APOCALYPTO

"Producing and directing offer satisfaction, but you can´t just grab it right away. You must establish a credit rating. We´re getting there."

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Icon Productions

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Apocalypto

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According to Alan Nierob, Gibson began writing the script of APOCALYPTO nine months ago.
The project has been shrouded in secrecy, though some details came to light last April.
In April, Mel Gibson visited Veracruz in Mexico and stayed there for six days (from 16th to 21st).
The actor/director didn´t agree to give any interview to the local media because he wanted to keep his short stay strictly confidential. But it´s very difficult to hide some important information from newspapers.
Gustavo Souza, in charge of Tourism Department in Veracruz made public that Mel Gibson was going to shoot a film in the area. Apparently most of the film would be shot on location so Gibson and his team would stay in the region of Tuxtla at least for eight months.

Soon afterwards, it was said that the movie would be related to the Mexico history and that the language would be an ancient Maya dialect: náhuatl.
In July actor Manuel Ojeda said that Mel Gibson had tried to engage him to participate in his future project, but he had refused the offer.
According to Ojeda, Mel Gibson and Icon Productions were recruiting well-qualified actors/actresses to their new film based on "the conquest of Mexico.".
Some days later, agencies confirmed that Mel Gibson would return to his action roots with Apocalypto, "unique adventure" set 500 years in the past. As with "Passion," Gibson would direct and produce the Mayan-language film from his own script through his own company, Icon Productions, and he would not appear in the movie.
The first question was: WHAT DOES APOCALYTO MEAN?. Well, apocalypto is a Greek word for an unveiling or new beginning.


Production chiefs from selected studios were invited to Icon Prods. headquarters to read the script whose first page says: "The dialogue you are about to read will not be spoken in English."
Two studios, Paramount and Universal, walked away from "Apocalypto" either for creative reasons or because Gibson's asking price of a high P&A commitment was too high.
Finally, Walt Disney Co won the competition to distribute "Apocalypto" in North America and Canada, while Icon Productions will circulate it in the rest of the world.
Few others details about Gibson's project has been revealed for the moment. It is said that the film's cast will consist of unknown performers native to the region of Mexico where the film will be shot .
Gibson is due to begin shooting "Apocalypto," in October and is aiming for a summer 2006 release
Dick Cook, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios has said: "We couldn't be more excited about working again with Mel and his team. This is one of the most original and unique scripts we've had the opportunity to read recently, and we plan for this to be an anchor of our summer schedule."
In the meantime, the "Lethal Weapon" star has put on hold what was to be his next acting project -- the Icon-produced drama "Under and Alone" for director Antoine Fuqua at Warner Bros.



CONTENTS


Interview Mel Gibson
Shooting 1
Shooting 2
Shooting 3
The Cast
On the set
I Worked in Apocalypto
The Day After
The Day After 2
Collage
Poster 1
Photos
Questionnaire
Game: The Mayas
Game: Choose Ten
Oscars 2006

Have you seen "Apocalypto"?, evaluate the movie from "0" to "10" Click Here



New Trailer for Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. Please, CLICK HERE




NEW!!!!

"I WORKED IN APOCALPTO"
New PHOTOS and Roberto´s report
CLICK HERE






  • Directed by Mel Gibson
  • Plot: When his idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, a man is taking on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a horrible end awaits him. Though a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family, he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.
  • Writing credits: Mel Gibson and Farhad Safinia
  • Credited cast: Dalia Hernández, Rudy Youngblood, Mayra Serbulo, Raoul Trujillo…
  • Produced by Vicki Christianson (executive producer), Bruce Davey (producer), Ned Dowd (executive producer), Mel Gibson (producer), Farhad Safinia (co-producer)
  • Original Music by James Horner
  • Cinematography by Dean Semler
  • Film Editing by John Wright
  • Casting by Carla Hool
  • Production Design by Thomas E. Sanders
  • Costume Design by Mayes C. Rubeo
  • Makeup Department David P. Barton, Hannah Eccleston, Giorgio Gregorini, Rossella Gregorio, Lynn Johnson
  • Genre: Action / Drama / Historical Epic Film.
  • Status: Post-production
  • Produced by Icon Productions Inc.
  • Sales & Distribution: Icon Film Distribution (Australia/NZ and UK), Icon Entertainment International, Walt Disney Co. (USA/CANADA)
  • Country: USA
  • Language: mayan tongue of Yucateco
  • Color: Color
  • Release: December 8th. 2006 (USA)

APOCALYPTO
2006





ICON
"The dialogue you are about to read will not be spoken in English."




