The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
From Muppet Wiki
| Released | April 29, 2005 |
| Running time | 109 minutes |
| Director | Garth Jennings |
| Written by | Douglas Adams and Karey Kirkpatrick |
| Original music by | Joby Talbot |
| Studio | Buena Vista Pictures |
| MPAA Rating | PG |
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the feature film version of Douglas Adams' franchise, previously incarnated as a series of radio programs, books, and a television series. Jim Henson's Creature Shop supplied creature effects for such characters as Marvin the Paranoid Android, the Vogons, the Whale, and the Scintillating Jeweled Scuttling Crabs. Jamie Courtier was the project supervisor for the Creature Shop.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the story of a man named Arthur Dent, a man who finds himself caught up in events beyond his imagining. He frets over the destruction of his home, only to then end up on Vogon spaceship following the destruction of the planet Earth. Furthermore, he learns that his long-time friend Ford Prefect isn't even actually from Earth, but is instead a roving reporter for the Guide from Betelgeuse. Now, Arthur finds himself on an adventure that challenges everything he ever thought was true about the universe.
Contents |
Cast
- Martin Freeman as Arthur Dent
- Mos Def as Ford Prefect
- Zooey Deschanel as Trillian
- Sam Rockwell as Zaphod Beeblebrox
- Warwick Davis as Marvin the Paranoid Android
- Alan Rickman as Marvin the Paranoid Android (voice)
- Stephen Fry as the Guide (voice)
- John Malkovich as Humma Kavula
- Helen Mirren as Deep Thought (voice)
- Bill Nighy as Slartibartfast
- Anna Chancellor as Questular Rontok
- Richard Griffiths as Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz (voice)
- Bill Bailey as the Whale
- Mark Gatiss as Additional Vogon Voices
- Mak Wilson as Vogon Interogator (voice)
Creature Performers
- Mason Ball
- Sarah Bennett
- Danny Blackner
- Hayley Burroughs
- Cecily Faye
- Aron Freeman
- Ian Kay
- Nikki McInness
- Mohsen Nouri
- Ollie Parham
- Nigel Plaskitt
- Lynne Robertson Bruce
Puppeteers
- Sue Beattie
- Simon Buckley
- Richard Coombs
- Phil Eason
- Andy Heath
- Brian Herring
- Mark Jefferis
- Rebecca Nagan
- Katherine Smee
- William Todd Jones
- Rob Tygner
- Mak Wilson
- Sarah Wright
Muppet Mentions
Prior to the release of the film, in 2004 BBC Radio launched a new radio series, adapting the last three of Adams' books, in three "phases." In the six part "Tertiary Phase" series, adapting Life, the Universe, and Everything, the announcer's closing gag for the October 19, 2004 broadcast (episode five), referenced the sponsorship closings on Sesame Street: "This week's program was brought to you by the letters F, Gamma, and the hexadecimal number 3 cosine D bracket to the power of 8... sorry, 9... no, 8.... actually, can I get back to you?"
Connections
Many people who have appeared in Muppet/Henson productions have connections to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio and TV series.
- John Baddeley played Bird Two and the Footwarrior in the second radio series.
- Jim Broadbent played Vroomfondel and Shooty in the first radio series.
- Ken Campbell played Poodoo in the second radio series.
- Neil Gaiman wrote a 1988 book, Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion.
- Peter Hawkins played Frankie Mouse in the first radio series.
- Jane Horrocks played Fenchurch in the fourth radio series.
- Chris Langham played Prak in the third radio series.
- Joanna Lumley played the Woman with the Sydney Opera House Head in the third radio series.
- Miriam Margolyes played Smelly Photocopier Woman in the fifth radio series.
- Bill Paterson played Arcturan Number One in the second radio series, and Rob McKenna in the fourth.
- Jonathan Pryce played Autopilot in the second radio series, and Zarniwoop in the second and fifth.
- Richard Vernon played Slartibartfast in the first radio series and TV show.
