Production Notes
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GABRIELLA WILDE as Jade and ALEX PETTYFER as David in Endless Love. There is nothing more overpowering, reckless and (The Three Musketeers, Carrie) in the story of Jade all-consuming than the rush that accompanies first Butterfield and David Elliot, a privileged girl and a love…in all of its intensity and obsession, possibility and charismatic boy whose instant desire sparks a love affair promise. It is a timeless theme in modern storytelling, made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them dating back to Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, but apart. Although separated by class boundaries, their one that remains urgently current because it serves as a gravitational pull is undeniable and unstoppable. rite of passage for everyone in every generation. During the months following their high school This Valentine’s Day, one young couple will fight graduation, Jade, a sheltered young woman with a against all odds for love. limitless future, becomes enthralled with David, a Endless Love stars ALEX PETTYFER (Magic working-class boy with a troubled past who in turn falls Mike, I Am Number Four) and GABRIELLA WILDE head over heels for her. Their romance collides with – 9 – To produce the film, SCOTT STUBER (Ted, Safe House) of Bluegrass Films and producer PAMELA ABDY (Identity Thief, 47 Ronin) of New Regency are joined by JOSH SCHWARTZ (TV’s Gossip Girl, The O.C.) and STEPHANIE SAVAGE (TV’s Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie) of Fake Empire. For Endless Love, Feste commands a behind-the-scenes team that is led by director of photography ANDREW DUNN (Precious, The Perks of Being Jade and David are inseparable. a Wallflower), production designer CLAY GRIFFITH (We Bought a Zoo, Jade’s controlling father’s attempts to steer her clear of Sweet Home Alabama), editor MARYANN BRANDON David, while her mother encourages the relationship to (Star Trek, Super 8), costume designer STACEY BATTAT thrive and his father advises clear-eyed caution. Over (The Bling Ring, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby) the course of one unforgettable summer, two young and composer CHRISTOPHE BECK (The Hangover lovers will defy logic and allow their all-consuming trilogy, The Muppets). passion to determine their future together. Based on the book by SCOTT SPENCER, Directed by SHANA FESTE (Country Strong, Endless Love is from a screenplay by Shana Feste and The Greatest), the romantic drama co-stars a cast JOSHUA SAFRAN (Gossip Girl). J. MILES DALE of seasoned and up-and-coming performers, led by (The Vow) and TRACY FALCO (Lions for Lambs) BRUCE GREENWOOD (Star Trek, Flight) as Hugh, serve as the romantic drama’s executive producers. Jade’s overbearing father who never lets her out of his sight; JOELY RICHARDSON (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Vampire Academy) as Anne, Jade’s ABOUT THE romantic and idealistic mother who has the heart of a PRODUCTION poet; and ROBERT PATRICK (Safe House, upcoming Kill the Messenger) as David’s father, Harry, a mechanic Fight for Love: who wants his son to have the life he never did. The Production Begins They are joined by young talents RHYS WAKEFIELD (The Purge, Sanctum) as Keith, Jade’s The idea to draw inspiration from Scott Spencer’s loving, yet rebellious, older brother; DAYO OKENIYI 1979 best-selling novel about teenage lovers and (The Hunger Games, The Spectacular Now) as Mace, bring those themes to young moviegoers in the David’s fantastically reckless best friend; and EMMA 21st century originated with producers Scott Stuber RIGBY (The Counselor, television’s Once Upon a and Pamela Abdy, who, early on, attracted a pair of ideal Time in Wonderland) as Jenny, David’s formidable ex- collaborators. Although this all-consuming territory girlfriend who refuses to give up on him so easily. has been explored in films for much older audiences, – 10 – they were interested in taking an exploration of a love believed that their Jade Butterfield and David so intense that nothing will stand in its way and making Elliot should discover the beautiful abandonment it relatable for a “PG-13” audience. and repercussions of falling into your first love. Abdy shares the film’s inception: “When Scott and They knew that the intended audience would see I talked about doing Endless Love as a film, we thought and experience a great deal of their own first it would be a good idea to approach Josh Schwartz relationships in this drama. and Stephanie Savage, who are the king and queen “I love romantic movies and love stories,” offers of the teen genre. They have created such wonderful, Savage, “and something that is always a