Trivia for
Evan Almighty (2007)

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• Originally conceived as a direct sequel to Bruce Almighty (2003) with Jim Carrey reprising his role from the original. Robert Florsheim and Josh Stolberg's script "The Passion of the Ark" attracted high bids in Hollywood in 2004, and was eventually bought by Sony. Director Tom Shadyac, who was part of a failed Universal bid for the script, suggested to Sony that they partner to rework the project as a sequel to Bruce Almighty (2003), with Carrey indicating he would consider returning. Writer Steve Oedekerk rewrote the script, but Carrey eventually bailed on the project in 2005. Shadyac stayed on though when Steve Carell, whose star had risen after the success of The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005), agreed to star in the film, reprising the role of Evan Baxter, this time as the lead character.
  
  
• Jimmy Bennett, who plays Evan's youngest son, was filming a scene in which he and a baboon both roll logs along the ground, logs which will be used in building the ark. The baboon eventually tired of it after several takes. Suddenly, the baboon jumped up onto a pile of boards off camera and then leaped onto Bennett's back, knocking him down. The baboon then leaped back onto another pile of lumber. Filming stopped for the time being but Bennett was not hurt. Later, Bennett said he was scared when it happened, but was fine.
  
  
• As of June 2007, it is the most expensive comedy film ever made.
  
  

• Evan's wife's name is Joan, as in Joan of Arc (Ark). The real estate agent's name is Eve Adams, as in Adam and Eve.
  
  
• American Humane Association oversaw the one hundred species of animals that were used in the film. In scenes including both predators and prey, the animals were digitally added instead to ensure their safety.
  
  
• When God appears to Evan in the back of his car, Evan screams and God replies "Let it out, son. It's the beginning of wisdom." This is a reference to Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
  
  
• The movie was filmed in Virginia in the hottest part of summer - so hot, in fact, that more than one extra fainted from sun exposure. Dry Virginia orange-colored dirt is visible in exterior Ark scenes, yet the Baxter's house right next door has a lush and perfect inch-high green lawn. Simple: it's Astroturf. Broom-wielding crew occasionally swept dusty orange footprints off of the Baxters' plastic grass.
  
  
• When Evan gets the first shipment of wood, the label reads "Alpha and Omega Hardware"... a sign that the wood is from God. Revelation 1:11 in the King James Bible says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last."
  
  
• The phone number on the wood delivery trucks (800)-GO-4-WOOD is a working number to promote the movie!
  
  
• When God talks to Joan in the restaurant, the name tag on his shirt reads "Al Mighty".
  
  
• When Evan is driving he passes a movie theater, the movie playing is 'The 40 year old Virgin Mary'. The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) also starred Steve Carell.
  
  
• The massed animal scenes seemingly showing thousands of approaching animals used digitally effects to increase apparent numbers. However, contrary to rumor, the lesser numbers of helper animals present during Ark construction outdoor scenes were quite real.
  
  
• During the Ark-yard scene in which snarling lions with a "privacy please" sign scare off news reporters, CGI lions were used for safety. Acting as reference "stand-ins" for the absent lions were two large stuffed toy lions.
  
  
• For a cloudburst scene, it took hours to raise a pipework "rain rig" by crane over the Ark and then to position the hundreds of extras and set the equipment. After a practice take, the filmmakers saw an attractive cloud which they hoped to use as background while Evan speaks -except that the rain rig would be in the shot. During the hour it took to move away the cranes, of course the cloud moved away. The area was reset for the cloudburst scene (another hour) and by then the day's sunlight was spent. The scene was put off for another day.
  
  
• The film's town of Huntsville is a real-looking fake stage set built along the then-vacant roads of a real future housing development tract - which is now being built-over with real houses. The houses look much like the Hollywood structures of Prestige Crest they replaced.
  
  
• The real animals were paired two-by-two, but many of them were actually same-sex couples! This was for safety: a bull elephant was considered a safety risk so two females were used. With giraffes, males can be friendly. Pairs of male giraffes were used.
  
  
• Evan's ancient robe has a concealed quick-escape zipper in the front.
  
  
• Why apply time-consuming makeup twice: for distant shots, an Evan double was used. The double wore a realistic life-cast latex mask complete with attached hair and full beard.
  
  
• During filming, a curious giraffe bit a portion of the Ark which was paneled with dark-painted Styrofoam. Without injury, the giraffe spat it out and went about its business, but a noticeable white bitemark remained. Later, the missing area was touched-up.
  
  
• Like the studio version of the Titanic, the Ark was only finished on one side. While the starboard side had hull-planking and painted detail, the port side was left rough.
  
  
• Evan's Ark never had a completed roof. Only the first few planks (closest to the bow) of roofing were present. Otherwise, only the framing trusses were erected. In studio post-production, the roof was completed digitally.
  
  
• The environmentally-minded production purchased bicycles for film crew members from a business near where location filming was underway; thereafter almost no crew drove cars while running errands across the expansive set areas.
  
  
• God's police motorcycle was an actual police-issue machine (with markings changed by the film crew) originally owned by the police department of Staunton, Virginia.
  
  
• In the scene when Evan is saying to God "then you have to understand this building an ark thing really isn't part of my plans here...” God laughs. This is a reference to the Yiddish proverb, "Mann traoch, Gott läuch," meaning "Man plans, God laughs."
  
  
• The ark shown in Prestige Crest was built as a full size ark, with added sections being built for other shots requiring CGI. The frame of the ark was steel with wood effect paneling to make the construction easier and cheaper.
  
  
• Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston both declined to reprise their roles from Bruce Almighty (2003).
  
  
• Steve Carell got mildly injured filming in Richmond, VA. He suffered a mild sprain while getting into his character's trademark Hummer H2.
  
  
• Tom Shadyac considered several women for the role of Evan's wife, including Lisa Kudrow.
  
  
• Evan Baxter's kids (Dylan, Jordan and Ryan) are named after Michael Bostick's own kids. They are also relatively the same age.
  
  
• In one of the clips of Morgan Freeman as God, he is wearing a New Orlean Saints hat. The Saints obviously in relation to God.
  
  

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