NEWS AND RUMOURS


  • "Apocalypto" was going to be called *THE MAYAS* but Mr. Gibson changed his mind about it.
  • It is said that Nanciyaga Ecological Preserve (Lake Catemaco) will be one of the places where Apocalypto will be shot next October. Mel Gibson visited this beautiful area last April and was most impressed by this tropical rain forest.
  • Yesterday (8-20-05) Mel Gibson visited Catemaco. Then he went for a ride on a van through Veracruz main streets and flew over some different areas. To choose the sceneries, where he will shoot Apocalypto next October, and to make the necessary arrangements for the film were the purposes of this journey.
  • The definitive sets will be Nanciyaga, Cardel and "La Antigua", where the spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés lived in 1519.
  • The production team and the actors will spend eight months in this area so they´re going to learn Spanish fluently.
  • Sept,5.-According to Gonzalo Sousa, all the sets will be based on history and the characters who inhabited them. The Government is planning to buy the necessary lands where production designer, art director, construction coordinator and set decorator will realize Mel Gibson´s vision of the set. A replica of a prehispanic village as well as mayor structures (e.g. famous mayan pyramids), based on archaeological ruins in the area, will be built on location.
    The whole film will be shot in Veracruz. Firstly, it was said that 50% of the movie would be filmed in Yucatan, but someone (as always) changed his mind.
    The casting began last Thursday in Jalapa. Icon Productions is looking for actors/extras with native features (men, women and children). An old story-teller is one of the characters that they´ll select between the candidates.
  • Sept,11.-The producer, Ana Roth, says that Apocalypto is a story of love and adventure in which romance is interlaced with revenge and suffering. An eternal subject whose action may be set in any place/any time. This circumstance facilitated the free choice of sceneries but, finally, it was decided to add some elements of the mayan culture/history to the initial plot.
    Apocalypto is not going to be an expensive movie. Its budget is modest.
  • Sept, 15.- Yesterday, Mel Gibson began the process of choosing the actors for Apocalypto. A hard task, because there are around 1,200 candidates Requirements: native features and Knowledge of the "obscure mayan dialect".
  • Carlos Nakasone Hisaki says that Mel Gibson has chosen Quintana Roo to shoot some scenes of the film. Next October we´ll know for certain the "winners" of this special contest.
    According to her mother, the mexican actress Kate del Castillo might have a starring role in Apocalypto. Kate was auditioned for the role last week. Mam and daughter are very hopeful of success.
  • Sept, 29.-Last Monday Mel Gibson visited Campeche where he met the local authorities. Local officials say that Gibson purposes to recreate the atmosphere and some of the historical buildings of the ancient Edzná in his next film, "APOCALYPTO".
  • Definitely, Quintana Roo, Campeche and Veracruz are the "winners" and future sets of Apocalypto. Three days ago Mel Gibson filmed some sceneries of these areas in order to begin the promotion of the film.
    Cast: Mexican actor Miguel Angel Galvan, as a maya priest, and actor/model Mauricio Amuy, as a maya chief, have been recruited by Icon Productions.
    According to local newspaper, Mr. Gibson read the 'Popol-Vuh', the sacred book of the Mayans, in order to familiarize himself with this culture.



  • Mel Gibson is too busy putting the finishing touches to the preproduction of his next movie Apocalypto.
    Last weekend Mel Gibson visited Churubusco Studios in order to supervise all the details concerning make-up and wardrobe.
    Gibson is due to begin shooting the film on location in Veracruz on 14 November but the recent floods may force Mr. Gibson to postpone the production schedule. It is said that Gibson is very worried about the situation of this area after hurricane Stan.


  • During a break in his intense activity making the last arrangements for his film "Apocalypto", Mel Gibson met with Mexican President Vicente Fox and donated US$1 million to help Mexico recover from Hurricane Stan.


