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The School for Good and Evil (film)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = The School for Good and Evil
| image = The School for Good and Evil movie poster.jpeg
| caption = Teaser poster
| director = Paul Feig
| producer =
| screenplay =
| based_on =
| starring =
| narrator = Cate Blanchett
| music = Theodore Shapiro
| cinematography = John Schwartzman
| editing = Brent White
| production_companies =
| distributor = Netflix
| released =
| runtime = 147 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'The School for Good and Evil' is an upcoming fantasy film directed by Paul Feig. Based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Soman Chainani, the screenplay is written by David Magee and Feig. The film follows the adventures of best friends Sophie and Agatha, who are kidnapped and taken to the titular School for Good and Evil. After their fortunes are reversed, they try to figure out a way to return home. In doing so, their friendship is put to the test.
Universal Pictures was initially set to release the film; Netflix took over in 2020. Production began in early 2021 in Belfast and later that year. The film is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2022.
Cast
*Sofia Wylie as Agatha
*Sophia Anne Caruso as Sophie
*Laurence Fishburne as the School Master
*Michelle Yeoh as Professor Emma Anemone
*Jamie Flatters as Tedros
*Kit Young as Rafal
*Peter Serafinowicz
*Kerry Washington as Professor Clarissa Dovey
*Charlize Theron as Lady Lesso
*Cate Blanchett as the narrator / voice of the Storian
*Ben Kingsley
*Patti LuPone
*Rob Delaney
*Rachel Bloom
*Earl Cave as Hort
*Freya Theodora Parks as Hester
*Demi Isaac Oviawe as Anadil
*Kaitlyn Akinpelumi as Dot
*Mark Heap as Professor Bilious Manley
*Briony Scarlett as Reena
*Chinenye Ezeudu as Chinen
*Rosie Graham as Millicent
*Emma Lau
*Joelle
*Holly Sturton
*Alex Cubb
*Stephanie Siadatan
*Petra Hajduk
*Abigail Stones
*Ali Khan
*Myles Kamwendo
*Olivia Booth-Ford
*Misia Butler
Production
Development and pre-production
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.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. 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 joined in 2020, with Roth, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Startz, Laura Fischer and Feig as producers, and Zack Roth, Patricia Riggen and Chainani as executive producers. Feig, who assisted with the script, 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.
Casting
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. 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". According to Chainani, casting Hester was difficult due to her "a very, very specific energy".
Charlize Theron previously acted in many fantasy films, such as 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012). Feig 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.
Costumes and design
Rene Kalfus and Feig designed the costumes. Unlike the books, the film the students will 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. Dylan McCaughtry helped make, build, and construct sets and props; Feig did not want the film to look similar to the 'Harry Potter' film series and thus chose Andy Nicholson as production designer. The film's style takes inspiration from Art Nouveau, which Feig noticed while filming 'Spy' (2015) in Budapest, Hungary. Feig stated this avoided comparisons to other films, being "both garish and over the top". 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. Characters such as the wolves were animatronic.Filming
The film was shot at several locations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, including Belfast Harbour Studios and Loop Film Studios. At the former, the full of the studio, workshop and office space was used. 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; Big Dog Forest; Woodburn Forest; and Castle Archdale. Derry was also considered as a filming location but was rejected for numerous reasons. Production was estimated to take approximately four to seven months. It followed the British Film Commission safe working protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Feig always wore a mask. In January 2021, it was reported filming had begun. However, Chainani stated filming would begin in April 8, 2021. Roughly 350 to 500 crew members worked on 'The School for Good and Evil', the majority of whom were locals. Artist Robinson, who had previously worked with Feig, served as first assistant director; John Schwartzman was employed as cinematographer. 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.Post-production
After the film wrapped, Feig began editing, with Erik Nordby as effects supervisor. The film's visual effects will be provided by British companies DNEG and Framestore. Feig hoped for the film's world to have a sense of realism, despite its magical aspects; 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.
Adaptation from source material
Chainani said the film will be a "very different animal" from the book. The crew members picked key moments from the novel, such as major plot points, character developments and fan-favourites, to adapt. They often had to examine certain passages very closely to ensure they were not just recreating clichs. 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 author 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.
Marketing
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.
Release
'The School for Good and Evil' is scheduled to release on October 19, 2022, on Netflix.
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.
Reception
Pre-release
The film is 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', and 'ABC News' named it one of the most anticipated films of late 2022.References
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