons to end the film because he wanted an ending shot of "these creatures being beautiful and elegant". At one point, there were discussions about a final sequence in which the pteranodons would attack the survivors in their helicopter after departing from the island. This was scrapped for budgetary reasons.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: The film contains more than 400 effects shots, about twice the number featured in the two previous films combined. Most of the shots were for the fight between the "T. rex" and "Spinosaurus", and for the "Pteranodon" aviary sequence. Less than half of the 400 effects shots involved dinosaurs, as the animators also had to focus on environmental surroundings, such as jungle foliage brushed by dinosaurs. Some shots were only a few seconds long, but required months of work.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Composer John Williams, who worked on the previous films, was busy writing the music for "A.I. Artificial Intelligence"; he recommended Don Davis to write the "Jurassic Park III" score. Williams' original themes and several new ones—such as one for the "Spinosaurus" that focused on low sounds, with tubas, trombones, and timpani—were integrated into the score. The fight between the "Spinosaurus" and the "Tyrannosaurus", which Davis compared to King Kong's fight with dinosaurs in the 1933 film, juxtaposes the "Spinosaurus" theme with the one Williams wrote for the "T. rex". In addition, "Big Hat, No Cattle", a song by Randy Newman, was used in a restaurant scene. The soundtrack was released in July 2001.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: A teaser trailer of "Jurassic Park III" was released online in September 2000, which was also found on the DVD releases of its predecessors. The first image from the film was released four months later. Universal avoided excessive early marketing to prevent a possible backlash; the studio believed awareness of the film was already sufficient. Marketing began in April 2001, three months before the film's release. The first footage from the film was aired during the second-season finale of "Survivor" in May 2001, and the official website went online at the end of June. Promotional partners included Kodak and the Coca-Cola Company. No fast-food promotions took place in the United States, although children's meal toys based on the film were offered in Canadian Burger King outlets.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: A novelization by Scott Ciencin, aimed at young children, was published, as well. Ciencin also wrote three children's books to tie in with the film's events: "Jurassic Park Adventures: Survivor", the first book, details the eight weeks Eric spent alone on Isla Sorna; "Jurassic Park Adventures: Prey" has Eric and Alan returning to Isla Sorna to rescue a group of teenage filmmakers; and "Jurassic Park Adventures: Flyers" involves Eric and Alan leading the "Pteranodon" home after they nest in a Universal Studios theme park.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: In early 2001, Hasbro released a line of action figures including electronic dinosaurs, humans, and vehicles, to coincide with the film's release. The figures were scaled down from the original Kenner action figures from the pre-"Jurassic Park III" toy lines. A line of toys were also released through the Lego Studios brand. Playskool released a line of toys called Jurassic Park Junior, which were aimed at young children. A smaller line of die-cast toys and a range of clothes were also produced. In November 2001, to promote the film's impending home media release, Universal launched a viral marketing website for Isla Travel, a fictional Isla Sorna travel agency.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: For the film's home media release, Universal partnered with cell-phone company Hop-On to produce "the world's first disposable cell phone", which would have been available through an in-package offer upon purchase of the film. The telephones were to be delivered free to customers who responded to a winning promotional card that was supplied with selected copies of the film. Around 5,000 copies of the film contained a winning promotional card; around 1,000 of them were redeemed.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: The promotion was cancelled because the handsets could not be finished on time. An investigation by the "San Francisco Chronicle" revealed that sample versions of Hop-On's cell phones were actually modified Nokia handsets; Hop-On was having problems with its own design. Customers who were to receive the cell phones received a $30 check and a free DVD, instead.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: "Jurassic Park III" premiered at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California, on July 16, 2001; two days later the film was released in the United States and other countries. Neill, a resident of New Zealand, hosted the film's Australasian premiere in the city of Dunedin in August.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: The film was released on VHS and DVD on December 11, 2001. It was re-released with both sequels in December as the "Jurassic Park Trilogy", and as the "Jurassic Park Adventure Pack" in November 2005. In 2011, the film was released on Blu-ray as part of the "Jurassic Park: Ultimate Trilogy" Blu-ray collection. "Jurassic Park III" is also included in the "Jurassic Park" 4K UHD Blu-ray collection, which was released on May 22, 2018.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: "Jurassic Park III" opened on July 18, 2001 with $19 million. At the time, it had the second-highest Wednesday opening of any film, after "". In just five days, it generated a total of $80.9 million. The film had also grossed $50.3 million during its three-day opening weekend. When the film opened, it had the fourth-highest July opening weekend, behind "Independence Day", "Men in Black" and "X-Men". This marked the first time that four consecutive films had made an opening weekend over $45 million, joining "Planet of the Apes", "Rush Hour 2" and "American Pie 2". Additionally, it was one of the four consecutive Universal films of 2001 to gross $40 million in their opening weekends, with "The Mummy Returns", "The Fast and the Furious" and "American Pie 2" being the others. The film ultimately earned $181.2 million in the United States and $368.8 million worldwide, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year worldwide. Despite this, it is the lowest-grossing film in the franchise.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 48% based on 186 reviews, with an average rating of 5.30/10. The site's critics consensus reads: ""Jurassic Park III" is darker and faster than its predecessors, but that doesn't quite compensate for the franchise's continuing creative decline." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale. On Metacritic, it was the lowest-rated film of the "Jurassic Park" franchise until the release of "Jurassic World Dominion" in 2022 and remains the lowest rated film in the original "Jurassic Park" trilogy. The films' distributor Universal did not allow reviews to be published until the film's release.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: "Entertainment Weekly"s Owen Gleiberman, who praised the previous "Jurassic Park" films, awarded the third film a C grade, writing ""Jurassic Park III" has no pretensions to be anything more than a goose-bumpy fantasy theme-park ride for kids, but it's such a routine ride. Spielberg's wizardry is gone, and his balletic light touch as well, and that gives too much of this 90-minute movie over to the duller-than-dull characters". Derek Elley of "Variety" called the film "an all-action, helter-skelter, don't-forget-to-buy-the-computer-game ride that makes the two previous installments look like models of classic filmmaking". Ben Varkontine of PopMatters called it "not as good a ride as the first, but a damn sight better than the second". "Apollo Movie Guide" panned the film as being "almost the same as the first movie" with "no need for new ideas or even a script". "Empire" magazine gave the film 3 stars out of 5, calling it "short, scrappy and intermittently scary".


title: Jurassic Park III

text: On "Ebert and Roeper", Richard Roeper gave it a Thumbs Down while Roger Ebert awarded a Thumbs Up. In a subsequent review, Ebert called it "the best blockbuster of the Summer". In his review, Ebert gave the film three stars and said it "is not as awe-inspiring as the first film or as elaborate as the second, but in its own B-movie way it's a nice little thrill machine". He also wrote: "I can't praise it for its art, but I must not neglect its craft, and on that basis I recommend it". Paleontologist Robert T. Bakker, an early pioneer of the dinosaur-bird connection, said the feather quills added to the "Velociraptor" for "Jurassic Park III" "looked like a roadrunner's toupee", but conceded that feathers are difficult subjects for computer animation and speculated that "Jurassic Park IV"'s raptors would have more realistic plumage. Spielberg, according to his spokesman, was "very happy" with Johnston's work on the film. In 2002, Crichton said he had not watched the film. Some fans of the series were upset with the decision to kill off the "T. rex" and replace it with a new dinosaur.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Some later reviews of the film have been positive, with a couple of critics declaring it superior to "The Lost World: Jurassic Park". Retrospective reviews have also praised the aviary sequence. Simon Brew, writing for Den of Geek, stated in 2007 that the film has "an efficiency and focus" that was missing in the previous film. He enjoyed the set pieces, but criticized the abrupt ending. Comparing the first film with "Jurassic Park III", David Chen of /Film wrote in 2009 that the original managed to "thrill audiences and make them think", while the latter "did neither particularly well".


