Logan-Penned Scorscese Flick 'Hugo Cabret' Begins Production in London

Production has begun in London on Academy Award®-winner Martin Scorsese's adventure film Hugo Cabret. The live-action film, to be photographed in 3D, stars Academy Award®-winner Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island), Sacha Baron Cohen (Bruno), Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), and Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass).

Based on Brian Selznick's captivating and imaginative New York Times bestseller The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the screenplay is by John Logan and the film is produced by Scorsese, Graham King, Tim Headington, and Johnny Depp.

Executive producers are Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Charles Newirth and Christi Dembrowski.

Hugo Cabret, Scorsese's first film shot in 3D, tells the tale of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. When Hugo encounters a broken machine, an eccentric girl, and the cold, reserved man who runs the toy shop, he is caught up in a magical, mysterious adventure that could put all of his secrets in jeopardy.

Also appearing in the all-star cast are Academy Award®-nominee Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes), Ray Winstone (London Boulevard), Christopher Lee (Lord of the Rings), Helen McCrory ("The Special Relationship"), Frances de la Tour (Alice In Wonderland), and Richard Griffiths (The History Boys).

Hugo Cabret re-teams Scorsese, King, and Logan, all of whom worked together on The Aviator. It also reunites Scorsese with several of his longtime collaborators, including director of photography Robert Richardson (Shutter Island, Inglourious Basterds), production designer Dante Ferretti (Shutter Island, Sweeney Todd), costume designer Sandy Powell (Shutter Island, The Young Victoria), and editor Thelma Schoonmaker (Shutter Island, The Departed), all multiple-time Oscar® winners, as well as casting director Ellen Lewis (The Departed, The Aviator).

Martin Scorsese most recently directed the hugely successful psychological thriller Shutter Island. He helmed the HBO pilot "Boardwalk Empire," premiering September 2010, and is executive producing the series. Scorsese has also directed upcoming documentaries on Elia Kazan, George Harrison and the writer Fran Lebowitz.

Academy Award®-nominee John Logan has written the screenplays for Gladiator, Sweeney Todd, and Gore Verbinski's animated feature Rango, produced by GK Films and Verbinski's Blind Wink Features. On Broadway, Logan's acclaimed play "Red" won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Play.

GK FILMS, founded by King and partner Tim Headington, recently wrapped production on The Tourist, directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. In addition, GK Films produced The Town, written and directed by Ben Affleck and set to be released by Warner Bros. in September 2010. Other films recently produced by GK Films include The Rum Diary, also starring Depp and produced with Depp's Production Company, Infinitum Nihil, and the crime drama London Boulevard, starring Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley.

Recent GK Films releases include Edge of Darkness starring Mel Gibson and the three-time Academy Award®-nominated The Young Victoria starring Emily Blunt.

GK Films acquired the screen rights to The Invention of Hugo Cabret shortly after the book was published by Scholastic Press in 2007 and immediately became the #1 New York Times best-selling novel. The ground-breaking book was universally praised by critics and received several literary awards including the coveted 2008 Caldecott Medal and a National Book Award; it was also named the New York Times' Best Illustrated book among many other honors.

Hugo Cabret will be filmed at London's Shepperton Studios as well as on locations in London and Paris. It is scheduled for a December 2011 release in North America by Sony Pictures.