Murray populates ‘City’

Excluding his animate-voices, his onscreen screen time is becoming increasingly rare – and if it weren’t for Wes Anderson it would be almost non-existent. The trades report that Bill Murray will topline City of Ember. Walden Media who in the past couple of years have made a profitable business in delivering fantasy-tales are teaming with Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman to produce. Shooting begins this summer in Belfast and the film will be released Oct. 10, 2008, by 20th Century Fox through the joint marketing venture Fox Walden. John D. Schofield is exec producer.

Directed by Gil Kenan and based on the Caroline Thompson script, this is based on Jeanne DuPrau's young adult bestseller, this is a futuristic sci-fi fantasy adventure, Earth's citizens have moved to underground cities when the planet's atmosphere grows too toxic. The focus is on two teens: One longs to be a messenger because the job will allow her to venture above ground, while the other dreams of working underground to repair a generator whose failure will doom the city's power supply.  Like Murray, Toby Jones and Saoirse Ronan have also joined the project.