The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

Director:

Don Scardino

Writers (WGA):

Jonathan M. Goldstein (screenplay) &
John Francis Daley (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 March 2013 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Abracatastic!

Plot:

When a street magician's stunts begins to make their show look stale, superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton look to salvage on their act - and their friendship - by staging their own daring stunt.

Plot Keywords:

Magician | Las Vegas Nevada | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Steve Carell	...	Burt Wonderstone
Steve Buscemi	...	Anton Marvelton
Olivia Wilde	...	Jane
Jim Carrey	...	Steve Gray
James Gandolfini	...	Doug Munny
Alan Arkin	...	Rance Holloway
Jay Mohr	...	Rick the Implausible
Michael Herbig	...	Lucius Belvedere (as Michael Bully Herbig)
Mason Cook	...	Young Burt
Luke Vanek	...	Young Anton
Zachary Gordon	...	Bully
Richard Wolffe	...	Himself
Erin Burnett	...	Herself
Brad Garrett	...	Dom
David Copperfield	...	Himself
Fiona Hale	...	Grace
Sonya Eddy	...	Hanna
Ron Ostrow	...	Jim the Bartender
Joshua Erenberg	...	Judah Munny (as Joshua Chandler Erenberg)
Ron Pearson	...	Juggler Ventriloquist
Robert Ray Manning Jr.	...	Male Doctor (as Robert Manning, Jr.)
Gillian Jacobs	...	Miranda
Christina Gausas	...	Mother
Tate Hanyok	...	Nicole #1
Charlie Hartsock	...	Onlooker
John Francis Daley	...	Paramedic 1
Freedom	...	Paramedic 2
Melissa Ordway	...	Reporter in Las Vegas
Vance DeGeneres	...	Reporter in Cambodia
Murray Gershenz	...	Elderly Man
John Rubano	...	Store Manager
Bryson Barretto	...	Cambodian Boy
Forrest Wheeler	...	Cambodian Boy
Kimia Sun	...	Villager
Kelly Sry	...	Villager
Augie Isaac	...	Young Boy
Mark Engelhardt	...	Stagehand
Derek Graf	...	Guy
John Lewis	...	Buddy
Daniel Spink	...	Spectator
Chad Kultgen	...	Spectator
Marceline Hugot	...	Piñata Woman
Leni Ito	...	Japanese Girl
Jonathan M. Goldstein	...	Stagehand at B&A Theater
Tossaporn Banks	...	London Onlooker
Jessica McClain	...	Doug Munny's Wife
Chyna Chuu	...	Doug Munny's Valet
Stan Knight	...	Elvis Impersonator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christine Ames	...	Las Vegas Audience Member (uncredited)
Leonardo Biasiucci	...	Limo Driver (uncredited)
Tatjana Bluchel	...	German (uncredited)
Michael Bower	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Les Brooks Jr.	...	Las Vegas Audience Member (uncredited)
Rita Cannon	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Patty Chong	...	VIP Autograph Seeker (uncredited)
Kali Chung	...	Nicole (uncredited)
Sarah Cooper	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Tasha Courtney	...	Nicole #2 (uncredited)
John J. Encinio	...	Steve Gray's Assistant (uncredited)
Nick Epper	...	Left Nut Man (uncredited)
Sima Fisher	...	News Reporter (uncredited)
Trevor Hammonds	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Ty Izquierdo	...	Steve Gray's Assistant #1 (uncredited)
Amber Jenkins	...	Magic Show Audience (uncredited)
Kirk Krogstad	...	Hotbox Photographer (uncredited)
Raven Krogstad	...	Hotbox Photographer (uncredited)
Tyler Langdon	...	Teen Burt (uncredited)
Jason Michael Lease	...	Las Vegas Audience Member (uncredited)
Christian Ijin Link	...	Las Vegas Audience Member (uncredited)
Homer Liwag	...	Himself - Copperfield stage hand (uncredited)
Dianne B. Manaster	...	Massage Therapist (uncredited)
Rusty Meyers	...	Sleazy Man (uncredited)
TJ Myers	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Romeo Ortega	...	Birthday Party Kid (uncredited)
Bob Pepper	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Mike Jerome Putnam	...	Mr. Hamilton (uncredited)
John Reha	...	Teen Anton (uncredited)
Jimmy Scanlon	...	Magicians' Assistant (uncredited)
Greg Schott	...	Upscale Gentleman (uncredited)
Dale Shane	...	Upscale Gentleman (uncredited)
Michael A. Tessiero	...	Hotbox show producer (uncredited)
Gavin Bryson Thompson	...	Bully Kid (uncredited)
Hunter Wilichoski	...	Magic Show Audience Member (uncredited)
Gerold Wunstel	...	Berliner 1 (uncredited)

