Anonymous

One of two official movie tie-ins—With 165 color images, a large-format visual companion to the political thriller film Anonymous, which imagines Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, as the true author of the plays credited to William Shakespeare.

A riveting story and a striking portrayal of the Elizabethan period—full of opulent costumes, greedy nobles, illicit romances at the royal court, and bawdy playwrights—the movie Anonymous is captured in this stunning pictorial book that describes how the film was developed and produced. Divided into five sections, it includes:

‧ a fascinating essay by director Roland Emmerich about what he calls "the single greatest filmmaking experience of my life"

‧ an essay by screenwriter John Orloff (Band of Brothers, Legends of the Guardians, A Mighty Heart) explaining how this idea finally became a major motion picture over the span of ten years

‧ a humorous piece by Mark Twain discussing the Shakespeare authorship question

‧ an enticing argument by Charles Beauclerk, author of Shakespeare's Lost Kingdom, suggesting that his ancestor, Edward de Vere, is the true author

‧ commentaries from the cast and crew on the film's production, costume design, locations, sets, cinematography, and visual effects

‧ production sketches, concept illustrations, script excerpts

‧ sidebars on historical references, chronologies

‧ an extensive bibliography

Roland Emmerich is the well-known director of 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, The Patriot, Independence Day, Godzilla, Stargate, and Universal Soldier.

His longtime fascination with the Shakespeare authorship question and the Elizabethan period led to his determination to make a feature film about the mystery. He lives in Los Angeles.