The Avengers (1998)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1998
Running Times: 89m
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: Technicolor
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: DTS/Dolby Digital/SDDS

DIRECTION

Director: Jeremiah Chechik

CREW

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Warner Bros. presents a Jerry Weintraub Production
Executive Producer: Susan Ekins
Producer: Jerry Weintraub
Unit Production Manager: Gerry Toomey
2nd Unit Production Manager: Michael Murray
Production Coordinator: Erica Bensly
2nd Unit Production Coordinator: Emma Mager (uncredited)

SCRIPT
Script: Don MacPherson
Television Series: Sydney Newman

DIRECTION
2nd Unit Directors: Vic Armstrong, Arthur Wooster, Harvey Harrison
2nd Unit Assistant Director: Peter Bennett Sr
1st Assistant Director: Terry Needham
2nd Assistant Director: Adam Somner
3rd Assistant Directors: Christopher Mullane, Max Brown, Thomas Guard
Script Supervisor: Anna Worley
2nd Unit Script Supervisor: Sharon Mansfield

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Roger Pratt
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Harvey Harrison
Close Range Aerial Photography: Flying Cam Inc
Car Chase Unit Director of Photography: Jonathan Taylor (uncredited)
Camera Operators: Simon Ransley, Peter Robertson
2nd Unit Camera Operators: David Budd, Peter Taylor
Car Chase Unit Camera Operator: Martin Kenzie (uncredited)
1st Assistant Camera: John Foster, Simon Hume
2nd Unit 1st Assistant Camera: John Fletcher, Mike Evans
2nd Assistant Camera: Ciro Candia, Mik Allen
2nd Unit Clapper Loader: Marc Atherfold
Chief Lightning Technician: Alan Martin
Assistant Chief Lightning Technician: Jason Martin
Lighting: Lee Lighting Ltd
2nd Unit Gaffer: Steve Foster
Rigging Gaffer: David Hughes
Dolly Grips: David Appleby, Philip Murray
Stills: David Appleby
Video Playback Operator: Chris Warren
Colour Timer: Peter Hunt
Cameras and Lenses: Panavision
Laboratory: Techicol Film Services
Film Stock: Kodak

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Mick Audsley
1st Assistant Editor: Kate Higham
2nd Assistant Editor: David Burrows
3rd Assistant Editor: Amy Quince
Digital Assistant Editor: Mags Arnold
Main Titles Assistant Editor: Adrian Kays (uncredited)
Post-Production Supervisor: Stephen Barker
Negative Cutter: Sylvia Wheeler

MUSIC
Music: Joel McNeely
Theme: Laurie Johnson
Songs: Burt Bacharach, Hal David (Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head); Bruce Woolley, Chris Elliott, Marius De Vries, Betsy Cook, Andy Caine (Storm); Chris Holmes, Brian Liesegang (Solve My Problems Today); Suggs, Nick Feldman (I Am)
Songs Performed By: Grace Jones with The Radio Science Orchestra (Storm); Ashtar Command (Solve My Problems Today); Stephen Lironi (I Am)
Songs Produced By: Marius De Vries, Bruce Woolley, Chris Elliott (Storm); Marius De Vries, Ashtar Command (Solve My Problems Today); Suggs (I Am)
Orchestrators: David Slonaker, Joel McNeely, Jeff Atmajian
Conductor: Joel McNeely
Music Supervisor: Marius De Vries
Score Recordist: Shawn Murphy
Supervising Music Editor: Michael Connell
Music Editor: Craig Pettigrew

SOUND
Production Sound Mixer: Clive Winter
Boom Operator: Matthew Desorgher
Re-Recording Mixers: Adrian Rhodes, Mike Prestwood Smith
Supervising Sound Editor: Peter Joly
Assistant Sound Editors: Guy Hake, Mark Rose
Dialogue Editor: Danny Longhurst
Sound Effects Recordist: Stuart Wilson (uncredited)
Sound Effects Editor: Adrian Rhodes
Foley Editor: Ian Wilson
Sound Maintenance: Stephen Gilmour

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Key Make Up: Daniel Parker
Make Up: Jeremy Woodhead
Key Hair: Paolo Mantini
Make Up / Hair For Uma Thurman: Peter King
Hair: Kay Georgiou
Costume Designer: Anthony Powell
Assistant Costume Designer: Nathalie Duerinckx
Wardrobe Supervisor: Kenny Crouch
Wardrobe Master: Mark Holmes
Wardrobe Mistress: Jane Lewis
Wardrobe: David Croucher, Janet Lucas-Wakely

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Mike Dawson, Brian Morrison, John Brown, John Holmes, Jonathan Angell, Kevin Draycott, Rob Malos, Rodney Fuller, Roger Nichols
Special Effects Technician: Manex Efrem (uncredited)