Directed by
Don Scardino

Writing credits (WGA)
Jonathan M. Goldstein		(screenplay) (as Jonathan Goldstein) &
John Francis Daley		(screenplay)
Chad Kultgen		(story) &
Tyler Mitchell		(story) and
Jonathan M. Goldstein		(story) (as Jonathan Goldstein) &
John Francis Daley		(story)

Produced by
Chris Bender	....	producer
Richard Brener	....	executive producer
Sam Brown	....	executive producer
Steve Carell	....	producer
Vance DeGeneres	....	executive producer
Toby Emmerich	....	executive producer (unconfirmed)
Charlie Hartsock	....	executive producer
Tyler Mitchell	....	producer
Mason Novick	....	co-producer
Diana Pokorny	....	executive producer
J.C. Spink	....	executive producer
Jake Weiner	....	producer

Original Music by
Lyle Workman		(music by)

Cinematography by
Matthew Clark		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lee Haxall		(edited by)

Casting by
Lisa Beach
Sarah Katzman

Production Design by
Keith P. Cunningham		(as Keith Cunningham)

Art Direction by
Luke Freeborn		(supervising art director)

Set Decoration by
Andrea Mae Fenton

Costume Design by
Dayna Pink

Makeup Department
Diana Choi	....	wig maker
Deborah La Mia Denaver	....	makeup department head
Roxane Griffin	....	key hair stylist
Anne Morgan	....	hairstylist: Jim Carrey
Ann Pala	....	key makeup artist
Peter Tothpal	....	hair department head
Victoria Wood	....	wig maker
Jen Singleton	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Bob Smithson	....	contact lens technician (uncredited)
Joy Zapata	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bac DeLorme	....	first assistant director (additional photography)
Dusty Dukatz	....	first assistant director
Matthew Goodwin	....	additional second assistant director
Matthew Janssen	....	second second assistant director
Bruce Jones	....	second unit director
Jonathan McGarry	....	first assistant director
Paul Schmitz	....	key second assistant director

Art Department
Andrea Carter	....	art department coordinator
Monica Castro	....	assistant property master
Stephanie Charbonneau	....	additional graphic designer
Dave DeGaetano	....	construction coordinator
Alan Easley	....	set dresser
Ryan Falkner	....	storyboard artist
Trish Gallaher Glenn	....	property master
Guy Hietala	....	painter
Eric Hill	....	set dresser
Amanda Hunter	....	lead graphic designer
Richard W. Jones	....	on-set greens foreman
Scott G. Jones	....	set dresser
Anthony Klaiman	....	on-set dresser
Lizzy Jane Klein	....	art department researcher
Richard Lepore	....	greensman
Jason McDonough	....	set dresser
Martin Milligan	....	on set dresser
David M. Milstien	....	gang boss
Nashon Petrushkin	....	set dresser
Leah Pettis	....	art assistant
Julien Pougnier	....	set designer
Erin E. Riegel	....	props researcher
Bradley Rubin	....	assistant art director
Robert Scoville	....	set dresser
John Snow	....	paint supervisor
Meg Hyatt Snow	....	paint foreman
Michael Vojvoda	....	set dresser
Kevan Weber	....	set dresser
Mark Weissenfluh	....	leadman
Jack White	....	food stylist
Nicole Zaks	....	set decoration buyer
Chris Zimmerman	....	stand-by painter

