UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Principal photography recently began on Universal Pictures' "The Skeleton Key," a contemporary supernatural thriller, that stars Academy Award(R) nominee Kate Hudson ("Raising Helen") and Peter Sarsgaard ("Shattered Glass"). Iain Softley ("K-PAX") directs and produces the motion picture, which is written by Ehren Kruger ("The Ring"). Daniel Bobker (the upcoming "The Brothers Grimm") and Double Feature Films' partners Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher ("Along Came Polly") serve as producers. The cast also includes Oscar(R) nominee and Emmy winner Gena Rowlands, Academy Award(R) nominee John Hurt, and Joy Bryant ("Antwone Fisher")

Set largely in the dark atmospheric backwoods just outside of New Orleans, "The Skeleton Key" stars Hudson as Caroline, a live-in nurse hired to care for an elderly woman's (Rowlands) ailing husband (Hurt) in their home ... a foreboding and decrepit Gothic mansion in the Louisiana delta. Intrigued by the enigmatic couple, their mysterious and secretive ways and their rambling house, Caroline beings to explore the old mansion. Armed with a skeleton key that unlocks every door, she discovers a hidden attic room that holds a deadly and terrifying secret. Peter Sarsgaard portrays Luke, the local attorney working on the couple's estate, and Joy Bryant plays Jill, Caroline's best friend.

Joining Softley behind-the-camera of "The Skeleton Key" are director of photography Dan Mindel ("Spy Game"), editor Joe Hutshing ("Something's Gotta Give"), production designer John Beard (the upcoming "Thunderbirds") and costume designer Louise Frogley ("Man on Fire"). The film is executive-produced by Clayton Townsend ("Bad Company").

Kate Hudson's performance in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous" earned her an Academy Award(R) nomination as Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe nomination and a BAFTA nomination. She is currently starring in Garry Marshall's "Raising Helen," and most recently starred in the blockbuster hit "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," with Matthew McConaughey. Hudson's other film credits include "Alex and Emma," for director Rob Reiner opposite Luke Wilson; and Merchant-Ivory's contemporary comedy, "Le Divorce," with such international co-stars as Naomi Watts, Glenn Close, Stockard Channing, Sam Waterston, Leslie Caron and Stephen Fry. Hudson made her studio film debut in "200 Cigarettes" with Ben Affleck, Courtney Love and Christina Ricci. Next, she co-starred in the films "Desert Blue" and "Gossip." She portrayed Richard Gere's daughter in "Dr. T & the Women," directed by Robert Altman, and was next seen in "About Adam," co-starring Stuart Townsend and Frances O'Connor. Kate recently appeared in the period epic "The Four Feathers," opposite Heath Ledger and Wes Bentley for director Shekhar Kapur ("Elizabeth.").

Peter Sarsgaard received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role-as well as the Best Supporting Actor Award from the Boston Society of Film Critics, the National Society of Film Critics, the Toronto Film Critics Association and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle -- as well as an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his work in the film "Shattered Glass." The talented actor most recently completed "The Dying Gaul" for writer/director Craig Lucas, starring opposite Patricia Clarkson and Campbell Scott. Prior to that, he filmed "Kinsey," opposite Laura Linney and Liam Neeson. He will next be seen on the big screen in the comedy "Garden Street," for writer/director Zach Braff. Sarsgaard also starred opposite John Leguizamo in the sleeper hit "Empire"; co-starred opposite Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson in the submarine thriller "K-19: The Widowmaker," directed by Kathryn Bigelow; and co-starred in "The Salton Sea," opposite Val Kilmer. The actor also starred opposite Rupert Everett and Kathy Bates in the black comedy, "Unconditional Love," directed by P.J. Hogan.

Director/producer Iain Softley's film credits include Universal's "K-PAX," starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges. The director's unique ability to bring the written word to life was demonstrated in 1997 with the screen adaptation of novelist Henry James' "The Wings of the Dove," starring Helena Bonham Carter, Linus Roache and Alison Elliott; the film earned four Academy Award(R) nominations, garnering Bonham Carter Best Actress Awards from the National Board of Review, the Los Angeles Film Critics Circle, the Boston Society of Film Critics, the Toronto Film Critics Association and the London Film Critics Circle. Softley made a memorable feature debut in 1993, writing and directing "Backbeat," a pre-history of the Beatles, starring Ian Hart, Stephen Dorff and Sheryl Lee. This was followed in 1995 by "Hackers," a romantic thriller starring Johnny Lee Miller, Fisher Stevens, Lorraine Bracco and, in their first major film roles, Angelina Jolie and Matthew Lillard.

Screenwriter Ehren Kruger's most recent original screenplay to have been filmed is "The Brothers Grimm," directed by Terry Gilliam, starring Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Peter Stormare, Jonathan Pryce and Monica Bellucci. His other credits include the international hit thriller "The Ring," directed by Gore Verbinski, starring Naomi Watts; "Reindeer Games," starring Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise and Charlize Theron; "Scream 3," directed by Wes Craven; "Arlington Road," starring Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins (for which he received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting in 1996); and "Impostor," which he co-wrote, directed by Gary Fleder, starring Gary Sinise and Madeleine Stowe. His upcoming projects include "The Ring 2" and the adaptation of "The Talisman," authored by Stephen King and Peter Straub.

Producer Daniel Bobker is an independent film producer based in Los Angeles with strong ties to the New York literary world. "The Skeleton Key" marks the second film with screenwriter Ehren Kruger, who also teamed with the producer on Terry Gilliam's upcoming "The Brothers Grimm." Bobker started his career in book publishing, where he cultivated relationships with numerous book and magazine editors and writers in both New York and London. Editorial stints at prominent publishing houses Farrar, Straus, Giroux and HarperCollins included work on an unusual combination of both adult and children's titles -- from works as varied as William Steig's favorite "Shrek" to Nobel Prize- winning poet Seamus Heaney's "Collected Poems."

Producer Stacey Sher is a partner Double Feature Films with Michael Shamberg. Together, they recently produced the hit comedy "Along Came Polly," starring Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston. Along with Shamberg, she has produced such hits as the Oscar(R)-nominated "Erin Brokovich," "Reality Bites," "Pulp Fiction," "Get Shorty," "Matilda," "Feeling Minnesota," "Gattaca," "Living Out Loud," "Out of Sight," "Man on the Moon," "The Caveman's Valentine" and "How High." In 2003, they produced the critically acclaimed feature "Camp" for writer/director Todd Graff, and "Garden State," starring Natalie Portman, Zach Braff, and Peter Sarsgaard, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004. Currently, Sher is producing the feature "Be Cool," the sequel to "Get Shorty," starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, Cedric the Entertainer and The Rock. For her achievements, Sher won the Women In Film Independent Vision Award in 2000 and the Mary Pickford Award at the USC Cinema School for Distinguished Alumni in 2002.

"The Skeleton Key" began production on April 12, 2004, in Vacherie, Louisiana, and will be utilizing various locations in New Orleans and rural Louisiana prior to returning to Los Angeles to continue shooting on the soundstages at Universal Studios.

Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal. NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.

Source: Universal Pictures

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