Trivia / The Village (2004)

• Actor-Inspired Element: Ivy's walking stick was made by Joaquin Phoenix as a gift for Bryce Dallas Howard, during the boot camp below.
• Cast the Runner-Up: Adrien Brody was originally offered the role of Lucius Hunt.
• Creator-Chosen Casting: M. Night Shyamalan wrote the role of Lucius Hunt especially for Joaquin Phoenix. He cast Bryce Dallas Howard without an audition after seeing her onstage.
• Dyeing for Your Art: All the cast had to go through a 19th century boot camp to properly play the villagers.
• Fake American: Brendan Gleeson (Irish) as August Nicholson.
• The Other Marty: Kirsten Dunst was originally cast as Ivy Walker, but dropped out in order to star in Elizabethtown.
• Production Posse: Joaquin Phoenix and Cherry Jones had starred in M. Night Shyamalan's Signs too.
• Star-Making Role: Despite the film's polarizing reception, it brought Bryce Dallas Howard to national attention.
• Throw It In!: The MPAA nearly gave the film an R-rating due to the sound of Noah stabbing Lucius. Shyamalan removed the sound effect and said the scene worked better without it.
• What Could Have Been:
  • "Those We Don't Speak Of" had a different design initially. They were close to lions walking on their back legs, with shaggy manes covering their faces. The first scale model of the design was thought too unbelievable. The spiky design with the red cloak eventually materialised.
  • Noted actresses like Kate Hudson and Jessica Biel were considered for Ivy Walker. But M Night Shyamalan saw Bryce Dallas Howard on the stage and cast her without an audition.
  • Ashton Kutcher was originally cast as Noah but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Hayden Christensen, Aaron Eckhart and Thomas Jane were also considered.
  • The script was leaked a year before the film's release and had a different ending - where the film ends as Ivy climbs over the wall and it's revealed to be the present day. Re-shoots were done in the meantime, and changing the ending was thought to be the reason why.
• Working Title: The Woods. It got changed after another film with that title was discovered in production.

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