strain. The following morning, Eragon awakes with Murtagh at his side. He fears Saphira may be dead but finds her fully healed. They catch up with Arya, who is on her way to Ellesméra to lead the elves in the coming war against Galbatorix. She calls Eragon “The great Shadeslayer”, and they part ways, promising they will meet again. Meanwhile, in his castle, a furious Galbatorix slashes at his hanging map of Alagaësia, revealing his immense pitch black dragon, Shruikan. Cast Ed Speleers as Eragon Jeremy Irons as Brom Sienna Guillory as Arya Robert Carlyle as Durza Rachel Weisz as the voice of Saphira John Malkovich as Galbatorix Garrett Hedlund as Murtagh Alun Armstrong as Garrow Chris Egan as Roran Gary Lewis as Hrothgar Djimon Hounsou as Ajihad Richard Rifkin as Horst Steve Speirs as Sloan Joss Stone as Angela Caroline Chikezie as Nasuada Matt Devere as Tall Soldier Production Development Plans to create a film based on Christopher Paolini's best-selling novel were first announced in February 2004. 20th Century Fox purchased the rights to Eragon. Screenwriter Peter Buchman, whose credits included Jurassic Park III, wrote the screenplay. Buchman, a fan of fantasy and science fiction literature and films, says he was "blown away" by the author's precociousness, his mastery of plot lines and characters, and his ability to create several completely imaginary worlds. Casting Speleers was selected for the title role after a worldwide casting search. "Ed came in [to the casting session], and we just looked at each other and said, "That's Eragon, that's the guy from the book," said director Stefen Fangmeier: "I got a strong sense of Ed's sparkle, of his life. It's the kind of thing where you just know he's destined to become a movie star. Speleers won the role as he was trying to learn his lines for a school production of Hamlet. Others considered for the role included Alex Pettyfer but since production took place in central Europe and Pettyfer is afraid of flying, he declined the role. On July 15, 2005, in an official press release from 20th Century Fox, it was confirmed that Speleers had signed on to the project. Over the following months, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Chris Egan, and Djimon Hounsou were all confirmed as joining the Eragon cast. Paolini, author of the original novel, had expressed his wishes to be featured in a cameo role in the