  • Next Friday (October 28), weather permitting, Mel Gibson will give a press conference in order to explain all the details concerning his next film "Apocalypto".
    The secret will be "unveiled" and we´ll be able to sleep again.
  • The press passes have already been sent. Tomorrow at midday in Boca del Río (Veracruz) the opening shot...
    Thanks, Juan, for your help.
  • Oct, 29.- And after the news conference, what do we know about APOCALYPTO?.
    All about this film. Read the interview and see the pics sent by Juan Velasko, CLICK HERE
  • Nov, 11.- Joaquin Cosío joins Miguel Angel Galván and Mauricio Amuy in the cast.


  • Nov, 14.- Mel Gibson begins directing Apocalypto in Los Tuxtlas (Veracruz).


  • Nov, 25.- Mel Gibson will donate sets from his new film "Apocalypto" -- including six replicas of Mayan pyramids -- to the Mexican state of Veracruz when work on the movie is finished.
    Donated items also are to include several movie-set prehispanic villages.


  • December.-Shooting. "MEL GIBSON IN CATEMACO", a report by "DZ" (www.tuxtlas.com)
  • Locations.
  • A magic place.
  • The trailer.
  • A mysterious girl.
    CLICK HERE



  • January.- Shooting 2
  • "The governor, the executive producer, the choreographer, the director and his beard"
  • 21 December 2012
    CLICK HERE

"It doesn´t appear like there´s going to be a lot of dialogue in the film. Mel Gibson is a very visual director." said Alan Nierob.




Mel Gibson in Veracruz. Gibson is due to begin shooting the film on location in Los Tuxtlas (San Andres, Veracruz) on 14 November.
WE THANK D.JUAN VELASKO FOR THE REPORT.






"APOCALYPTO no es la historia de la cultura maya, para nada, es una aventura donde se manejan valores, muchos atemporales, es una historia de amor, lealtad, de venganza y dolor, esas que se podría filmar en México hoy o en París en el siglo XVIII de eso trata, de esos valores que no han cambiado." Ana ROTH (Producer)

"This fall Mel Gibson will head to Mexico to direct his historial action script Apocalypto." TIME



PRESS CONFERENCE.- OCTOBER 28

The movie is scheduled to begin production Nov. 14 and will be shot almost entirely in the jungle of Mexico's Veracruz state.
The film's stars will be unrecognizable to most moviegoers, and they will speak in the Mayan tongue of Yucateco, Gibson said. It will be light on dialogue and heavy on images and action
Gibson said the story would be told through the eyes of a Mayan man, his family and village, and would touch on universal themes about "civilizations and what undermines them," but he declined to go into details about the plot.
He said Mayan myths from the Popol Vuh sacred texts formed part of his research for the film, which also drew on input from indigenous groups and Spanish mission texts from the 1700s and Mayan language translators.
To see the interview and all the photos sent by D. JUAN VELASKO, please

CLICK HERE
"The film's title, "Apocalypto," just expresses so well that I want to convey," Gibson said. "I think it's just a universal word. In order for something to begin, something has to end. All of those elements are involved. But it's not a big doomsday picture or anything like that.".



CLICK HERE
Main mayan and aztec cities in Mexico.


THE MAYAS AND THE AZTECS


  • The land that is now Mexico is the birthplace of Native American civilization. Beginning 3,000 years ago, the Olmec people carved great stone heads over six feet in diameter. About 1,000 years ago, the Mayan people developed the most accurate calendar of its time. Ancient Mayan astronomers put the exact lenght of the year at 365.2420 days
    Around modern-day Mexico City lie the ruins of two of the greatest ancient cities in history. In Tenochtitlán and Teotihuacan, ancient civilizations carved pyramids (teocalis) rivaling those of ancient Egypt
    By about 1,300 A.D., both cities were controlled by a fierce tribe of warriors known as the Aztecs. As its height, Teotihuacán housed 100,000 people. Spanish explorers were deeply impressed by this city, As impressive as Teotihuacán was to arriving explorers, it was Tenochtitlán that became the aztec capital. It was from there that the Aztecs launched attacks on their neighbours, quickly becoming the most powerful tribe in central America.
  • Aztec/Mayan society made human sacrifices to the gods The high priest extracted victim´s heart that was presented to the honoured god.
  • The mith of Quetzalcoat, the white skin god that wore a long beard. It was said that Quetzalcoat would return with his descendants from the mysterious beaches of Tlapallan to restore his Empire. This mith helped spanish explorers who were taken by the natives as the god´s descendants.
  • A deadly ball game. When Hernán Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlán, he found heaps of human skulls displayed near the walled court in which was played a dangerous game of ball. It is thought that the loosers were bound tightly into a ball and rolled down a large flight of stairs to death at the hands of a headsman.
    Some historians trace the origin of this game to the early Olmec Indians in about 2.000 B.C.


