Talent times three in movie destined books

Up and coming talents Freddie Highmore, Ed Speelers and Jake Cherry star in movie-destined books about life's greatest journey and adventure in 20th Century Fox's "A GOOD YEAR," "ERAGON" and "NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM."

Freddie Highmore takes on the role of the young Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) seen in flashbacks in "A GOOD YEAR" based on the best-selling book of the same name by Peter Mayle. The movie finds headstrong London banker Max (Crowe) going back to his late Uncle Henry's vineyard where he spent most of his childhood days. During his journey back, memories and the passage of time bring forth emotions and feelings he thought were long lost.

"The film will make you look back on the things that have happened in your own life. Young Max didn't know at the time how important the lessons were that Uncle Henry was giving him. But as he got older and comes back to visit his place, he realizes how important they have been in making him grow up," explains Highmore of his role. Highmore recently co-starred in two high-profile motion pictures opposite Oscar nominee Johnny Depp in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Finding Neverland."

Newcomer Ed Speelers won the title role of "ERAGON" after 20th Century Fox and the filmmakers conducted a worldwide casting search which rivaled the hunt for a cinematic "Harry Potter" and included hundreds of auditions and dozens of screen tests.

"ERAGON" is a fantasy adventure for young people based on the phenomenally successful novel by Christopher Paolini - the first book in the young author's epic Inheritance Trilogy - is a timeless yet modern tale. "ERAGON" presents a mythology in which Dragon Riders had once brought peace and prosperity to the land of Alagaësia. No one could defeat them until one of their own - Galbatorix (John Malkovich) decided to take the power all for himself. But with Eragon's discovery of a gleaming egg, which hatches a dragon he names Saphira, the time of the Dragon Riders has come again.

Speelers easily grew into the role. Indeed, the young actor sees parallels between his experiences making ERAGON and his on-screen character's journey. "I was on a new adventure, just like Eragon was," he explains. "I had a well-structured life, doing regular things, and then I was suddenly thrown into this incredible world, starring in a movie. It's been a great time for me to find myself (as Eragon does in the story), meet new people, and have new experiences," Speelers concludes.

Another newcomer Jake Cherry stars as Ben Stiller's son in the after-dark comedy "NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM." The movie is based on the children's storybook by Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc in which a brand new night guard at the Natural History Museum dozes off only to discover that one of the towering dinosaur skeletons he's supposed to be protecting has mysteriously wandered away.

Stiller is Larry Daley in the movie who takes on the night-guard job in the Natural History Museum in the hopes of never disappointing his son Nick (Cherry) again. More than thrilled to have nabbed the part, Cherry really started to get excited about what was ahead when he saw the sets for the movie. "There were mummies and sarcophaguses and jackal guards and it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen," sums up Cherry. Cherry made his feature film debut starring Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand in 'Friends With Money.' He was a series regular on the Fox show "Head Cases" and a guest star on "Bones" and "Third Watch." Cherry got his acting start in commercials when he was just two years old, accompanying his older brother to auditions.

"A GOOD YEAR," "ERAGON," and "NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM" open very soon in local theaters to be distributed by Warner Bros.