Sound Department
Ulrika Akander	....	dialogue editor
Michael Babcock	....	additional re-recording mixer
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer
Russell Farmarco	....	dialogue editor
Tammy Fearing	....	adr supervisor
Marc Glassman	....	sound effects editor
Matthew P. Hanson	....	assistant sound editor
Matthew P. Hanson	....	sound assistant
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Joe Iemola	....	sound effects editor
Tim LeBlanc	....	additional re-recording mixer
Darrin Mann	....	foley mixer
Christopher Moriana	....	foley artist
Benjamin Patrick	....	sound mixer
Benjamin Rauscher	....	foley editor
Ric Schnupp	....	adr recordist
Brad Sherman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cameron Steenhagen	....	supervising dialogue editor
Ken Strain	....	boom operator
Elmo Weber	....	sound re-recording mixer
Elmo Weber	....	supervising sound editor
Ryan Young	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Jeremy Hays	....	special effects supervisor
Michael Kay	....	special effects engineer
Elia P. Popov	....	special effects foreman

Visual Effects by
Jesse Balodis	....	texture & modeling artist
Tim Bowman	....	digital compositor
Ian Cope	....	visual effects producer: Rising Sun Pictures
Andrey Drogobetski	....	compositor
Jacob Eaton	....	visual effects coordinator
Harry Eisenstein	....	compositor
Christina Graff	....	visual effects producer: Crazy Horse Effects
Paul Graff	....	visual effects supervisor: Crazy Horse Effects
Rachel Faith Hanson	....	visual effects producer
Joe Henderson	....	visual effects artist
Simon Herden	....	compositor: Rising Sun Pictures
Elbert Irving IV	....	visual effects coordinator: Wildfire VFX
Gemma James	....	visual effects production manager: Rising Sun Pictures
Bruce Jones	....	visual effects supervisor
Ben McEwan	....	digital compositor: Rising Sun Pictures
Catalin Niculescu	....	creature supervisor
Caleb Owens	....	digital compositor
Andrew Palmer	....	visual effects artist: Rising Sun Pictures
Ryan J. Quinlan	....	compositor
Lauren Ritchie	....	visual effects producer: Wildfire VFX
Gregory S. Scribner	....	digital compositor
Matthew Shaw	....	digital compositor
Doug Spilatro	....	visual effects artist
Dottie Starling	....	visual effects supervisor: Wildfire VFX
Carl Stern	....	compositor
Mark Story	....	visual effects coordinator: Rising Sun Pictures
Judy Webster	....	visual effects production manager: Crazy Horse Effects
Mark Wendell	....	lighting lead: RSP
Sam Winkler	....	visual effects artist
Alyssa Zarate	....	matte painter
Jennie Zeiher	....	bidding producer: Rising Sun Pictures
Christian Zeiler	....	digital compositor: Crazy Horse Effects
Chris B. Schnitzer	....	director of visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Heather Arthur	....	stunts
Jonathan Arthur	....	stunt performer
Cody Banta	....	stunts
Eddie Braun	....	stunts
Alex Daniels	....	stunt coordinator
Danny Downey	....	stunt double: Steve Buscemi
Jayson Dumenigo	....	stunt rigger
Nick Epper	....	stunts
Derek Graf	....	stunts
Michael Li	....	stunt performer
Bonnie Morgan	....	stunt player
Hugh Aodh O'Brien	....	utility stunts
Norb Phillips	....	stunt rigger
Peewee Piemonte	....	utility stunts
Tim Soergel	....	stunt performer
Erik Solky	....	stunt double: steve carell
Megan Taylor	....	utility stunts
Trampas Thompson	....	stunt rigger
Banzai Vitale	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Henry Cline	....	camera operator: "b" camera
James B. Crawford	....	chief lighting technician
Brian Deutsch	....	grip
Eric Dvorsky	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit
David Elwell	....	lighting technician
David Emmerichs	....	camera operator: "a" camera
David Emmerichs	....	steadicam operator
Jamie Felz	....	first assistant camera
Michael Francisco	....	lighting console programmer
Sarah Galley	....	film loader
Ben Glass	....	still photographer
Tony Graham	....	rigging best boy electric
Lisa Guerriero	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Paul Hazard	....	assistant chief lighting technician
William Kent	....	rigging best boy grip
Scott C. Keys	....	rigging electric
Geoff Knight	....	lighting technician
Thomas E. Lee	....	rigging grip
Bob Leitelt	....	rigging key grip
Jay Levy	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Chuck May	....	grip
Jim McComas	....	electrician
Greg Mitchell	....	video assist operator
Casey Muldoon	....	camera production assistant
Ron Newburn	....	lighting technician
Lance Nicholls	....	lighting technician
Jimmie R. Owens	....	grip
Heather Page	....	additional camera operator
Rick Page	....	first assistant camera: "c" camera
Michael C. Price	....	key grip
Landon Ruddel	....	best boy grip
Charles Smith	....	rigging grip
Jared Wellman	....	lighting technician
James D. Wickman	....	dolly grip: 'a' camera