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Several critics reviewed the film in 2015, when "Jurassic World" was released. Justin Harp of Digital Spy wrote that despite the shortcomings of "Jurassic Park III", it "remains immensely watchable and visually impressive. It manages to strike a clear balance between moments of terror and genuine laughs". Although Harp considered the film to be the black sheep of the series, he described it as "fresh, exciting and, most of all, a whole lot of fun". Matt Goldberg of Collider wrote that the film "doesn't really have any reason to exist beyond proving that the franchise maybe never should have been a franchise to begin with". Goldberg stated that the film "is overly excited to let you know [the raptors] can vocally speak to each other, which ends up just looking funny. It feels like we're missing subtitles". Zaki Hasan of Sequart Organization enjoyed the film, but wrote that it has issues such as the abrupt ending.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: "Entertainment Weekly", in 2018, wrote "what the plot lacks in credibility it makes up for with relatability". The magazine praised it as the only film in the series that "has zero to do with scientific stupidity or sinister corporate forces", writing that it was "perhaps the most narratively original" film out of all them. Neill said in 2021 that he believes the film is "dismissed too easily", opining that it is "pretty damn good" aside from the final 10 minutes and "hurried" ending.


title: Jurassic Park III

text: Several film-based video games were released in 2001. Knowledge Adventure produced three games, "", "", and "", all for Microsoft Windows. Three other games were released by Konami for the Game Boy Advance, including "", "", and "". An arcade game, also titled "Jurassic Park III", was also released.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: The School for Good and Evil is a 2022 fantasy film directed by Paul Feig, who co-wrote the screenplay with David Magee, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Soman Chainani. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Sophia Anne Caruso as Sophie and Sofia Wylie as Agatha, two best friends who are sent to the Schools for Good and Evil. After their fortunes are seemingly reversed, their friendship is put to the test.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: The film's development began in 2013, when the rights to the novel were acquired by Roth/Kirschenbaum Films and Jane Startz Productions, with Universal Pictures initially set to release the film. After the project languished in development hell, Netflix took over in 2017, and Feig was hired to direct three years later. Principal photography took place in Northern Ireland between January and July 2021.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: "The School for Good and Evil" was released on October 19, 2022, by Netflix. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, who praised its cast and visuals, but criticized the narrative and storytelling.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Long ago, twin brothers Rhian and Rafal founded the School for Good and Evil, created to groom fairy tale heroes (called "Evers") and villains (called "Nevers") respectively. Dissatisfied with evil’s constant submission to good, Rafal attacks Rhian using blood magic. Defending himself, Rhian throws Rafal off a cliff, presumably killing him.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Years later, in the village of Gavaldon, best friends Sophie and Agatha learn about the legendary school from the bookshop owner. While the cynical, misfit Agatha is skeptical, fairy tale-obsessed Sophie leaves a letter for the School at a tree, hoping to escape ordinary village life and become a princess. A few nights later, Sophie attempts to run away from Gavaldon in secret. When Agatha finds out and tries to intervene, a giant stymph suddenly snatches up both, flying them to the School. To their dismay, however, Agatha is dropped at the School for Good while Sophie is delivered to the School for Evil. Agatha protests, wishing to return to Gavaldon, while Sophie wants to transfer to the School for Good. At the welcoming ceremony, Agatha and Sophie meet Tedros, the son of King Arthur and the most popular Ever prince. In the library, Rafal manifests to Agatha, warning her to stay away from Sophie. Agatha reunites with Sophie and they seek out the School Master and the magical Storian pen. The School Master informs Sophie he'll only allow her to switch schools if she can prove herself an Ever by attaining true love's kiss. Sophie casts Tedros as her true love and enlists Agatha’s help.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Meanwhile, Agatha and Sophie struggle in their respective classes and are outcast by their peers. Agatha witnesses as another student, Gregor, is punished for repeated failure and transformed into a stymph. Though Agatha tries to help him, Tedros leaps in to defend her and unknowingly kills Gregor with Excalibur. When Agatha lashes out and insists she does not belong at the School, Ever Dean Clarissa Dovey argues her selfless, empathetic personality makes her the first true princess in a long time. Meanwhile, Sophie gets into an argument and is attacked by Hester, another student, causing Rafal to intervene as a wasp swarm. Never Dean Leonora Lesso interprets this as Sophie's unique potential for finally winning a victory for Evil, something thought impossible for centuries.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: When Sophie tries to get close to Tedros, Lesso cuts her hair to break her spirit. Under Rafal's influence, Sophie undergoes a radical change in both appearance and personality; gaining the favor of the Nevers, befriending Hester and her friends (who become her circle of followers) and rising to the unofficial position of leader of the School for Evil's student body. Though she diverges from Agatha, the latter still tries to aid Sophie by using magic to bring her and Tedros together. An Ever and a Never being together causes chaos between both schools; the School Master determines a "Trial by Tale" to settle the issue. At the Trial, Sophie ends up proving inept in defending herself and Tedros, prompting an infiltrating Agatha to save him in her stead. This results in Tedros ultimately rejecting Sophie for choosing self-preservation over him, with the prince starting a relationship with Agatha.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Convinced by Rafal that Agatha is her enemy, Sophie accepts his offer of blood magic. Sophie incapacitates Dovey, Lesso, and the other school staff, and crashes the Evers’ Ball, now physically transformed into a hag; threatening Agatha and goading Tedros into attacking the School for Evil. However, by attacking, the Evers break the law of “Good defends, Evil attacks.” As a result, the Nevers and Evers magically switch places and a violent battle breaks out.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Sophie heads to the School Master's tower, seeking revenge. She confronts him, who reveals himself to have been Rafal all along; having survived the fall and killed Rhian instead, assuming his identity and manipulating Good's stories to weaken Good from within, favoring Evil. He then proposes a union to Sophie to rule together, declaring her his true love. As they kiss, both Schools start collapsing, horrifying Sophie. When Agatha appears, Rafal tries to impale her with the Storian. Sophie pushes Agatha out of the way and takes the fatal hit; her sacrifice undoes Rafal's spell, saving everyone. Agatha, with Sophie and Tedros' help, takes Excalibur and kills Rafal. As Sophie dies in Agatha's arms, she kisses Sophie goodbye; this, in turn, revives Sophie, as their kiss proved to be a demonstration of true love.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: With the Evers and Nevers having reconciled and the school staff restored and they greatly decided to unite the two schools into one, a portal to Gavaldon opens. Agatha kisses Tedros before choosing to cross over with Sophie, returning to their old lives. The film ends with an arrow piercing the veil between worlds followed by a mysterious knife, with Tedros' voice pleading he needs Agatha; the Storian then states that "this is only the beginning."


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Additionally, Earl Cave appears as Hort, while Freya Theodora Parks portrays Hester, the leader of the School for Evil's coven; Demi Isaac Oviawe and Kaitlyn Akinpelumi appear as Hester's sidekicks, Anadil and Dot. Holly Sturton, Briony Scarlett, Rosie Graham, Emma Lau, and Chinenye Ezeudu portray Evergirls Beatriz, Reena, Millicent, Kiko, and Chinen, respectively. Mark Charles appears as Eric; Harvey Scrimshaw as Harvid; and Ali Khan as Chaddick. Stephanie Siadatan plays Vanessa, Sophie's mother. Joelle plays a character of her namesake, while Ally Cubb plays Gregor; Petra Hajduk, Myles Kamwendo, Olivia Booth-Ford, Misia Butler, Liam Woon and Aaron Campbell also appear in the film.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: In 2011, studios reportedly considered a film adaptation based on "The School for Good and Evil" series. Shortly after the publication of the first book of the series in 2013, Roth Films partnered with Jane Startz Productions to acquire rights to produce a film based on the novel. Universal Pictures won the auction in a seven-figure deal for book and scriptwriting fees. Roth, Startz and Palak Patel were appointed producers. Chainani and Malia Scotch Marmo were hired to write the screenplay, with the former writing the initial two drafts. In July 2015, Chainani stated he and Scotch Marmo finished writing the script.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: After the film languished in development hell, Netflix purchased the rights with a new team that included David Magee and Laura Solon as screenwriters in 2017. The streaming service expressed interest in live-action family films since most family films were animated. Other studios frequently rejected big-budget productions because of the expenses or the risks of releasing a family film that was not based on preexisting intellectual property; however, the Netflix's ambition to find films that appeal to all ages led it to buy those productions, such as "The School for Good and Evil".


