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* ActingForTwo: In the movie, the AllStarCast plays one role in almost every timeline, in a type of invocation of NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize. It would probably be easier to list who ''doesn't'' play multiple roles. Some of the lesser recognized dual roles are Brody Nicholas Lee as both Javier Gomez, Luisa Rey's neighbor, and Zachry's nephew in the 2321 storyline, and Robert Fyfe as a crewmember on the ship in Adam Ewing's story and Mr. Meeks.
* ActorAllusion: Creator/HugoWeaving [[Film/TheAdventuresOfPriscillaQueenOfTheDesert in drag]].
* AllStarCast: The Japanese dub is as good as the original English version in this department. For the sake of simplicity, only the actors who played their group of characters will be listed here:
** Creator/TomHanks: Creator/KazuhikoInoue
** Creator/HalleBerry: Creator/TakakoHonda
** Creator/JimBroadbent: Creator/HiroyaIshimaru
** Creator/BaeDoona: Creator/MikakoTakahashi
** Creator/JamesDArcy: Creator/KentaroIto
** David Gyasi: Creator/HirokiTakahashi
** Ben Whishaw: Creator/TomokazuSeki (brutally PlayingAgainstType, if we take into account he's also voicing ''[[CrossDressingVoices Georgette]]'')
* ApprovalOfGod: David Mitchell loved the film and praised it extensively, even accepting and supporting [[PragmaticAdaptation necessary changes.]]
* CreatorPreferredAdaptation: Author David Mitchell was highly impressed by the film, citing it as an example of a PragmaticAdaptation done right, plot changes and all. He was particularly blown away by the AllStarCast as well.
* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode: The Wachowskis found it their greatest and most profound work.
** Creator/TomHanks has also named it one of his favorite films that he has been in.
* DeletedScene: The film averted BannedInChina by being released there, but 40 minutes of footage were removed, supposedly for sexual and violent content, leading Lana Wachowski to advise Chinese viewers to watch it online instead.
* FakeNationality: Too many to count. Just to list a few, Chinese Zhou Xun plays a Korean waitress, Australian Hugo Weaving plays a German composer, American Tom Hanks plays a [[LondonGangster Cockney gangster]] and so on and so forth.
* PlayingAgainstType: You could make arguments for a lot of parts actors play in the movie. Seeing Tom Hanks playing characters as sleazy, or downright villainous, as [[{{Slimeball}} the Hotel Manager]], [[DeadlyDoctor Dr. Henry Goose]] and [[AxCrazy Dermot Hoggins]] is a delightful surprise. Hugh Grant plays both a CorruptCorporateExecutive and a ''[[ImAHumanitarian cannibal tribesman]]''.
* ProductionPosse: The Wachowskis are reunited with VFX supervisor Dan Glass from ''Film/TheMatrix'' and Creator/TomTykwer collabs with cinematographer Frank Griebe (for the segments he directed) and co-composers Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil. You could call this [[Main/ProductionPosse Production Posse:]] [[Main/TheMovie The Movie]].
* QueerCharacterQueerActor: Creator/BenWhishaw, who later came out as gay, plays bisexual Robert Frobisher.
* RomanceOnTheSet: Creator/JimSturgess and Creator/BaeDoona dated for a couple of years after playing love interests in this film.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Quite a few things, both book and movie, according to this [[http://www.slashfilm.com/15-things-cloud-atlas/ piece]] by Slashfilm.
** The book was supposed to have 9 stories, starting all the way back in the 12th century.
** Dr. Ovid was supposed to be played by Tom Hanks.
** Ben Whishaw was supposed to appear as a business man in Sonmi's story.
** Creator/JamesDArcy had a bigger role in Cavendish's tale before it got cut down.
** Creator/NataliePortman, Creator/JamesMcAvoy and Creator/IanMcKellen were once involved in the project at one point.
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