Casting Department
Michelle Beatty	....	extras casting
Chris Bustard	....	extras casting
Beth Lipari	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Valentina Aulisi	....	costumer (steve carell )
Persephone Bott	....	costumer
Anita Cabada	....	assistant costume designer
Danielle Cohen	....	costume production assistant
Samantha Dewey-Gartner	....	wardrobe
Sharon Fauvel	....	head ager/dyer
Chris Newlander	....	costumer
Kelly Porter	....	set costumer
Lynze Radzyminski	....	costumer
Tara Shackelford-Lawton	....	set costumer
Cassiopeia Smith	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
David Berman	....	associate editor
Tom Dailey	....	assistant editor
Bethe H. Gordon	....	post-production assistant
Erik Kaufmann	....	digital intermediate editor
Ray Neapolitan	....	assistant editor
Adam Ohl	....	digital intermediate producer
Jan Yarbrough	....	colorist
Jim Passon	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Bryan Carrigan	....	digital score recordist
Dan DiPrima	....	music editor
Chris Fogel	....	music scoring mixer
Richard Ford	....	additional music editor
Mark Graham	....	head of music preparation
Paul Koch	....	music programmer
Paul Koch	....	technical score advisor
Victor Pesavento	....	music preparation
Dana Sano	....	music supervisor
Sally Stevens	....	vocal contractor: choir
John Ashton Thomas	....	orchestrator
Libby Umstead	....	music coordinator
Gina Zimmitti	....	music contractor

Transportation Department
Ryan Allen	....	driver
Danny Bress	....	driver
Shay Morgan Brook	....	construction driver
Denny Caira	....	transportation coordinator
Kaiser Clark	....	driver: cast
Chuck Martinez	....	driver: cast
Tim McGaughy	....	driver
Sharon M. Segal	....	dot compliance
James Waitkus	....	transportation captain
Gary Thomas Williams	....	driver (as Gary 'Little G' Williams)
Roger Wooge	....	transportation

Other crew
Jodi Arneson	....	production coordinator: additional photography
Jacob Bartel	....	office production assistant
Anna Belaro-Rodriguez	....	first assistant accountant
Mark Brown	....	production assistant
Bryce Colquitt	....	production assistant
Jen Day	....	assistant: Ms. Pokorny
Hangman Illusion Design	....	illusion designer
Maureen Dooling	....	production coordinator
Terry Edinger	....	production accountant
Chris Fletcher	....	additional production assistant
John Funk	....	stand-in for Alan Arkin
Ali Griffith	....	assistant production coordinator
Justin Harrold	....	key assistant location manager
Rosie Heeter	....	production assistant
Luke Hippely	....	production secretary
Mark Hochman	....	computer/video playback operator
Samantha Hollingsworth	....	set production assistant
Henry Humphreys	....	medic
Dave Kasubowski	....	key craft service
Chris Kieffer	....	video playback graphics
Alan Kilmer	....	payroll accountant
Maxim Knight	....	adr actor
David Kwong	....	magic consultant
C.J. Laursen	....	production assistant
Jerry Lee	....	first assistant accountant: reshoots
Jonathan Levit	....	magic consultant
Jun C. Lin	....	key assistant location manager
Joseph A. Liuzzi	....	location assistant: las vegas unit
Jennifer Lobban	....	key second assistant accountant
Todd Manes	....	additional set production assistant
Jackie Mantel	....	set production assistant
Lyn Matsuda Norton	....	script supervisor
Scott Parker	....	post-production accountant
Vincent Parker	....	digital compositor
T.J. Quicksilver	....	set production assistant
Chris Raby	....	production assistant
Bob Riley	....	production assistant
Tammy Sandler	....	unit publicist
Jim Small	....	assistant location manager
James-Paul Smith	....	production assistant
Alistair Steel	....	stand-in: Steve Buscemi
Jacob M. Torres	....	key assistant location manager
Oren Tuvia	....	additional set production assistant
Anderson William	....	head rigger: Wadsworth Theatre
Boyd Wilson	....	location manager
Victoria Wong	....	second assistant accountant
Josh Wood	....	production executive: New Line
Daniel Wrobel	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• New Line Cinema (presents)
• BenderSpink
• Carousel Productions (II) (as Carousel)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (2013) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment (2013) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2013) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2013) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2013) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2013) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Crazy Horse Effects
• Rising Sun Pictures
• Wildfire Visual Effects