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Paul Feig was offered a spot as director, but he was hesitant due to the film's contrasts with his style and unfamiliar genre. However, he reconsidered after he read the script, in which he enjoyed the characters, story, and opportunities for world-building. He was also interested in the relationships between the characters, as well as good and evil. Feig aimed to depict the lead characters' female friendship interestingly, as such relationships were often portrayed contentiously onscreen. Feig joined in 2020, with Roth, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Startz, Laura Fischer and Feig as producers, and Zack Roth, Patricia Riggen and Chainani as executive producers. Netflix was supportive of Feig's rewrites and changes. Of the process, Feig stated: "once you direct things that you write, ... you almost write like you're in the editing room". Sometimes, when the studio or producers requested that a certain thing be explained in the script and the writers suggested including it using dialogue, Feig knew that it was unneeded as "once you see two people ... looking at each other in that emotion, you just feel it"; however, they retained the lines in case audiences during test screenings did not understand that part.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: While the novels are targeted towards young adults, Feig set out to create "an anti-Disney" film that, while reinterpreting fairy tales, also probed genuine issues and darkness. In the books, the students are in their mid-teenage years; Feig, however, believed "The School for Good and Evil" did not necessarily need to be set at a high school. In the film, the students are approximately 18 to 19 years old. As the film developed, the team required more money for various things; Netflix subsequently increased the budget.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Fiona Weir was appointed casting director. In November 2020, she opened casting for a "teenage girl with albinism". Feig made note to select talented, nice, and cooperative actors; Chainani stated casting was based on talent, not looks. Characters were reinterpreted to "make sure [their] spirit ... is best embodied in that particular actor". Many fans desired open casting; Chainani stated there would be certain parts that might require "intense open casting", while with others, the ideal actor can be found easily. According to Chainani, casting Hester was difficult due to her "very, very specific energy". Laurence Fishburne joined the cast as the School Master due to his daughter's love for the books, which she started reading as a tween.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: When casting the roles of Sophie and Agatha, the crew explored the world for "two young actors who have enough weight to them and enough gravitas but also can muster up the likeness". Actresses Sophia Anne Caruso and Sofia Wylie were eventually cast in the roles of Sophie and Agatha, respectively. Caruso learned of "The School for Good and Evil" after a general meeting with Feig. The script was sent to her shortly after; Caruso was impressed by the writing. However, Feig's collaborative and optimistic attitude, as well as his acting experience, was what ultimately persuaded Caruso to join the cast. Wylie auditioned for Agatha through a series of self-tapes and a chemistry read with Caruso. Feig said she submitted the "most amazing audition" and wanted to cast her immediately. According to Caruso, Wylie was clearly "easy to talk to and friendly", with the two having "an immediate connection".


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: After Charlize Theron had completed work on "F9" (2021), Kirschenbaum spoke to her about portraying "a different kind" of villain. She previously acted in many fantasy films, such as "Snow White and the Huntsman" (2012). Feig, who had worked with her on "Arrested Development" (2005), expected her to decline the role due to "The School for Good and Evil" similarities to her other films. However, Lady Lesso differed from her other roles as a teacher who relished evil, allowing Theron to "have much more fun in a way than some of those movies where you have to be very serious". Feig had long sought to collaborate with Kerry Washington, but their schedules had never allowed it. He knew as soon as he read Professor Dovey's role that he only wanted Washington to play the part, partially due to her comedic skills. Compelled by the idea of working with Feig and Theron, Washington accepted. After reading "The School for Good and Evil", she realized that Dovey was different from any character she had portrayed, being "so larger than life and filled with light, and [having] a lot of comedic beats". For the character's foundation, Washington made the decision to draw on real-life examples. She gave considerable thought to the archetype of fairy godmothers and finishing schools, as well as one of her instructors at Spence School, an all-girls school in New York that she had attended.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Feig did not want the film to look similar to the "Harry Potter" film series and thus chose Andy Nicholson as production designer. Due to Feig's dislike of green screens and hope for "the characters and the actors to be performing in that world so they become part of it", much of the scenery was constructed, including the Schools for Good and Evil. The two sound stages constructed at Belfast Harbour Studios played a crucial role in that. The only scenes that used green screens were those in the beginning and those including Rafal, since the skies had to be altered. The film's style takes inspiration from Art Nouveau, which Feig noticed while filming "Spy" (2015) in Budapest, Hungary. Feig stated that this avoided comparisons to other films, being "both garish and over the top". Nicholson subsequently incorporated elements from other architects, including Antoni Gaudí and Victor Horta, creating "this big melting point of design". The team was allowed to "take over" St Anne's Cathedral. During the two weeks they worked there, the crew transformed the area into "this big, almost sound-stage type space ... with so much detail".


