Universal Pictures, Shady Acres Entertainment, Spyglass Entertainment and Original Film Begin Principal Photography on 'Evan Almighty,' Starring Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman and Lauren Graham

LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Filming has begun on the hilarious comedy "Evan Almighty", starring Golden Globe Award winner Steve Carell ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin", NBC's "The Office"), Academy Award(R) winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby", "Bruce Almighty") and Lauren Graham ("Bad Santa", "Gilmore Girls").

Blockbuster comedy director Tom Shadyac ("The Nutty Professor", "Liar Liar"), who helmed the box-office hit "Bruce Almighty", returns behind the camera for this next episode of divine intervention written by Steve Oedekerk ("The Nutty Professor", "Bruce Almighty"), Josh Stolberg and Bobby Florsheim.

Carell reprises his role as Evan Baxter -- the polished, preening newscaster of "Bruce Almighty" -- who finds himself the next one anointed by God (Freeman) to accomplish a holy mission.

Newly elected to Congress, Evan leaves Buffalo behind and shepherds his family to suburban northern Virginia. Once there, his life gets turned upside-down when God appears and mysteriously commands him to build an ark. But his befuddled wife (Graham) and kids just can't decide whether Evan is having an extraordinary mid-life crisis or is truly onto something of Biblical proportions ...

"Evan Almighty" features a supporting cast that includes John Goodman ("Monsters, Inc."), Emmy-winning comedian Wanda Sykes ("Monster-in-Law"), John Michael Higgins ("Best in Show") and up-and-coming young actors Jonah Hill (upcoming "Accepted"), Jimmy Bennett, Graham Phillips and Johnny Simmons.

Evan Almighty is produced by Shadyac and Michael Bostick ("Bruce Almighty", "Liar Liar") for Shady Acres Entertainment, by Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum for Spyglass Entertainment and by Neal Moritz for Original Film. Ilona Herzberg, Dave Phillips and Matt Luber serve as executive producers. The film is a Shady Acres Entertainment, Spyglass Entertainment and Original Film production and will be released worldwide by Universal Pictures.

The film's behind-the-scenes team includes cinematographer Ian Baker ("It Runs in the Family") and "Bruce Almighty" alumni: costume designer Judy Ruskin Howell ("Guess Who"), production designer Linda DeScenna ("Yours, Mine and Ours") and editor Scott Hill ("Monster-in-Law").

Evan Almighty will be filmed in Los Angeles, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

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