In the not-too-distant future, some 30 years after the final war, a solitary man walks across the wasteland that was once America.  Empty cities, broken highways, seared earth--all around him, the marks of catastrophic destruction.  There is no civilization here, no law.  The roads belong to gangs that would murder a man for his shoes, an ounce of water…or for nothing at all.   
But they're no match for this traveler. 
A warrior not by choice but necessity, Eli (Denzel Washington) seeks only peace but, if challenged, will cut his attackers down before they realize their fatal mistake.  It's not his life he guards so fiercely but his hope for the future; a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years and is determined to realize.  Driven by this commitment and guided by his belief in something greater than himself, Eli does what he must to survive--and continue. 
Only one other man in this ruined world understands the power Eli holds, and is determined to make it his own: Carnegie (Gary Oldman), the self-appointed despot of a makeshift town of thieves and gunmen.  Meanwhile, Carnegie's adopted daughter Solara (Mila Kunis) is fascinated by Eli for another reason: the glimpse he offers of what may exist beyond her stepfather's domain. 
But neither will find it easy to deter him.  Nothing--and no one--can stand in his way.  Eli must keep moving to fulfill his destiny and bring help to a ravaged humanity. 
"The Book of Eli" is directed by the Hughes Brothers ("Menace II Society," "Dead Presidents") from a screenplay by Gary Whitta.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
"One day I heard this voice, like it was coming from inside me.  It led me to a place…I found this book, buried deep in the rubble…And the voice told me to carry it west."

"What we liked about this story was that it was an action adventure but it also had something to say about commitment, sacrifice, survival and human nature," offers Allen Hughes, who, with his twin brother, Albert, directed "The Book of Eli."  It is the fifth feature film for the pair, who made their auspicious debut at age 20 with the powerful and acclaimed inner-city drama "Menace II Society." 
Says Albert Hughes, "'The Book of Eli' takes us to a future that is decimated--whether by war, nuclear or natural disasters, or any combination of events, it doesn't matter.  The devastation is total and that allowed us to speculate about how the world would look and how people would manage if the whole grid was wiped out and we were thrown back into a primitive way of life.  There would be a lot of lawlessness.  But, in time, there might be a few brave individuals who would regain a sense of purpose and take up the mantle of leadership."
Eli is one of these few.  In a time when people are either hunter or prey, he dares to be a free man, committed only to his belief in what he's doing and his determination to see it through.  But the price he pays for following his conscience is harsh. Without respite, without a home…nearly every day brings him into fresh peril and another fight against the forces that would drag him and whatever is left of society into an ever-deeper abyss. 
Denzel Washington was so taken with the story that, when initially approached for the title role, he also signed on as a producer.  "It's an interesting journey," he acknowledges.  "Eli is a man on a mission of great importance that he's been pursuing for a long time.  When we meet him, he's nearing the end of it but his greatest tests are still to come."
Exactly who Eli is--where he comes from and where he is going--remains largely, and intentionally, a mystery.  Says Allen Hughes, "A character like Eli, the enigmatic lone warrior, is almost mythical.  You know there's a rich back story, but it shouldn't be entirely revealed, and Denzel was conscientious about doing little things that would shed light into his past without spelling it out.  One of his ideas was for Eli to bear a burn scar on his back as a mark of the catastrophe he has survived.  He was very good at painting in those kinds of details that would add to Eli's mystique."   
"Denzel really got into the soul of the movie, taking it beyond the adrenalin rush of action," says producer Broderick Johnson.  "His performance makes you want to take that walk with him, to be moved by Eli's quest and the obstacles in his way."
Adds Johnson's longtime producing partner, Andrew A. Kosove, "One of the themes of the film is about believing you can do something that needs to be done, and then following through.  Eli has a hard road to travel, literally, but he believes he can succeed.  He has a driving faith in what he's doing." 
But if it's this conviction that keeps Eli focused, it's his quick wits and quicker fists that keep him alive. 
Producer Joel Silver, the force behind some of Hollywood's most memorable action films, addresses the character's dual nature.  "He has a mission to fulfill.  If people try to divert him from it or stop him for any reason, then he will, quite simply, do whatever is necessary to get past them.  I think you're inclined to forgive his actions because, at his core, he's an honest and peaceful man, and this mission is the most important thing in the world to him."
"Part of what makes Eli heroic is this focus on the future.  He is constantly moving forward," notes producer David Valdes.  "I'm a real movie fan.  I love the classic struggle of good versus evil, and I especially love to see a hero who believes in the future as much as Eli does.  It speaks of hope."