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: The costumes maintained the design's individuality and distinctiveness, with Reneé Kalfus and Feig designing them. It felt fitting that each character would bring their own sense of style and culture given that many of the characters are the children of well-known fairy tale characters. Feig said he allowed Kalfus to "run wild" with this concept. The costumes were inspired by a variety of media, including classic fairy tales and Beyoncé. Unlike the books, the film the students do not wear uniforms, allowing, according to Chainani, more creativity. The actors were encouraged to contribute to their costumes. In particular, Theron wanted Lesso to have a tailored and severe silhouette; she also suggested the ginger hair and showed Feig various reference photos. Caruso discussed Sophie's evolution of style with Kalfus, including with "princessy" dresses and "potato sack" uniform at the School for Evil. She eventually transitions into punk glam costumes, which Caruso felt needed "such a specific type of hot that suits her fiery spirit". Wylie insisted on keeping her curly hair, wanting to show such hair can still be associated with princesses. Over 800 costumes and 600 pairs of shoes were produced by more than 70 costumers. The wolf characters are "guys in suits, with animatronic heads" so the actors had something to act against. Professor Dovey's blond bouffant wig took seven weeks to produce, including one to create its color; designer Linda Villalobos chose its look to highlight her goodness and prevent her from looking evil, as well as demonstrate texture.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: According to Feig, filming on location was essential in order to avoid overusing special effects. Netflix was unable to shoot the production at its Shepperton Studios in Surrey, because it was too small; they decided to instead film at Northern Ireland for the first time. Feig selected its city Belfast as the filming location, as he had friends who had shot there, including production members from "Game of Thrones" (2011–2019). He also cited its close proximity to London, which would make travel between the two cities easy, though this was not the case due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was shot at several locations in Belfast, including Belfast Harbour Studios and Loop Film Studios. At the former, the full of the studio, workshop and office space was used. Derry was also considered as a filming location but was rejected for numerous reasons. Local sites "The School for Good and Evil" was filmed at include St Peter's Church; St Anne's Cathedral; Mount Stewart; Ulster Folk Museum; Clandeboye Estate; Woodburn Forest; Castle Archdale; and Antrim Road. Production followed the British Film Commission safe working protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Feig always wore a mask. Feig was particularly pleased to film at Big Dog Forest in Fermanagh, since he thought building such a place would be impossible. Some crew members tried to persuade him against filming there, but he insisted because the forest was unlike anything he had ever seen. In January 2021, it was reported filming had begun. The crew encountered difficulties with shooting on the first day, as it rained heavily, creating puddles of mud. Roughly 350 to 500 crew members worked on "The School for Good and Evil", the majority of whom were locals. In May 2021, filming wrapped for Washington and Theron. According to Chainani, filming wrapped on July 3 or 4, 2021; Feig, however, needed to shoot another scene, which was filmed by the end of the month.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: After the film wrapped, Feig began editing, with Erik Nordby as effects supervisor. The film's visual effects were provided by British companies DNEG and Framestore. Feig hoped for the film's world to have a sense of realism, despite its magical aspects, which he tried to keep elemental; an example is the stymph. In the books, it is a bird made of bones that takes children to the Schools for Good and Evil. The team wanted it to be sentient while retaining its bones. They researched bird skeletons and decayed birds, studying the way the tissue and feathers stay on the bones, and the interactions of these three things. The team used computer-generated imagery to add expressions and emotions to the animatronic characters.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Chainani said the film would be a "very different animal" from the book. Feig stated that he is "very against any movies where you have to know things before you go there". The crew members picked key moments from the novel, such as major plot points, character developments and fan-favourites, to adapt. Feig often consulted Chainani in these selections. When describing those decisions, the latter stated the former was highly aware of moments that resonated with the fans. The scenes were retrofitted so that they would still be unique from the books, but in a way that would hopefully please the fans. They often had to examine certain passages very closely to ensure they were not just recreating clichés. Chainani hoped for adaptation to represent the novel's spirit while "go[ing] to different places [and] surpris[ing] you when it can" instead of being a "boring old retread" of the book.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Film marketer Lee Schroder served as "The School for Good and Evil" publicist. In May 2021, three first-look images were posted on Washington, Theron and Feig's social medias, featuring the former two dressed in their respective roles. Hundreds of responses were posted on Twitter; many fans were impressed and conveyed desires for sequels. In June of that year, during Netflix's virtual fan event Geeked Week, the first teaser was released. It depicted a coven of witches walking towards the screen. Yahoo! writer Jacob Siegel considered it one of the "biggest announcements" of the event. "The School for Good and Evil" was announced as part of Netflix's 2022 film slate and appeared in a "movie preview" video. Washington and Theron are featured in their costumes, in addition to female characters fighting and a shot of the fantasy setting. In early June 2022, Netflix launched the film's teaser poster. That same month, a first-look teaser trailer for the film was released, while a panel featuring Wylie, Caruso, and the novel series' author Soman Chainani was held as part of Netflix's 2022 Geeked Week event. In late July 2022, the film's main poster was released. It highlights the schools' divide, with a split between the two that is emphasized through the color palettes. The following month, a novel tie-in was released, titled "The School for Good and Evil: Movie Tie-in Edition". At the end of September, it appeared on bestseller lists by Canadian publications "Toronto Star" and "The Globe and Mail"—in categories of children and young adult, and juvenile respectively.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: The film was originally slated for release in Christmas 2017. In December 2020, Chainani stated that the film is set to be released in 2022, with a release for the latter half of the year being scheduled later. In June 2022, a fall release of September 2022 was announced. In late July 2022, Netflix announced the film's release date as October 21, 2022. The release date was moved up by two days in late August.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: "The School for Good and Evil" had its world premiere at Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on October 18, 2022, before it became streamable worldwide the following day. It was also released in select theaters.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: The film was expected to generate £30 million for the economy of Northern Ireland. "Time" listed "The School for Good and Evil" among the most anticipated films of 2022, while "Empire" named it one of the best films set to come out in 2022. Out of all of Netflix's 2022 films, "Collider" ranked it as the twelfth most-promising due to its cast and similarities to the "Harry Potter" film series. That website and "Screen Rant" listed it as a promising 2022 book-to film adaptation for audiences. The latter also thought the film could potentially result in similar success to that of the "Harry Potter" film series. Later, the same website commented: "If done right, "The School for Good and Evil" can become a major breakout hit for Netflix. ... "The School for Good and Evil" can appeal to younger demographics and give Netflix something it might really want: Its own hit YA fantasy series." "Time", "Teen Vogue", "The Daily Beast", "ABC News", and "Entertainment Weekly" named it one of the most anticipated films of late 2022. The "Deseret News" listed it among Netflix's top four October films.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: "GamesRadar+", "GoldDerby", and "The Cinemaholic" described reviews as "mixed", while "Time" and "HuffPost" said they were "mostly negative". According to "The Independent", journalists were "quick to tear apart" the film. Many reviewers thought "The School for Good and Evil" story would work better as a television series, and they compared the film to the "Harry Potter" film series.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: In December 2022, Donald Clarke and Tara Brady of "The Irish Times" named "The School for Good and Evil" the ninth-worst film of the year, saying: "Feig deliver[ed] something that looked no less vulgar than the average Des Moines department store window."


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: Many people had conflicting opinions on "The School for Good and Evil", especially those who had read the book. "The Independent" stated audience responses were "considerably kinder" than those of critics, but still "resolutely mixed". Some thought the film "did everything it set out to do". Others found fault with the writing and disliked Tedros's dark hair, which is blond in the books. Viewers praised the actors, however, particularly Wylie.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: "The School for Good and Evil" was the most-viewed film on Netflix on October 20, 2022, the day after its release. According to Nielsen Media Research, during its first six days of release, it received 1.058 billion viewing minutes, placing second on the streaming chart after the television series "The Watcher". In its first week, the film debuted at number one on Netflix's Top 10, with 78.83 million hours viewed. The next week, it dropped to second, behind "The Good Nurse", having received 41.95 million viewing hours. In its third week, "The School for Good and Evil" ranked third on the Top 10 chart—after "Enola Holmes 2" and "The Good Nurse"—with 19.03 million hours viewed. The film placed ninth the next week after garnering 8.85 million viewing hours. The following week, it dropped off the chart.


title: The School for Good and Evil (film)

text: In October 2022, Feig stated: "We're actually already figuring out what the next [film is] going to be". He has the goal of creating a franchise with the material from the other "The School for Good and Evil" novels. According to Chainani, the possibility of the sequel(s) depends on audience reception.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Rocketman is a 2019 biographical fantasy musical drama film based on the life and career of British musician Elton John told through his music Directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Lee Hall, the film tells the story of John in his early days in England as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his musical partnership with Bernie Taupin told through his music, and is titled after John's 1972 song "Rocket Man". The film stars Taron Egerton as John, with Jamie Bell as Taupin, Richard Madden as John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Sheila Eileen, John's mother.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: The film had been in development since the 2000s before it was announced in 2013 that Focus Features acquired the rights to the film and director Michael Gracey (who eventually served as executive producer) was attached to direct the film with actor Tom Hardy set to star. After both Hardy and Gracey left the project following creative differences between Focus and John that halted an initial production start in fall 2014, the project languished for several years until Paramount Pictures and New Republic Pictures took over as distributor in April 2018, where Egerton and Fletcher signed on. Principal photography began in August 2018 and was completed later that year. John served as executive producer, while his husband David Furnish produced the film through their Rocket Pictures, alongside Matthew Vaughn's Marv Films.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: "Rocketman" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2019, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2019 and in the United States on 31 May 2019. It grossed $195 million worldwide against its $40 million budget and received positive reviews from critics, with praise for Egerton's performance. The film was the first by a major studio to include a gay male sex scene. For his performance, Egerton received numerous nominations, including the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. John and Taupin also won Best Original Song at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, Best Song at the 25th Critics' Choice Awards, and Best Original Song at the 92nd Academy Awards for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again", and earned four nominations at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards, including Outstanding British Film.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Dressed in a flamboyant devil's outfit, Elton John enters an addiction rehabilitation session, recounting his life in a flashback ("The Bitch Is Back").


