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Really Big Star Russell Crowe is the featured player in this movie based on a series by a very popular author. Patrick O'Brian started the Master and Commander series in 1969, and went on to write 20 additional books about high seas adventures before his death in 2000. Today, those books have inspired numerous fansites across the Internet, making Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World the likely beginning of a franchise for 20th Century Fox.

The movie is set during the Napoleonic wars of the early 1800s and relates the adventures of "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Crowe), captain of the British vessel HMS Surprise. The captain travels the wild open seas with surgeon and secret agent Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany, who co-starred with Crowe in a Beautiful Mind). In this particular tale, the Surprise will be chasing down a French privateer called the Acheron. During the course of their journeys, our heroes will see the thunderous waters of Cape Horn, the unique beauty of the Galapagos Islands and the remainder of the South American Coast.

Other contributors of importance are supporting actor Billy Boyd, who is rapidly gaining popularity thanks to his portrayal of Pippin in the Lord of the Rings films, and director Peter Weir, who is generally regarded highly as a filmmaker. The movie is sure to have some lush scenery as well as plenty of exciting action. With a fantastic pedigree and all of the necessary elements for success, look for this film to be one of the most highly anticipated projects for the holiday season. (Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Main Cast Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany Supporting Cast Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy, Lee Ingleby, George Innes, Mark Lewis Jones, Chris Larkin, Richard McCabe, Robert Pugh, David Threlfall Director Peter Weir Screenwriter John Collee, Larry Ferguson, Peter Weir, based on a novel by Patrick O'Brian Distributor 20th Century Fox Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.masterandcommanderthefarsideoftheworld.com Rating PG-13 Running Time 138 minutes Screen Count 3,101 Awards Awards page for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Perfect Storm, The	6/30/00	41.33	46.23	3407	12131.00	13053.8	182.60	204.27	4.42
Gladiator	5/5/00	34.82	38.95	2938	11852.00	12753.5	186.61	208.76	5.36
Patriot, The	6/30/00	22.41	25.07	3061	7321.00	7877.9	113.30	126.74	4.64
Patriot Games	6/5/92	18.51	26.89	2366	7823.00	10933.3	82.88	120.42	4.48
Beautiful Mind, A	1/4/02	16.57	17.22	1853	8940.00	8940.0	170.71	177.48	9.02
Braveheart *	5/26/95	12.91	17.89	2035	6344.00	8458.7	75.59	104.78	5.65
Gladiator (1992)	3/6/92	3.31	4.80	1295	2556.00	3572.2	8.21	11.92	2.48