December 22nd, 2011 at 2:15 pm by
Sheri

Here’s the first image from Cloud Atlas, the long-awaited adaptation of David Mitchell's acclaimed novel that has taken not one, but three directors, namely The Wachowskis (The Matrix trilogy) and Tom Tykwer (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Run Lola Run), to pull off. Looks more like a Christmas card or an ad for an antique store than a still from the film.
The book spans thousands of years, from the 18th century Pacific expedition to a savage post-apocalyptic world, with a 1930’s love story, a thriller in the 70s, and a present day comedy. The cast includes Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving (The Wachowskis’ The Matrix), Susan Sarandon, Ben Whishaw (Tykwer’s Perfume: The Story of a Murderer , Keith David and James D'Arcy, who will all play multiple roles, genders and even races.
Filming has just been completed so, thanks to Empire we have the first official image in which the directors (as well as the book’s author David Mitchell) and producers are celebrating the holidays on the prop filled set. The props in the picture alone should give you an idea of how much time and territory the film covers (or at least the book covered).
If you know the book, you’ll also recognise props from the six interlinking tales. We’ve spotted the VW Beetle of crusading journo Luisa Rey (Berry), the ’70s thriller that should inject serious voltage into the film’s middle act (if you really know the book, you’ll spot that it’s drab green not rust orange).
Also on display are a pair of Chatham Island totems, a piano belonging to the composer of the ‘Letters from Zedelghem’ chapters, some dystopian gadgetry from near-future Korea, and a cart that we’re guessing gets used to carry post-apocalyptic veggies around Hawaii.
I would have thought Mitchell’s book unfilm-able, but then again, Darren Aronofsky managed to get The Fountain made. Cloud Atlas opens in theaters October 26, 2012.