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Reginald Dwight grows up in 1950s Britain, raised by his unaffectionate mother, Sheila, and his more loving grandmother Ivy. Reginald is interested in music and hopes to perform for his father, Stanley, who takes no interest in his son ("I Want Love").


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Reginald begins piano lessons, making his way into the Royal Academy of Music. Stanley abandons his family after Sheila has an affair. Soon after, Sheila's lover, Fred, moves in with the family and he introduces young Reginald to rock music. Reginald grows up idolising rock musicians and, in his teens, he performs in local pubs ("Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"). As an adult, Reginald joins the band Bluesology, which is hired to play backup for touring American bands, The Isley Brothers and Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles ("Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache"). Isley Brothers lead singer Ronald Isley recommends Reginald write songs and put his old life behind him to become a famous artist. Reginald changes his name to Elton John, his first name from Elton Dean the saxophonist of Bluesology, and John being adopted from Long John Baldry.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton writes music and tries to find success with Dick James' record label DJM Records under the management of Ray Williams. Williams introduces Elton to lyricist Bernie Taupin; they become friends and move into a flat to compose their songs ("Border Song"). When Elton admits he is homosexual, he ends his romantic relationship with their landlady, and he and Bernie are evicted.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton and Bernie move in with Elton's grandmother, his mother, and her boyfriend, where they continue writing and create "Your Song". James sets up a performance for them at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Elton is nervous before his debut, but the audience embraces his performance ("Crocodile Rock"). Elton is overjoyed by his success but feels abandoned when Bernie leaves him at a party to spend time with a woman ("Tiny Dancer"). He is approached by John Reid, a music manager, and after hitting it off, the pair sleep together ("Take Me To The Pilot").


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Reid's influence over Elton launches a downward spiral into a life of debauchery while his career rises to new heights ("Honky Cat"). Elton develops a flamboyant stage persona and becomes one of the most successful artists of the 1970s. Reid's manipulation escalates to abuse after he becomes Elton's manager. Reid insists Elton tells his parents he is gay, so Elton reconnects with his father, who has a new family but still displays no interest in Elton. Distraught, Elton calls his mother and tells her he is gay. She tells him that she already knew, but that he will be forever unloved. Devastated by his parents' rejection, as well as Reid's increasing physical and emotional abuse, Elton becomes addicted to alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, shopping, and sex. His addictions, mood swings and short temper alienate his friends ("Pinball Wizard").


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton catches Reid cheating on him and ends their relationship, but Reid continues as his manager. During a party, he overdoses on pills and attempts suicide by jumping into his pool. He is rushed to the hospital, then thrust on stage at Dodger Stadium to perform ("Rocket Man").


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton descends further into a life of drugs, alcohol, and loneliness ("Bennie and the Jets"). He has a short-lived marriage with a close female friend, Renate Blauel, but his homosexuality dooms their relationship ("Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"). He falls out with his mother and Bernie ("Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"). Elton's dependence on prescription pills and alcohol results in a heart attack. Realising his life is out of control, Elton leaves a concert without warning and seeks help at a rehab center ("Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"). During a meeting with the rehab center's support group, Elton realises he no longer needs approval from his parents or Reid. Elton rekindles his friendship with Bernie, who brings him new lyrics. Elton is worried that he cannot perform or compose without alcohol or drugs, but writes "I'm Still Standing" and returns to a successful career.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: The epilogue notes that Elton has been sober for over 28 years. He remains good friends and song-writing partners with Bernie and is happily married to David Furnish, with whom he has two children.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: In addition, Matthew Illesley and Kit Connor play the child and adolescent versions of Reggie Dwight, respectively. Keith Lemon has a brief cameo as a retail worker. Ophelia Lovibond plays Elton's girlfriend Arabella, Rachel Muldoon appears as singer Kiki Dee, and Celinde Schoenmaker plays Elton's wife Renate.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton John and husband David Furnish tried to produce a film based on his life for almost two decades. The earliest efforts dated back to the 2000s, when development started at Walt Disney Pictures. Photographer David LaChapelle was set to direct the film after his work on the video for John's 2001 single, "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore", which featured Justin Timberlake as a young John. However, the project languished for nearly two decades. In an article written for "The Guardian", John said that he struggled to get the film off the ground due to studios wanting it to be toned down to a PG-13 rating instead of an R.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: In January 2012, John announced that he had named Timberlake as his top choice to play him in the film. Lee Hall was set to pen the screenplay. In March 2013, Michael Gracey was hired to direct, with Tom Hardy cast in October to play John and FilmDistrict (and later Focus Features) acquiring the U.S. distribution rights. Filming was initially planned to start in autumn 2014. However, creative differences between John and Focus, along with budget issues, led him and Furnish to take the project elsewhere.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: In July 2017, it was announced that Hardy was no longer involved, and Taron Egerton entered negotiations to replace him. While editing "", Matthew Vaughn learned about the project and took interest in producing the film on the condition that Egerton played John. Vaughn then picked Dexter Fletcher, who had replaced Bryan Singer during the production of the Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody", to direct the film since Gracey was busy with "The Greatest Showman" and was later credited as one of the executive producers on the film. The producers then filmed a sequence of Egerton as John performing two of John's songs, and presented it to Jim Gianopulos, who had worked with Vaughn on the "Kingsman" franchise at 20th Century Fox and was now the CEO of Paramount Pictures. Paramount and New Republic Pictures agreed to finance the film in exchange for worldwide distribution rights. It was reported that Egerton would sing the songs in the film himself, produced by Giles Martin, who was brought on as music producer for the project. In an interview at CinemaCon, Egerton stated the film would be a lot more of a visually stylized epic musical-fantasy rather than just a traditional straightforward biopic.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: In April 2018, Taron Egerton was officially cast to play the musician in the film. Egerton had previously appeared with John in the 2017 film "Kingsman: The Golden Circle", and Egerton, as Johnny the Gorilla, sang John's song "I'm Still Standing" in the 2016 animated film "Sing". In June, the role of Bernie Taupin was given to Jamie Bell. In July, Richard Madden entered negotiations to play John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard was cast to play John's mother. Gemma Jones was announced as being cast in the film in October.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Production began on 2 August 2018. In October 2018, it was announced the film was shooting in London. Filming commenced at Bray Film Studios near Maidenhead, Berkshire. Additional filming occurred at Pinewood Studios and Shepperton Studios.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: The soundtrack for the film was released by Virgin EMI (UK) and Interscope Records (US) on CD and digital formats on 24 May 2019 and was also released by Interscope Records on vinyl on August 23, 2019. The album contains 22 tracks of several hits performed by the cast of the film and a newly written award-winning track "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" featuring vocals by Taron Egerton and Elton John together.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: A commercial success in terms of sales, the soundtrack reached the Top 40 chart level in multiple English-speaking countries such as Australia, Switzerland, and the United States, including the production's own United Kingdom.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: "Rocketman" had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2019, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2019. The film was initially scheduled to be released in the United States on 17 May 2019, but was pushed back to 31 May 2019.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: "Rocketman" was released on Digital HD on 6 August 2019 and on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD on 27 August 2019.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: In March 2019, it was reported that Paramount Pictures was pressuring director Dexter Fletcher and producer Matthew Vaughn to cut a sex scene between Taron Egerton and Richard Madden, so that the film could receive a PG-13 rating in the United States, as influenced by the financial success of "Bohemian Rhapsody" the year prior. Fletcher denied the reports, saying that the movie "has and always will be the no holds barred, musical fantasy that Paramount and producers passionately support and believe in" and said the allegations were "nothing but rumours".