ELI'S NEMESIS
"He's not like the others.  You won't be able to make him do what you want."
The most formidable of Eli's obstacles is a man named Carnegie.  Like Eli, he is one of the few living relics from "the time before" and carries the burden of remembering how things used to be.  "There's a line in the movie where Eli explains, 'People kill each other now for things we used to throw away,' and he's talking about basic things like soap or matches, that are now rare and valuable commodities," reveals Albert Hughes. 
Unlike Eli, Carnegie has devoted the past 30 years to amassing a crude empire amid the ruins of an abandoned town and his taste for power has grown.  He is accustomed to getting what he wants, and what he wants now is a book that Eli carries in his pack--a Bible, believed to be the last one on Earth.   Read more

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
"I don't plan on staying.  I got someplace I need to be."
Despite Eli's singular goal, Washington believes that part of his journey involves lessons he's not yet aware he needs to learn.  "When Eli crosses through Carnegie's town, he becomes the focus of some unwelcome attention--not only from Carnegie, who wants to destroy him, but from Carnegie's stepdaughter, Solara, an innocent who reminds him that being human means dealing with other human beings.  In his desire to protect the book he thinks of nothing else, but part of his responsibility might also be to open himself up, to really give and do more for others.  He's been entrusted with carrying the book but he must also remember to carry its message.  It could be the final test of his particular mission and he is very reluctant to take it on." Read more

STUNTS AND FIGHT SEQUENCES
"You lay that hand on me again and you will not get it back."
Veteran stunt coordinator Jeff Imada ("The Bourne Ultimatum," "Fight Club") orchestrated the film's explosive confrontations to reveal the breadth of Eli's hard-won survival skills.   "In 'The Book of Eli' we're going to see some street-oriented fighting.  There will be a lot of weaponry, some knife fighting, sword and stick fighting; you'll see Eli using his environment to defend himself, facing multiple opponents coming at him like a pack of wolves, and some one-on-ones.  Anything goes," he says. Read more

THE VISUAL DESIGN
"I want to see what the rest of the world looks like." "No.  You don't."
The film's opening scenes introduce audiences to a disturbing reality as Eli strides past long-dead bodies in looted, burnt-out vehicles that litter the road.  Lonely miles stretch far ahead and behind him, along what the filmmakers came to refer to as the Highway of Death.  It's a world Joel Silver calls both "futuristic and completely broken down, a strange, surreal place with minimal functionality." Read more

SHOOTING THE FILM
After some experimentation, the directors and cinematographer Don Burgess elected to shoot "The Book of Eli" with a RED Digital Camera, which records directly to a flash or hard disk.  "With computers set up in the trailer, we had the opportunity after every scene to color-adjust and immediately project the image onto a screen.  It kept us in tune with the changes of color or texture we'd be making in post," says Burgess.
"We knew the Hughes brothers would bring a very distinct visual style to it that's integral to the action and the themes of the movie," says Broderick Johnson.  Read more

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

THE HUGHES BROTHERS (Directors), twins Allen and Albert, made a major leap into the entertainment industry with their debut as the 20-year-old creators and directors of "Menace II Society," a compelling, realistic look at inner-city life that premiered at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival to international critical acclaim.  With a budget of roughly $3 million, the Hughes took a story they came up with at age 14 and turned it into a motion picture that grossed nearly $30 million at the box office.  "Menace II Society" was named one of the 10 best films of the year by several major critics across the country, and received Best Picture honors at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, to a mother highly supportive of her sons' creativity, the Hughes Bros. began making home movies at age 12.  Their film education began in their freshman year of high school when Allen took a TV production class.  They soon made a short film entitled "How to Be a Burglar," and people began to take notice.  Their next work, "Uncensored Videos," was broadcast on cable, introducing them to a wider audience.  After high school, Albert began classes at LACC Film School.  With the making of a short film entitled "Menace," about a bank robbery getaway, and their next film, "The Drive By," the twins' growing reputation as innovative filmmakers attracted offers to direct features.  But they couldn't seem to find the right project, which led to their creating their own: "Menace II Society." 
Their follow-up film, "Dead Presidents," written by award-winning playwright Michael Henry Brown and starring Larenz Tate, Chris Tucker, Bokeem Woodbine, Seymour Cassel, Martin Sheen, Keith David and N'Bushe Wright, was the story of a young man whose life turns to shambles after he returns from Vietnam.  The film made its debut at the New York Film Festival in 1995.  Next came the brothers' feature-length documentary "American Pimp," an examination of the men behind the world's oldest profession, which made its debut at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. 
In 2001 the Hughes directed "From Hell," a Jack the Ripper biopic starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham, based on an investigation into the murders and their alleged link to the Royal Family. 
Their debut as executive producers for the small screen came with the USA Network series "Touching Evil," for which Allen Hughes also served as director of the pilot.  They are currently developing the HBO series "Gentleman of Leisure," a drama centering on a legendary pimp who contemplates retirement.
In addition to their vision as filmmakers, Allen and Albert Hughes have proven their talents in the music field.  Their first two soundtracks, "Menace II Society" and "Dead Presidents," which they produced, went platinum.
Some of their past projects include music videos for multiple award-winning artists, including Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues," as well as the re-release of Isaac Hayes' "Walk On By."  The Hughes also directed two PSAs on gun control entitled "Stray Bullet" and "These Walls Have No Prejudice," which have won 44 awards to date, including four Clio Awards.

GARY WHITTA (Screenwriter) started his writing career as a videogame and entertainment journalist, editing such publications as PC Gamer, Next Generation and Total Movie before deciding to pursue a career as a screenwriter. 
He has authored more than a dozen original screenplays, including "The Undying," a supernatural thriller currently in pre-production.  More recently he has written for several major studio productions including "Akira" and "Warcraft."  He is currently writing the science fiction adventure "The Defenders," with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci set to produce.
Whitta is also a comic book author, having written Image Comics' popular "Death, Jr." series, named one of 2007's Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association.  Born and raised in London, he has lived in San Francisco for the past 13 years.

THE ART OF ORIGINAL FILMMAKING

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