huge part smart work that speaks to that generation: The O.C. in the TV shows that Josh and I do is the theme of and Gossip Girl and now The Carrie Diaries. At that young people falling in love for the first time—losing point, the development process began and we worked themselves, making good and bad decisions and to make the best, most contemporary version of going on a journey—which is relatable for everybody. a teenage first-love story.” You’ve either been in love and had your heart broken Stuber shared his fellow producers’ interest in or you want to be in love. Even when you get older, developing the material. He notes: “I thought this you often think about that teenage love and the was a great way to explore two people who have first time that you fell.” the ups and downs of their first love. The first time Schwartz and Savage developed the script for that you feel those emotions, there’s euphoria to Endless Love with Joshua Safran, one of the duo’s them, and this great love expands who you are. As Gossip Girl writers, with whom they had worked well, there’s a great sadness when it goes wrong. for years. Whereas Spencer’s novel has somewhat You feel it on such a level that you can’t again, as more political and darker elements than this film, the there is only one first time.” producers remain grateful for its inspiration and took For Schwartz, the challenge was to ensure that the liberties with his characters and narrative. Commends film would both honor the classic movie melodrama Savage: “Josh is smart and is a terrific, emotional writer; and feel like a current, relevant romance. “Stephanie and I have worked together for a long time, and we love classic teen drama,” he says. “When you’re telling a story about teenagers, everything seems so heightened and feels like life and death. We wanted to create a modern-day epic love story that still feels grounded, believable and has a bit of a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ quality to it.” With this telling of the classic story, the producers (L to R) David, Mace (DAYO OKENIYI) and David’s father, Harry (ROBERT PATRICK), celebrate graduation. – 11 – she’s thought through every stage— from working through the story and writing the script to figuring out the characters’ relationships and how they were intertwined.” The writers imagined Jade as a sheltered and inexperienced high- school senior who falls for David, a dangerous young man with a dark history. Her father strongly objects to the passionate relationship that’s blossoming and the newfound freedom that Jade’s discovering with a guy he is Gabriella Wilde is Jade Butterfield. certain is wrong for her. There’s little he can do about her evolution or David’s we love his voice. We knew he would understand the increasing presence and influence upon her. In fact, elevated world of Jade’s family and bring to this original Jade’s intense feelings for David are a constant, thorny script the story of a family that had suffered and hadn’t reminder to both her father and mother of what has recovered from the loss of their son. As well, he could slowly died in their marriage. As Jade consciously says help the audience understand how David, this scrappy goodbye to her innocent past, she has an awakening kid from the other side of the tracks, comes into their that will change both of them forever. lives and ignites Jade’s heart.” Stuber found soulfulness to Feste’s approach to After organizing the core team and commissioning the material, one that echoed a classic fairy tale. He a draft, the producers approached Country Strong’s explains: “In the way that Jade is articulated, she’s Shana Feste to direct. As Schwartz notes: “Shana came Rapunzel. She’s a girl who had a brother who died of in with such a great sensibility about the material. cancer, which inevitably made her mother and father She has an acute understanding of character and love that much more of helicopter parents. The loss of a stories. Most importantly, she vividly remembers being child is the worst thing that could happen to anyone, a teenager and tapped into many of the things that and that loss manifests itself in different ways. In the appealed to the rest of us about the story.” case of Jade’s father, it turned him into an overbearing Savage agrees with her fellow producer’s man who has limited his daughter’s ability to be a real assessment: “Shana had directed two previous movies person in high school. She’s lost out on those years and that had amazing performances, especially from young is a girl in a gilded cage until David breaks her out of it. actors. We knew that if we could get Shana to direct the He can see her for who she really is.” movie it would feel authentic.