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World renowned children’s author Anthony Horowitz talks about his latest film Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker. Click on the link at the bottom of the page to watch our interview with Anthony Horowitz as he gives teachers advice on how to encourage students to write and the process of taking a novel to the big screen.
Based on the best-selling novel by Anthony Horowitz, the film finds our young hero blackmailed by leaders of a Special Operations Division within MI6, Britain's intelligence service. His government calls and Alex answers reluctantly - until he finds out his mission could save millions of lives. Can he do it?
It all begins with Alex's uncle Ian Rider (Ewan McGregor), who has been Alex's guardian since he was very small. He's a spy for MI6, a fact unbeknownst to Alex until the day Ian is killed by Yassen Gregorovich (Damian Lewis), a Russian assassin. Alex is forced to take up his uncle's fight against evil - particularly against the vengeful Darrius Sayle (Mickey Rourke), a technology tycoon who plans to wreak havoc on millions of British schoolchildren with a computer dubbed Stormbreaker.
Horowitz's screenplay contains the elements that have made fans of millions of readers: non-stop action (lots of martial arts and close calls), humour (an acne cream that can burn through steel) and great characters (Missi Pyle as Nadia Vole, a very domineering villainess). The lynchpin, of course, is Alex, who's distinctly averse to being a hero ("I don't want to be a spy. In case you haven't noticed, I'm still at school") but shows a remarkable aptitude for it.
In the skilled hands of director Geoffrey Sax, the story is presented with great pacing and attention to detail. Sax finds the right balance between reality and fantasy with his excellent cast, including Alicia Silverstone as Jack, Alex's "minder" since childhood and Bill Nighy as the agency boss, Mr. Blunt. Young Pettyfer (dishy-looking and destined to break hearts) carries the film with great aplomb and confidence, showing us Alex the schoolboy when Alex the spy gets momentarily scared. With London as its stunning backdrop, Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker fulfills every promise made by the novels: non-stop action and non-stop fun.
- Jane Schoettle, Director Youth Education and Sprockets
Executive Producers: Anthony Horowitz, Hilary Dugdale, Nigel Green, Andreas Schimd
Producers: Peter Samuelson, Marc Samuelson, Steve Christian, Andreas Grosch
Screenplay: Anthony Horowitz, based on his novel "Stormbreaker"
Cinematographer: Chris Seager
Editor: Andrew MacRitchie
Production Designer: Ricky Eyres
Sound: Mark Holding
Music: Alan Parker
Principal Cast: Ewan McGregor, Alex Pettyfer, Alicia Silverstone, Mickey Rourke, Bill Nighy, Damian Lewis, Missi Pyle
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