  • Manuscripts and stone carvings bear testament to the information that the master astronomers of the Maya amassed about the heavens.Theirs records are especially rich in observations of Venus.
    For modern investigators of the Maya culture, a puzzling hieroglyph proved a key clue to understanding Venus´s importance. Called the shell-star hieroglyph, it was kown to relate to battles among the jungle kingdoms. But it also included a rendering of two balls beneath a wavy line, a Mayan symbol for Venus. Yale anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury compared astronomical tables with the dates of Mayan military events whose records bore the shell-star. He discovered that the battles coincided with significant positions in the cycle of Venus so it seemed that in the Mayan world, battles and ritual combats, and the ensuing sacrifice of defeated warriors, proceeded in a Venusian rhythm.
    Timing war according to celestial dictates gave Mayan society a unique character. With surprise attacks all but ruled out, the Maya could dispense with defensive moats and battlements for their cities and did not have to maintain constant vigilance. Their military fate was firmly governed by the cosmos.




Mel talked about "Apocalypto" last Thursday (9-22-05) at Disney's special presentation of its upcoming films at the Kodak Theatre. Looking like he has gained some weight, Mel sardonically stated, "This film will not be as bloody as The Passion; it will be a little more tasteful."

"I just like being a slob behind the camera and watching other people look good."


  • Edzná is a ruined city of the Maya civilization in the state of Campeche, Mexico. Edzná is in the north of the state, 53 km south-east of Campeche.
    From the Main Plaza, a grand staircase ascends to the Great Acropolis, a group of ten structures sharing a raised platform. Medium sized pyramids, topped by temples, flank the stairs to the left and right. Beyond a central square altar stands the beautiful Temple of Five Stories, crowned by the impressive ruins of a roof comb. It is the tallest structure on the site, with a height of 100 feet.
    Edzná was already inhabited in 400 BC, and was it abandonded round 1500 AD. In the Late-Classis period Edzná was part of the state Kalakmul.






  • The Popol-Vuh is considered as the bible of the Mayan people. It is also known as Popol Buj, the Book of the Council, the Sacred Book, the Book of the Community and the National Book of the Quiche¢. The Popol Vuh contains the origin and creation stories as well as a wealth of the ancient oral traditions of the Mayan people,such as the stories of the Maya Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque who are prominent figures of Maya mythology. The book continues with details of the foundation and history of the Quiché Kingdom, tying in the royal family with the legendary gods in order to assert rule by divine right.
    The best known and most complete manuscript of the Popul Vuh is in the Quiché Maya language. After the Spanish conquest, many sacred texts were destroyed and the usage of Maya script was forbidden and Latin alphabet was taught instead. However, some Maya priests and clerks clandestinely made copies of older hieroglyphic books, but using Latin letters. One of these was discovered about 1702 by a priest named Francisco Ximénez, who made a copy of it and added a translation into Spanish. This manuscript is now in the Newberry Library in Chicago.

"This is the account of how all was in suspense, all calm, in silence; all motionless, still, and the expanse of the sky was empty."




"APOCALYPTO"
THE MAYA CITY
PHOTOS, THE SET
CLICK HERE

Tom Sanders' crew spent six months building outside Veracruz a meticulously appointed city of Maya pyramids and markets.

Apocalypto will be the fourth film directed by Mel Gibson since 1992 (The Man Without A Face).


www.melsmegafans.com