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Supervisor: Nick Davis
Visual Effects Coordinator: Alexandra Day
Visual Effects Editor: Russ Woolnough
Assistant Visual Effects Editor: Paul Elman
Process Plate Cameraman: Mark Gardiner
Computer And Video Systems: Justin Owen
Main Titles: Imaginary Forces

Cinesite
Digital Effects Producer: Alex Bicknell
Production Coordinator: Catherine Duncan
3D Computer Animators: Charles Cash, Dave Child, Chris George
Digital Composite Supervisors: Sue Rowe, Niki Wakefield
Digital Compositors: Chris Gibbons, Matthew Johnson, David Man, David Williams, Sonia Calvert (uncredited)
Art Director: Lubo Hristow
Technical Support: Keith Barton (uncredited)

Computer Film Company
Visual Effects Producers: Alison O'Brien, Sharon Lark
CG Lead Animator: Dan Glass
Visual Effects: Dennis Michelson (uncredited)
Visual Effects Lead Animator: Dan Glass
Studio Manager: Pete Hanson (uncredited)
Scanning and Recording Producer: Kevin Phelan (uncredited)

Digital Unit
Digital Supervisor: Angus Cameron
Effects Animation Designer: Steve Begg
2-D Digital Artists: Robin Huffer, Helen Ball
Digital Effects Designers: Gavin Toomey (uncredited), Mark Nelmes (uncredited), Paddy Eason (uncredited)
Digital Compositors: Charles Tait, Adrian De Wet (uncredited), Elizabeth Moore (uncredited)
Domino Artist: Daniel Pettipher
Computer Graphics Designer: Simon Staines (uncredited)
Data Operations: Dan Harrod (uncredited)

Mill Film Limited (London)
Special Effects Supervisor: Joss Williams
2nd Unit Coordinators: Ian Wingrove, Paul Whybrow

Model Unit
Model Supervisors: Chris Martin, Roy Scott, Robbie Scott, Nigel Blake, Tracy Curtis
Model And Visual Effects Producers: Antony Hunt, Roger Lofting
Model Coordinator: Katherine Lofting
Production Manager: Suzie Ford
Production Supervisor: José Granell
Production Coordinator: Sarah Robinson
Model Unit Technician: David Watkins (uncredited)
Model Artist: Max Dennison
Model Animators: Gary Coulter, Caroline Garrett, Adam McInnes,
Director of Photograpy: Nigel Stone
Camera Operator: John Morgan
Clapper Loader: Andrew Stevens
Focus Puller: Karl Morgan
Camera Grip: Joe Felix
Gaffer: John Rogers
Best Boy: Frank Sheekey
Video Operator: Gary Blowfield
Special Effects Workshop Supervisor: Dave Poole
Special Effects Floor Supervisor: Ian Biggs
Special Effects Technicians: Nik Cooper, Jacqui Mitchell, Ken Kittens
Film Controller: Andrew Jeffery
Film Scanning and Recording: John Grant
Plasterer Department Head: Chris Greenwood
Production Accountant: Brenda Coxon
Prodution Assistants: Charity Hobbs-Wood, Tori Martin
Model Construction: The Magic Model Company

Title Sequence
Lead Digital Compositor: Candice Scott (uncredited)
Digital Compositing Support: Thomas Lopatka (uncredited)

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Stuart Craig
Supervising Art Director: Neil Lamont
Art Directors: Michael Lamont, Andrew Ackland-Snow, Mark Harris
2nd Unit Art Director: Simon Lamont
Assistant Art Directors: Dominic Masters, Jim Morahan, Lucinda Thomson
Set Decorator: Stephanie McMillan
Assistant Set Decorators: Brian Read, Miraphora Mina
Property Master: Barry Wilkinson
Stand-By Props: Jamie Wilkinson, Simon Wilkinson, Gary Ixer
Construction Coordinator: Michael Redding
Construction Foreman: Kenny Pattenden
Paint Foreman: Kavin Hall
Art Department Coordinator: Sara-Jane Valentine
Art Department Assistants: Alex Walker, Alastair Bullock, Nicola Levinsky
Storyboard Artists: Tony Wright, Denis Rich, Sylvain Despretz (uncredited)
Draughtsmen: Alan Gilmore (uncredited), Stephen Morahan (uncredited)
Graphic Designer: Carol Kupisz
Scenic Artist: Brian Bishop
Concept Artist: Sylvain Despretz (uncredited)
Title Designer: Karin Fong (uncredited)
Main Title Sequence Designer: Kyle Cooper (uncredited)

