Thunderbirds (2004)
Trivia
Although he shaved over $3 million off the original budget due to his fast shooting style, director Jonathan Frakes openly admitted that this movie's disastrous box-office performance probably means he is unlikely to be offered a movie directing assignment again.
As the young Thunderbirds prepare to launch towards The Bank of London with Lady Penelope, an insert shot shows a hand grabbing a lever. This hand is held up by strings, a quick reference to the style of animation used in the Thunderbirds television series. Also, this is in a complete reversal to the series, as all shots in the television show were of marionettes, except when there was an extreme close-up of a hand or foot, at which point was replaced with a person's hand or foot doing the required action (pulling a switch, stepping on the gas pedal of a car, et cetera).
To promote the movie, British distributors UIP took over Trafalgar Square with a 3/4-scale model of Thunderbird 3.
The five brothers were originally named after five of the Mercury Seven astronauts, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Alan Shepard, Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, and Gordon Cooper.
When The Hood (Sir Ben Kingsley) controls Brains (Anthony Edwards) to activate the command controls on Tracy Island, he walks towards the desk in a jerky, puppet-like motion, even though the marionettes in the series did not walk in such a manner. The Hood states, "Like a puppet on a string" to further underline the reference.
All three policemen who lead Transom (Rose Keegan), Mullion (Deobia Oparei), and The Hood (Sir Ben Kingsley) away are Jonathan Frakes impersonators. The real Frakes is at the back of the shot as a policeman.
Had been in development since 1996. Rumors circulated in April 1998 that Peter Hewitt was to direct the movie and shoot it entirely in CGI, à la Toy Story (1995). It was later reported that Warner Brothers was going to produce a live-action spin-off of the television show, with the Baldwin brothers (Alec Baldwin, William Baldwin, Stephen Baldwin, and Daniel Baldwin) tipped to play four of the five Tracy brothers, and Rowan Atkinson as Brains. The Warner Brothers project would have been shot in Sydney, Australia, in a collaboration with Village Roadshow Pictures. PolyGram Pictures later picked up the project in October of that year, and had planned to produce it on a budget of $75 million, but it was during pre-production that Universal Pictures bought out PolyGram in 1999. The project was then shelved for three years until director Jonathan Frakes signed up for the movie in July 2002. Universal Pictures then ordered a re-write of the script with a much younger audience in mind than what was originally planned.
Whereas Lady Penelope's car in the television series, FAB 1, was a futuristic Rolls-Royce, in this movie, the famous car was modelled by Ford Europe when Rolls-Royce declined to participate in the project.
Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson wanted Kristin Scott Thomas to play Lady Penelope. Joanna Lumley and Elizabeth Hurley were also considered.
The only classic television series by Gerry Anderson to be made into a live-action theatrical movie.
Several script changes occurred during production of the movie. Originally, the plot called for one of the Tracy brothers to be kidnapped while the others were retrieving a stolen object belonging to the government. The climax at the Bank of London was also initially meant to involve car chases (some involving Grand Prix racing cars), and a helicopter chase.
The Hood's two main assistants are named with architectural terms for vertical (Mullion) and horizontal (Transom) pieces used in the construction of doors or windows.
DIRECTOR CAMEO (Jonathan Frakes): As a policeman at the end of the movie. His wife, Genie Francis, appeared as a newscaster throughout the movie.
Richard Curtis worked on Lady Penelope and Parker's scenes uncredited.
The hover bike used by Alan to tow Tin-Tin and Fermat was modelled on the same equipment used by the Tracy brothers in Thunderbirds (1965) episodes such as season one, episode fifteen, "City Of Fire", and season one, episode twenty-three "Attack Of The Alligators!"
The oil rig in the opening sequence is named "Abramovich", after the Russian oligarch (and owner of Chelsea Football Club) Roman Abramovich.
Early in development, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio were considered for the role of Alan Tracy.
The film is dedicated to the memory of Stephen Lowen.
Pete Postlethwaite was considered to play Parker.
The movie was meant to be a prequel to the television show (with Alan becoming a full member by the end of the movie). But International Rescue started operating in Thunderbirds (1965) season one, episode one, "Trapped in the Sky".
Sylvester McCoy auditioned for the role of Parker.
Sophia Myles came out in a rash after filming Lady Penelope's bathtub scene due to cheap bubble bath being used. She reportedly had a 'no bathtub scenes' clause entered into her contract afterwards.
