[Movies] Producer Chris Bender Talks The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Posted by Joseph Lee on 02.27.2013
During a set visit...
During a set visit for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, IGN talked to producer Chris Bender, along with the stars, about the film. Here are highlights:
On the two magicians in the film: "They're sort of a compilation of Copperfield and a lot of different magic acts that are the more classic magic acts. A lot of their tricks, their stage magic and things that you'd see in those types of shows, [like] Doug Henning, were influenced by all those magicians that are remnants of the '80s, with Copperfield as an example, who has evolved and changed over time. In [Burt and Anton's] case, they haven't changed. They're stuck in that era of jumpsuits and big hair."
Steve Carell on learning magic: "Oh, I'm fantastic. Let me show you! Yeah, I've been taking some lessons. It's tricky, though, because what you can acquire in a few months' time is not going to replicate somebody who has studied for 20 years... I went to the Magic Castle and I went to Vegas and saw a lot of shows. I've observed them. Their acts and not just the technique of the trick but the technique of the presentation itself which is, I think, an art form as well. Every magician has a different style and a different way of communicating with the audience. Again, it's something where, when you go without any cynicism and just embrace it, it really sort of transports you... I think it's a really fertile area for a movie like this."
Bender on the Burt's assistant: "When we meet Burt and Anton, they always have an assistant with a long blonde wig who they call 'Nicole'. Basically what happens is, any time a Nicole quits or leaves or is fired, a new one comes in, they put on the blonde wig and they're also called 'Nicole,' just to keep continuity for Burt and Anton. Over their rise to fame, we see a bunch of Nicoles who come and go. Burt, as he becomes more of a prick, usually offends them and they quit. So they pull off one of the Magi, or stagehands, who is Olivia [Wilde]... She puts on the wig and she's called 'Nicole.'"