OTHER CREW
Production Accountant: Gary Nixon
Assistant Accountant: Matthew O'Toole, Rob Seager (uncredited)
Financial Controller: Gary Jones
Production Secretary: Caroline Moore
Production Office Assistants: Debbie Moseley, Sarah Waldron
Assistants to Jerry Weintraub: Julee Weintraub, Ari Weintraub, Eth Ibrahim Maynard, Jamie Weintraub, Jody Weintraub, Joseph Weintraub, Kim Pinkstaff, Rachel Weintraub, Sarah Weintraub
Assistants to Jeremiah Chechik: Tania Powell, Allan Bradshaw, Kirsten Welles
Assistant to Sean Connery: Nicola Armstrong
Assistant to Ralph Fiennes: Becky Veduccio
Assistant to Uma Thurman: Emma Tillinger
Dialogue Coach: Julia Wilson-Dixon
1st Aid: Kate Teakle, Rosie Bedford-Stradling
Transportation Coordinator: Maurice Newsome
Action Vehicle Coordinator: Duncan Barbour
Mini Provided By: Rover Group Limited
Unit Publicist: Jennifer Collen-Smith
Catering: 1st Unit Catering

LOCATIONS
Locations: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, UK; Gloucestershire, England, UK; Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, England, UK; Kingsway Tram Tunnel, Holborn, London, England, UK; Richard Rogers House, Chelsea, London, England, UK; Royal Naval College, Greenwich, England, UK; Stowe Castle, England, UK; Syon House & Garden, Brentford, Middlesex, England, UK
Studio: Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, UK
Location Managers: Keith Hatcher, Terry Blyther
Assistant Location Manager: Nick Waldron

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Marc Boyle
2nd Unit Stunt Coordinator: Eddie Stacey
Stunts: Gabe Cronnelly, Candice Evans, Eunice Huthart, Jamie Edgell, Paul Herbert, Paul Jennings, Paul Lonergan, Rachael Stephens, Ray De-Haan, Steen Young, Sy Hollands, Tony Lucken, Vincent Keane, Dickey Beer (uncredited), Lee Sheward (uncredited)
Stunt Double For Sean Connery: Gabe Cronnelly (uncredited)
Stunt Double For Uma Thurman: Sarah Franzl
Stunt Double For Eddie Izzard: Marc Cass
Swordfight Arrangements: William Hobbs

CASTING
Casting: Susie Figgis
Casting Assistant: Kate Bryden (uncredited)
Extras Casting: 2020 Casting Ltd

CAST

Ralph Fiennes (John Steed)
Uma Thurman (Emma Peel)
Sean Connery (Sir August de Wynter)
Patrick Macnee (voice of Invisible Jones)
Jim Broadbent (Mother)
Fiona Shaw (Father)
Eddie Izzard (Bailey)
Eileen Atkins (Alice)
John Wood (Trubshaw)
Carmen Ejogo (Brenda)
Keeley Hawes (Tamara)
Shaun Ryder (Donavan)
Nicholas Woodeson (Dr Darling)
Michael Godley (butler)
Richard Lumsden (Boodle's porter)
Daniel Crowder (messenger)
Nadim Sawalha, Christopher Godwin, David Webber (World Council of Ministers)

When a weather control system, the Prospero Shield, fails and the climate begins to get colder, British secret agent John Steed is called in to investigate. The prime suspect seems to be scientist Emma Peel who developed Prospero but has been filmed apparently sabotaging the system. But his investigations lead Steed to Sir August de Wynter who is planning to to rule the world using his own weather control machine.

A poorly conceived mess, The Avengers is almost entirely lacking in any of the qualities that made the original TV series so good. There's no chemistry whatsoever between the two miscast leads, the quirky humour that was a trademark of the original is missing and the inventiveness of the original scripts is replaced by a collection of by-the-numbers action movie clichés. Not even Sean Connery can save this one.

Argentina
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Video Distributor: Argentina Video Home

Germany
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros. GmbH
DVD Distributor: Warner Home Video (15873)

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Sogefilms S.A.

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Laserdisc Distributor: Warner Home Video (15873)
DVD Distributor: Warner Home Video (15873)

Argentina
Rating: 13

Australia
Rating: PG

Finland
Rating: K-12

France
Rating: U

Germany
Rating: 12

Netherlands
Rating: 12

Portugal
Rating: M/12

Spain
Rating: T

Sweden
Rating: 11

Switzerland
Rating: 12

UK
Rating: 12

USA
Rating: PG-13 (for brief strong language)

1999
Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing: Foreign Feature - nominated