title: Rocketman (film)

text: In Russia, where the film was released on 6 June 2019, about five minutes of footage were removed from the final cut. Central Partnership, the film's Russian distributor, removed all scenes involving homosexuality and drugs, a move that was criticized by both John and Paramount. The film was censored in Malaysia, sparking condemnation from art critics that the country was becoming a "nanny state". Safaruddin Mohammad Ali, the head of the country's Film Censorship Board, said "We do not allow any scenes that promote LGBTQ in films that are for public viewing", adding that "Although it is about the real life of Elton John, it is not for him to allow the public to see whatever he does or whatever activities he indulges in that is not our culture".


title: Rocketman (film)

text: The film was banned in Samoa, a conservative Christian nation. Principal Censor Leiataua Niuapu, of the country's Censorship Board, explained: "It's a good story, in that it's about an individual trying to move on in life. He [John] went through a difficult family life and managed to move on and become very successful. But there are acts that are not good for public viewing and against the law." The film was also banned in Egypt, where John himself was banned from visiting back in 2010. The reason given was his "anti-religious sentiments", though "Film Stories" journalist Simon Brew argued that the ban "seemed pretty clear it was more to do with [John's] sexuality".


title: Rocketman (film)

text: In October 2019, "Entertainment Weekly" digital director Shana Krochmal accused Delta Air Lines of removing "almost every reference" to John's sexuality in the version of the film shown on the airline, including scenes of kissing and gay sex. In response, a Delta spokesperson said that "Delta's content parameters do not in any way ask for the removal of homosexual content from the film" and that "We value diversity and inclusion as core to our culture and our mission and will review our processes to ensure edited video content doesn't conflict with these values".


title: Rocketman (film)

text: "Rocketman" grossed $96.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $98.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $195.2 million, against a production budget of $40 million.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside "" and "Ma", and was projected to gross $20–25 million from 3,610 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $9.2 million on its first day, including $1.8 million from Thursday night previews and including and $580,000 from its 18 May paid-advanced Fandango screenings, for a preview total of $2.3 million. It went on to debut to $25.7 million, finishing third, behind "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" and "Aladdin". The film dropped 46% in its second weekend to $14 million, finishing in fifth, and then made $9.4 million in its third weekend, climbing to the fourth position.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: In the United Kingdom, it debuted to $6.4 million, finishing second behind fellow new release "Aladdin". The following week, the film was projected to gross around $20 million from the international markets it was released in alongside the U.S., and ended up making $19.2 million from 39 non-U.S. countries over the weekend.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: "Rocketman" received a largely positive response from critics, with some calling it one of the best films released in 2019, as well as being considered the best reviewed musical movie of the year and one of the best reviewed British releases of the year, praising Egerton's acting and vocal performance, the costume design, soundtrack, and the musical sequences. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critics consensus reads: "It's going to be a long, long time before a rock biopic manages to capture the highs and lows of an artist's life like "Rocketman"." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 4 out of 5 stars and a 69% "definite recommend".


title: Rocketman (film)

text: At its Cannes Film Festival premiere, the film received a standing ovation. It also received a standing ovation from Oscar voters at the Academy screening. Steve Pond of "TheWrap" said, "It's all grand and fun and corny; a musical fantasy that reaches for the sky and gets there often enough to make it diverting." "The Guardian"s Peter Bradshaw gave the film three stars out of five, saying Egerton performed a "good impression of the flamboyant musician," and writing, ""Rocketman" is an honest, heartfelt tribute to Elton John's music and his public image." In the same newspaper, Mark Kermode gave the film five stars, writing that "Fletcher is the real star of this show, a director whose enthusiasm for musical storytelling shines through every frame." "Chicago Sun-Times" critic Richard Roeper also greatly enjoyed the film, giving it three-and-a-half stars out of four and praising its "almost documentary-level eye for detail when it comes to re-creating historic chapters such as the sold-out shows at Dodger Stadium in 1975 when Elton wore a sequined Dodgers uniform and belted out one hit after another to the adoring masses."


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Christy Lemire of "RogerEbert.com" had mixed feelings about "Rocketman", awarding it two-and-a-half stars out of four and stating that the film is a "formulaic, paint-by-numbers biopic."


title: Rocketman (film)

text: As "Rocketman" was not meant to be a chronologically precise documentary film, a creative license was taken with the timing or specifics of the real people or historical events depicted in the film.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: The timeline of Elton John and Bernie Taupin's friendship and career is altered to an extent, as the first song they wrote together after they met in 1967 was "Scarecrow", while "Border Song" was not written until 1969. John and Taupin also spent two years working as staff songwriters for Dick James, beginning in 1968, and created tracks for artists such as Roger Cook and Lulu, with the first album of the pair's music being 1969's "Empty Sky". Regarding the affirmation that John and Bernie never had an argument, the liner notes for the 1975 album "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" features a 12 January 1969 diary entry written by John that reads, "Had row with Bernie." In a 2011 interview, Elton could not remember what they had a row about.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Dick James was the one who encouraged then-Reggie Dwight to choose a stage name, and on 7 May 1972, he legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John; however, John is shown auditioning for James by playing "Daniel" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues", but the songs were not written until 1972 and 1983, respectively.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: While Elton John adopted his first name from a Bluesology bandmate (saxophonist Elton Dean), he did not change his last name while glancing at a photo of John Lennon: the last name was inspired by Elton's early mentor and friend, Long John Baldry, who had hired Bluesology as his backup band in 1966. Elton John admired Baldry as one of the few people in the music scene who were both openly gay and highly esteemed.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton is shown to have dated a landlady named Arabella, but he actually dated a secretary named Linda Hannon (née Woodrow) for two years, and was engaged to her in 1969. John ended up sinking into a suicidal depression due to stress faced with the prospect of living a domestic life in the suburbs, and attempted to kill himself in his kitchen from inert gas asphyxiation, but failed to do so (leaving the kitchen windows open, and being found by Bernie Taupin). Less than a month before the wedding, John suddenly broke off their engagement on the advice of Long John Baldry. Elton and Taupin ended up writing the song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" based on the failed engagement and Baldry's advice. Hannon revealed her disappointment for not being mentioned in the film.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton's 1970 performance at the Troubadour was actually well over a year after Neil Young's last show at the venue (Young has not done another concert there since), and Elton's show, on 25 August 1970, was actually on a Tuesday (as opposed to the Monday in the film). Elton is shown playing "Crocodile Rock" at the Troubadour, but the song was written in 1972 and is also seen meeting his backing band on the night of the show, but he had been touring with bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson all over England since April 1970, four months before they went to Los Angeles. The guitar player at the Troubadour concert is fictional: Elton did not have a guitarist until Davey Johnstone in 1972.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton is seen meeting John Reid at Mama Cass's house in Los Angeles, but they actually met at a Motown Records Christmas party in London in December 1970.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton's concert at the Dodger Stadium happened in 1975, one year before the recording of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", and while Elton met Renate Blauel while she was working as a sound engineer on one of his albums, it was on 1983's "Too Low for Zero", not 1979's "Victim of Love". He proposed to her on 10 February 1984 in Australia, and they married in Sydney on Valentine's Day of the same year. They officially announced their divorce on 18 November 1988.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Although Elton cancelled a concert at the Madison Square Garden in New York, this was in 1984, and because he had a viral flu. John actually checked into rehab in 1990 at the Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Chicago a few months after a young friend, Ryan White, had died from AIDS, and after a visit to his boyfriend at the time, Hugh Williams, in a rehab facility in Prescott, Arizona.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: "I'm Still Standing" was not written while Elton was in rehab, nor was the music video filmed after he had left: the song was recorded in 1982, and the song and the video were released a year later.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: Elton's half-brother Geoff Dwight disputed the characterization of John's father, Stanley Dwight, stating, "My dad was kind and gentle. He spoke his mind but encouraged us all, including Elton, to do what we were good at. As a boy, when he started supporting Watford, it was my father who took him to the matches." In a previous 2010 interview, Geoff recalled, "When I was growing up, Elton was always there and we had a lot of fun on family holidays and things like that". John's stepmother, Edna, told biographer Philip Norman for 2001's "Sir Elton: The Definitive Biography" that "Stanley's been made out as an overbearing monster. But it's just not true. He was a lovely man, a good father, and a loving husband." She added that, far from discouraging his son's musical talent, Stanley bought him a piano in 1963, showing Norman the receipt. He also wrote a letter to congratulate Elton on winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: On the other hand, the portrayal of Elton's mother, Sheila, was seen as being far more accurate. She did not allow him to get an Elvis Presley styled haircut, though Elton idolized the American's look.


