Technical Crew

Original title
Timeline

Director
Richard DONNER

Writing credits
Jeff MAGUIRE
George NOLFI

From a novel by
Michael CRICHTON

Producer
Richard DONNER
Lauren SHULER DONNER
Jim VAN WYCK

Co-Producer
Michael AGUILAR
Kevin DE LA NOY

Executive Producer
Gary LEVINSOHN
Michael OVITZ

Associated Producer
Derek HOFFMAN
Brian READ

Music
Brian TYLER

Cinematography
Caleb DESCHANEL

Editor
Richard MARKS

Casting
Sarah FINN
Randi HILLER

Production Designer
Daniel T. DORRANCE

Art Direction
Caroline ALDER
Réal PROULX
David SANDEFUR

Set Decoration
Jille AZIS

Costume Design
Jenny BEAVAN

Makeup Department
Claudette B. CASAVANT
Annick CHARTIER
Sandro Di GIOACCHINO
Jacques DIAMOND
C.J. GOLDMAN
Élaine HAMEL
Johanne HANSEN
Tahira HEROLD
Manon JOLY
Gaétan LANDRY
Ludovie LEPAGE
Lori MCCOY-BELL
Julie MIGNOT
Bob PRITCHETT
Cécile RIGAULT
Martin RIVEST
Ronald J. ROLFE
Nathalie TRéPANIER
Fanny VACHON
Nicole VEILLETTE
Adrianna VELBERT

Production Managern
Daniel AUCLAIR
Alain BERNARD
Lucie BOULIANE
Kevin DE LA NOY
Stephane DESHARNAIS
Maurice FORGET
Michel LEROUX
Susan TOWNER
David WITZ

Assistant Director
Frank RUSZCZYNSKI
Jim VAN WYCK

Sound Department
Cindy MARTY
Michael O'FARRELL

Special Effects
Neil CORBOULD
Louis CRAIG
Mario DUMONT
Adrien MOROT
Roger GUYETT
Denise REAM

Production Companies
Artists Production Group
Cobalt Media Group
Mutual Film Company
Paramount Pictures
The Donners' Company
USA

Distributors
Concorde Filmverleih GmbH
Eagle Pictures S.p.a.
GAGA Communications
Paramount Pictures
TriPictures S.A.
United International Pictures

Runtime
116 minutes

The Story

In the heart of the beautiful and historically rich Dordogne Valley of France, a team of archaeology students and their professor diligently work to uncover the ruins of a 14th-century castle. For Professor Edward Johnston, the project is the culmination of a lifelong dream. Aided by assistant professor Andre Marek, his son Chris and students Kate, Stern and Francois, Johnston has made major strides in unearthing not only La Roque Castle but also a monastery and structures from the surrounding village of Castelgard.

Astonish discovery

But things are about to go haywire...

Lord Arnaut

Suspicious of the dig's benefactor, International Technology Corporation (ITC) and the man who runs it, Robert Doniger, Professor Johnston heads to ITC headquarters in New Mexico to get some answers, and while he's away, his students discover a chamber that has been sealed for more than 600 years. Marek and Kate descend into the unstable room, and just before a near disastrous cave-in, they make two startling discoveries -- a bifocal lens, which couldn't have been invented before the chamber was sealed, and even more intriguing, a handwritten plea for help dated April 2, 1357... from Professor Johnston!

Lady Claire

Determined to solve the mystery, the students head for ITC headquarters, where they are stunned to learn of Doniger's new invention -- a machine that can actually transmit three-dimensional objects through space. Although he meant for the device to revolutionize shipping, Doniger inadvertently opened a wormhole that leads directly to the 14th century, and Professor Johnston, who had insisted on experiencing the discovery himself, is now trapped in a vicious French vs. English feudal war! Can Johnston's loyal students survive one of the most violent battles in world history... and make it back to the 21st century alive?

DoctorSF's Words

In order to impose a total realism, Richard Donner (Ladyhawke, Superman, Lethal Weapon) made build in the vicinity of Montreal in only thirteen weeks the complete human size structures of a castle based on castles of the valley of the Dordogne in France. Scenes of the most elaborated combats mobilized up to 300 hundred of participating people armed with masses, sabres, swords, arcs and burning arrows.
With more than 100 millions of copies translated in about thirty languages, Michael Crichton alternates between bestsellers and direction of prestigious films (Westworld, Looker, Coma). For this writer and moviemaker fascinated by science fiction, « Timeline » is his twelfth novel carried to screen.

Battle rages!