Razzie Awards, USA
Worst Picture (Jerry Weintraub) - nominated
Worst Remake or Sequel - winner (tied with Godzilla (1998) and Psycho (1998))
Worst Director (Jeremiah Chechik) - nominated
Worst Actor (Ralph Fiennes) - nominated
Worst Supporting Actor (Sean Connery) - nominated
Worst Actress (Uma Thurman) - nominated
Worst Original Song (Marius De Vries, Bruce Woolley, Andy Caine, Betsy Cook, Chris Elliott) - nominated (for the song Storm)
Worst Screen Couple (Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman) - nominated
Worst Screenplay (Don MacPherson) - nominated

1998
August
13: Israel - theatrical release
14: Canada, Malaysia, Sweden, UK, USA - theatrical release
19: France - theatrical release
20: Singapore - theatrical release
26: Belgium - theatrical release
27: Germany - theatrical release
28: Austria, Brazil, Switzerland (German speaking region) - theatrical release

September
3: Netherlands - theatrical release
4: Finland, Portugal - theatrical release
9: Philippines - theatrical release
11: Thailand - theatrical release
17: Slovenia - theatrical release
18: Denmark - theatrical release
24: Hungary, New Zealand - theatrical release
25: Mexico, Spain - theatrical release
30: Kuwait - theatrical release

October
2: Turkey - theatrical release
3: Japan, South Korea - theatrical release
8: Slovakia - theatrical release
9: Poland - theatrical release
30: Italy - theatrical release

November
5: Australia - theatrical release
6: Estonia - theatrical release
13: Iceland - theatrical release
28: Indonesia - theatrical release

December
29: USA - laserdisc release (Warner Home Video (15873)); DVD release (Warner Home Video (15873))

1999
January
20: Argentina - video release

April
7: Germany - DVD release (Warner Home Video (15873))

August
11: UK - television broadcast (on Sky Box Office)

2000
February
26: UK - television broadcast (on Sky Movies)

2001
July
3: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 5)

Mrs Peel, we're needed.

Extraordinary crimes against the people and the state must be avenged

Two amazing secret agents. One diabolical madman. Conditions are dark. The forecast is deadly. Tea, anyone?

Saving the World in Style

The Avengers - Hævnere i kjole og hvidt - Danish title
Mit Schirm, Charme und Melone - German title
Los vengadores - Spanish title
Me vakoojat - Finnish title
Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir - French title
The Avengers - Agenti speciali - Italian title
Os Vingadores - Brazilian title
Hämnarna - Swedish title

SEE ALSO
The Avengers (1961 - 1969)
The New Avengers (1976 - 1977)

PERIODICALS

American Cinematographer vol.79 no.10 (October 1998) pp.109-110 (USA)
illustrated article

Cinemanía September 1998 pp.38-39 (Mexico)
article (La venganza es un plato que se come frio by J. Bekhor)

L'Ecran Fantastique no.183 (March 1999) p.81 (France)
illustrated article (Musiques de films by Nicholas Michel)

Empire no.112 October 1998 p.36 (UK)
illustrated review (by Kim Newman)

Film Review October 1998 p.20 (UK)
review (by James Cameron-Wilson)

Film Score Monthly vol.4 no.2 (1999) p.39 (USA)
illustrated soundtrack review (by Andy Dursin)

Film tutti i film della stagione vol.5 no.37 (January/February 1999) pp.62-64 (Italy)
illustrated credits, synopsis, review

Film tutti i film della stagione vol.6 no.37 (1999) pp.62-64 (Italy)
illustrated credits, review (by Simone Emiliani)

Music From the Movies no.22 (Winter 1999) pp.23-24 (UK)
illustrated article

Sight and Sound vol.8 no.10 (October 1998) pp.38-39 (UK)
illustrated credits, synopsis, review

Soundtrack!: The Collector’s Quarterly no.18 (Spring 1999) p.55 (USA)
illustrated soundtrack review (by Janet Shprintz and Martin Peers)

Starburst no.242 (October 1998) pp.52-55 (UK)
illustrated article

Total Film September 1998 p.91 (UK)
review (by Dean Evans)

Video Watchdog no.51 (1999) pp.42-43 (USA)
illustrated review (by Tim Lucas)

NEWSPAPERS

A Capital, Guia TV 26 March 1999 (Portugal)
review (by Rui Brazuna)

Correio da Manhã 4 September 1998 (Portugal)
review (by Vitoriano Rosa)

Diário de Notícias 4 September 1998 (Portugal)
review (by Eurico De Barros)

Diário de Notícias, DNmais 5 September 1998 (Portugal)
review (by José De Matos-Cruz)

Svenska Dagbladet 16 August 1998 (Sweden)
review (Connery har för lite att göra i Hämnarna by Elisabeth Sörenson)

KEYWORDS

balloons, bees, clones, films based on television series, gadgets, human duplication, insects, invisibility, megalomania, robots, scientists, secret agents, spies, teddy bears, terrorists, traitors, umbrellas, weather, weather control

Last Updated: 3 January, 2010