The Prestige

The Prestige is a 2006 mystery thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, based on the 1995 novel by Christopher Priest. Set in Victorian London, the film stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as stage magicians who compete to create a superior teleportation illusion. The supporting cast includes Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis, and David Bowie as inventor Nikola Tesla. The film reunited Nolan with Bale and Caine following Batman Begins (2005) and with several regular collaborators, including cinematographer Wally Pfister, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Lee Smith, and composer David Julyan. Principal photography took place in early 2006, with locations including Los Angeles and Colorado. The Prestige premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on October 17, 2006, and was released in the United States on October 20, 2006, by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution through its Touchstone Pictures label, with Warner Bros. Pictures handling international distribution. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its performances, production design, and narrative structure. It was a box office success, earning $109 million worldwide on the budget of $40 million.