title: Rocketman (film)

text: The depiction of Dick James was disputed by musician Caleb Quaye, who was a member of Elton's former band Bluesology. Quaye described James as "a gentleman," and criticized him being shown in the film as a boorish, foul-mouthed cockney. "He wasn't cockney. He was an old-school music man but was smartly dressed, you never heard a cuss word out of him. He was like a father, he gave us an opportunity to learn our craft. I don't understand the fantasy of depicting him like that because he was nothing like it." Dick's son, Stephen James (who helped discover Elton and encouraged Dick to sign him up to his music label DJM Records), also criticized the film's portrayal of his father, calling John "basically a coward" and claiming that he wanted to destroy "everybody who was helpful or good" during the early days of his career, adding, "I don't understand why he seems to feel the need to try to destroy everybody who helped him. We only ever tried to do the best for him and to promote his career. I really am very upset that he has turned on people in this way. They basically depict my father in the film completely opposite to the way he was in real life." Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn also criticized the depiction of James in the film, calling it "utterly outrageous and really disgusting."


title: Arjen Robben

text: Arjen Robben (; born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a winger. He was known for his dribbling skills, speed, ball control and long-range shots. Robben is regarded as one of the best players of his generation and was often lauded as among the best wingers in the world in his prime.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben first came to prominence with Groningen, for whom he was player of the year for the 2000–01 Eredivisie season. Two years later he signed for PSV, where he became the Netherlands' Young Player of the Year and won an Eredivisie title. The following season Robben's signature was pursued by leading clubs, and after protracted transfer negotiations, he joined Chelsea in 2004. Robben's Chelsea debut was delayed through injury, but upon returning to fitness, he helped Chelsea bring home two consecutive Premier League titles, and was the Premier League Player of the Month in November 2005. After a third season in England which was punctuated by injury, Robben signed for Real Madrid in a transfer worth €35 million.


title: Arjen Robben

text: In August 2009, Robben transferred to Bayern Munich for a fee of around €25 million. In his first season in Munich, Bayern won the league title, Robben's fifth league title in eight years. Robben scored the winning goal in the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final, being named to the Squad of the Season. In 2014, he was named to the FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year, and fourth place in the Ballon d'Or. In Germany, he won 20 trophies, including eight Bundesliga titles and five DFB Pokals. During his long spell at Bayern, Robben was also known for his fruitful partnership with fellow winger Franck Ribéry – together they were affectionately referred to by the nickname "Robbery". On 15 July 2021, Robben announced his retirement from professional football.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben started in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, which the Netherlands lost to Spain. He has appeared at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships, and the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. In the latter, he won the Bronze Ball and was named to the All-Star Team.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben was born in Bedum, in the northeastern Netherlands. He took to football from an early age, becoming an adherent of the Coerver Method. Robben's skill in ball control and technical footwork made him a valuable player, and he was quickly signed by regional club FC Groningen. Here, he developed his distinctive style of cutting inside from the right onto his left foot to score some quite spectacular goals.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Groningen placed Robben in their first team for the 1999–2000 season. He scored three goals in league play. Manager Jan van Dijk added the winger to the first team before Groningen's November 2000 away game against Twente, but he did not play until 3 December 2000 against RKC Waalwijk as a substitute for the injured Leonardo dos Santos in the 79th minute. During the winter, Robben managed to play himself into the starting lineup. In 18 starts for Groningen over the 2000–01 season, he scored two goals. Robben was named player of the year for his first season with the club, and with teammate Jordi Hoogstrate, he demonstrated the strength of the Groningen youth academy. Robben stayed with Groningen and improved steadily during the 2001–02 season, playing in 28 matches and scoring six goals. Robben transferred to PSV for €3.9 million before the 2002–03 season.


title: Arjen Robben

text: During his first season for PSV, the 2002–03 season, Robben played 33 matches and scored 12 goals. He was named "PSV co-player of the year" along with striker Mateja Kežman, with whom he formed an attacking partnership still fondly referred to by PSV fans as "Batman and Robben". He helped lead PSV to their 17th Dutch title, and won the Talented Player of the Year award. After this good start, PSV could not keep up with rival Ajax and were forced into a fight for second place in the Eredivisie. Robben travelled to London and met with Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson's offer came in much too low for PSV's and Robben's liking; PSV chairman Harry van Raaij told Manchester United the most that their €7 million offer would buy them was a shirt with Robben's autograph. Almost immediately, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich offered €18 million (£12.1 million), and PSV accepted. The rest of his season with PSV was disappointing: he injured his hamstring twice and missed several games. By the end of the season, Robben scored five times in 23 Eredivisie matches.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben did not make his competitive debut for Chelsea until November 2004, as he was injured in a pre-season friendly match against Roma, breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot in a challenge from Olivier Dacourt. During this time, he told club doctors that he had noticed an unfamiliar growth on one of his testicles. The medical team quickly did tests to check for testicular cancer, but he was subsequently given the all clear.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben proved to be a crucial player for the 2004–05 season; in November 2004, he was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month award. Robben ended the 2004–05 season with seven goals, his second highest professional total. He was shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year, but was beaten by Manchester United's Wayne Rooney. Robben was badly injured in a Premier League match away to Blackburn Rovers and forced to sit out the 2005 Football League Cup Final, Chelsea's title run-in and progress to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Back to fitness for 2005–06, Robben was an integral part of the Chelsea left wing. In 28 matches, Robben contributed six goals as Chelsea won a second consecutive Premier League championship, the first back-to-back titles for the west London club.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben was later named man of the match on 23 December 2006 against Wigan Athletic, a match where he got two assists and the winning goal.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben was inflicted with yet another injury in a match against Liverpool on 20 January 2007. Robben made his return in a 3–0 victory against Middlesbrough in February, driving in a shot that took a deflection past Mark Schwarzer for an own goal by Abel Xavier. He came on as a substitute for Claude Makélélé in the 2007 League Cup final against Arsenal and set up the winning goal for Didier Drogba. Robben scored a goal in the second round of the Champions League against Porto, which led to Chelsea winning the tie 3–2 on aggregate. At the end of March 2007, Robben underwent a knee operation after sustaining a knee injury upon returning from international duty that was expected to rule him out for at least four weeks. He only made two further appearances for Chelsea, both of which were as a substitute and both of which would prove to be key games for the club. His first appearance since returning from injury was against Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final second leg which went to penalties. Robben went on to have his penalty saved by Pepe Reina, and Chelsea ultimately lost.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben's final appearance for the club came against Manchester United in the 2007 FA Cup Final. Robben replaced Joe Cole at half-time, but was then substituted himself for Ashley Cole in extra time as Chelsea emerged victorious. Spanish club Real Madrid were interested in two of Chelsea's players. Then manager Bernd Schuster is said to have demanded Michael Ballack, while Real Madrid's then president Ramón Calderón was known to favour Robben. Robben said to reporters of Spanish newspaper "AS", "I do not know when a deal will be reached. I would like to send a message to the Madrid fans, but I can't until my future is sorted."