Other Companies

• ARSONAL  poster design (uncredited)
• BT Industrial Supply  expendables
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Keslow Cameras  camera equipment provided by
• Pictorvision  Eclipse aerial camera system
• Scarlet Letters  end titles
• Sound Satisfaction  foley recording facility
• Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging  digital intermediate services
• WaterTower Music  soundtrack

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, dangerous stunts, a drug-related incident and language

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Datasat | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #47963) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG13 | UK:15 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | India:A | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

The Prince - 3198 W. Seventh Street, Koreatown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

This film features two third-collaborations for 'Steve Carell', specifically Jim Carrey (the first two collaborations being Bruce Almighty and Horton Hears a Who) and Alan Arkin (the first two collaborations being Little Miss Sunshine and Get Smart).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Steve Gray drills the wooden plank - in a closer view, he drills it near the top. In the next shot, he removes the drill from the center.

Quotes:

Burt Wonderstone:What the hell is a webisode?
Rick the Implausible:Are you being serious? What's a webisode? It's... it's a show that you do on the internet, just like being on TV or having a movie except you don't go... through... you know all the hassle of... people seeing it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Deadliest Catch: The Bait: Opening Day: King Crab (#1.1)" (2013)

The Combination of Magic and Comedy Work Wonders

Burt Wonderstone may be more pleasant than it really deserves credit for. Maybe it's because the past two months have been such a wasteland for films, or maybe it's because I am somewhat easily amused. None the less, this is a pleasant film. It didn't blow me away or leave me crying from laughing so hard, but the combination of the comedic chops of the delightful cast and the entertaining magic tricks left me smiling when I left the theater. In a time when there is little in the theater to get excited about, this is a film I quite enjoyed.

Steve Carell plays magician Burt Wonderstone, the boastful, self-indulgent, and obnoxiously asinine half to Steve Buscemi, who are partners, and best friends since childhood, in the magic business in Vegas. However, both Burt's obnoxiousness and a new street magician, played by Jim Carrey, soon get in the way of his success, and he's forced to re-examine what his career means to him.

While the magic might be a mystery here, the plot isn't, and it's a plot that goes through all the motions and hits all the points. But if you're someone who doesn't mind that, you will find yourself enjoying this film for it's bright points. Steve Carell is both pompous and lovable here, an idiot savant so to speak, but as a magician lampooning well known, silly performing magicians in Vegas, he's hilarious. Jim Carrey is the second part of the equation, at his best since years. Jim hasn't been this funny in a long time and steals the show every time he's on screen. Rounding out the cast are an underused Steve Buscemi, who disappears for a good chunk of the film, Olivia Wilde who seems like a bit of a mismatch for the goofy Carell, and James Gandolfini as James Gandolfini running a casino. There's also a wonderful appearance by Alan Arkin as an aging and inspirational magician.

There's a lot here that works, and a lot that doesn't. All of the mockery towards magicians of all kinds are spot on. Carell and Buscemi are perfect as send ups of well known magicians like David Copperfield and Jim Carrey is likewise as a caricature of "street magicians" like Criss Angel. And there's just enough Jim that he's hilarious, but not obnoxiously overused. Olivia Wilde gets her own spotlight to shine and she's as pleasant as ever here. And the combination of magic and comedy are a great and somewhat refreshing mix. I'll also add that just about everything with Alan Arkin is hilarious.

However, the film is pretty formulaic and there's a lot that feels forced. The love story, for one, feels generic and plastic. It's hard to believe that, after everything Olivia Wilde's character goes through with Carell's character, she falls for him (though there is a particular scene between the two that is pretty hilarious). Most of the plot points also feel very by the numbers. Most of the comedy comes from gags and one-offs.

But, in the end, it all adds up to a fun and entertaining time. If you're going expecting something amazing, you'll probably be disappointed, but if you're going expecting to have a fun time, then I think you will find yourself pleased.