title: Arjen Robben

text: Real Madrid eventually secured Robben's services in August 2007. He told Chelsea's official club website:


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben completed his move to Real Madrid on a five-year deal on 22 August 2007, with the transfer fee reported as £24 million (€35 million). He made his debut on 18 September as a substitute for Raúl during a Champions League match against Werder Bremen, which Real Madrid won 2–1. His La Liga debut came on 23 September, as a substitute for Royston Drenthe in a 1–1 away draw against Real Valladolid. On 10 February 2008, Robben scored his first goal, coming at home in a 7–0 victory against Valladolid. Robben proved crucial for many Real Madrid matches, making his famous runs down the left wing and quickly became a first choice for the left midfield position, making 28 appearances during his debut season and scoring five goals. Real Madrid won the Liga title with multiple games to spare, and were already the champions of Spain when they played their arch-rivals Barcelona on 7 May 2008. The Barcelona players formed a guard of honour as the Madrid team came onto the pitch at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, and Robben played an important part in Real Madrid's subsequent 4–1 victory, scoring the champions' second goal.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben retained his key role in the Real Madrid midfield during the 2008–09 season, playing 35 times and scoring 8 goals. Although the Dutchman was one of the Spanish side's most important players in the pre-season games leading up to the 2009–10 season, having scored three goals and help set up another four, he was among the players whose place in the first team became threatened following the arrival of Florentino Pérez and the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká. Real Madrid accepted a bid of around €25 million for Robben from Bayern Munich. Robben claimed he was "forced" to leave Real Madrid, saying that he "didn't want to go, but the club wanted to sell him".


title: Arjen Robben

text: On 28 August 2009, Robben moved to Bayern Munich for around €25 million. He was given the number 10 jersey, last worn by his fellow Dutchman, Roy Makaay. On 9 March 2010, Robben scored the deciding goal in Bayern's 2–3 defeat (4–4 on aggregate over two legs) against Fiorentina, taking them through to the quarter-finals of the 2009–10 Champions League on away goals.


title: Arjen Robben

text: On 7 April 2010, Robben sent Bayern into the semi-finals of the Champions League with a stunning volley against Manchester United from the edge of the area into the corner of the net. The game ended 3–2 to United (4–4 on aggregate), with Bayern advancing again due to away goals.


title: Arjen Robben

text: On 17 April 2010, he scored his first hat-trick in the Bundesliga against Hannover 96 in the Allianz Arena. The game ended 7–0 to the Bavarians. On 8 May 2010, he won his first Bundesliga title with Bayern after scoring two goals in their 3–1 victory over Hertha BSC, finishing as Bayern's top scorer in the process.


title: Arjen Robben

text: A week later, Bayern played in the DFB-Pokal final against the previous champions of the tournament, Werder Bremen, in Berlin's Olympiastadion. Bayern won the game 4–0, with Robben scoring the first of his team's goals from a penalty kick. Robben thus helped the Bavarians achieve their 15th DFB-Pokal title. On 25 May 2010, Robben was named Footballer of the Year in Germany for 2010. He was the fourth foreigner and the first Dutchman to win the title. He finished the 2009–10 season with 23 goals in 37 appearances.


title: Arjen Robben

text: The 2010–11 season started poorly for Robben, after medical tests confirmed that his hamstring had not properly healed and that he would be out for two months. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stated that "Of course, Bayern Munich are very angry" with the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), and would be seeking compensation from them, continuing, "Once again we must pay the bill as a club after a player is seriously injured playing for a national team." On 15 January 2011, he returned to first team action, coming on as a substitute in the 1–1 away draw with VfL Wolfsburg.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben was nominated for the UEFA Champions League Best Midfielder award, but the award went to his international compatriot Wesley Sneijder. He has also been nominated for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award and the FIFA Puskás Award, which goes to the best goal of the year, and he has also been nominated for FIFA's FIFPro World XI 2010 squad thanks to his impressive season with Bayern Munich. He finished the 2010–11 season with 13 goals in 17 appearances.


title: Arjen Robben

text: In the second leg of the semi-finals of the 2011–12 Champions League, against his former club Real Madrid, which was then managed by José Mourinho (who had been his manager at Chelsea), after Bayern fell behind 2–0, Robben converted a penalty to level the tie at 3–3. Bayern advanced to the final after winning the resulting penalty shootout.


title: Arjen Robben

text: On 3 May 2012, it was reported that Robben had signed a new contract with Bayern which would last until 2015.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben had an extra-time penalty saved by former teammate Petr Čech in the 2012 Champions League final at the Allianz Arena against Chelsea. Had he scored, Bayern Munich would have led Chelsea 2–1. The match, however, ended in a penalty shootout which Chelsea won. That was the fourth major cup final that he had been on the losing side during the last two years (FIFA World Cup final, two Champions League finals and the DFB-Pokal). Three days later in the same stadium, and while playing as a second-half substitute for the Netherlands in a friendly against Bayern Munich, he was jeered by some disgruntled Bayern fans every time he touched the ball (due to his penalty miss in the Champions League final, and as he did not play on Bayern's side during that match due to a decision taken by Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk). The match had been organised to compensate Bayern, since Robben aggravated an injury playing for the Netherlands at the 2010 World Cup, and went on to miss several months of the 2010–11 season. He finished the 2011–12 season with 19 goals in 36 appearances.


title: Arjen Robben

text: In the 2012–13 season, played in the German Super Cup. Robben had started the season on the bench, as manager Jupp Heynckes preferred to start Thomas Müller on the right wing, with Toni Kroos at the attacking midfielder position. Robben had played through the season as a substitute, but earned his chance to start again after Kroos was injured during the Champions League tie against Juventus. He started on the right wing for the rest of the season, having moved Müller back to the middle. Robben started against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal and scored the game's lone goal in the 43rd minute. In the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, Robben started both games and scored in both games, including the go-ahead goal in the second leg. Bayern would then go on to return to the final in Wembley Stadium. Robben atoned for his penalty miss the previous season by setting up teammate Mario Mandžukić's goal to open the scoring in the 60th minute then netting an 89th-minute winner in a 2–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund to give Bayern their fifth Champions League/European Cup title. During the presentation, he was named Man of the Match by UEFA. Hence, he has been called "Mr. Wembley" since then. He finished the 2012–13 season with 13 goals in 31 appearances.


title: Arjen Robben

text: Robben scored his first goals of the 2013–14 season in the 2013 DFL-Supercup, a 4–2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund. On 9 August 2013, his opening goal helped Bayern to a 3–1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach in their first match of the 2013–14 Bundesliga campaign. On 17 September, he scored in Bayern's Champions League opener against CSKA Moscow at the Allianz Arena. He went on to score two further goals during the Champions League group stage; in away wins against Manchester City and CSKA as Bayern finished as group winners. On 23 November, Robben was one of three scorers as Bayern beat title rivals Borussia Dortmund 3–0 at the Westfalenstadion. On 4 December, Robben was substituted with a deep cut on his right knee in a 2–0 DFB-Pokal win away to FC Augsburg which prevented him from taking part in the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup.


title: Arjen Robben

text: On 1 March 2014, Robben scored a hat-trick in Bayern's 5–1 win over Schalke 04. On 19 March, he signed a contract extension with Bayern which will keep him at the club until 2017. On 9 April, Robben scored Bayern's third goal in a 3–1 Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United, to secure qualification to the semi-finals. On 17 May, Robben scored Bayern's opening goal in a 2–0 extra-time defeat of Borussia Dortmund in the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final, giving him his third league and cup double in five seasons with the club. His goal also made him the first player to score in three separate DFB-Pokal finals. On 13 July, after winning the third place match at the 2014 World Cup, Louis van Gaal invited Robben to follow him to Manchester United, but the latter ruled out the move. He finished the 2013–14 season with 21 goals in 45 appearances.